Natwest. Bank charges on a cancelled DD - advice pls

Heelz

Im seeking advice please

I bank with NATWEST
At the beginning of August I cancelled 2 x direct debits to LOWELL financial as I knew there was no way I would have the money in my account to cover these. On the 28th of August I recieved my bank statement stating I have 2 charges for unpaid direct debits to LOWELL (the ones I cancelled) I have phoned my branch today to find out why and they have told me LOWELL have reinstated the direct debit (without my consent) and there is nothing I can do to stop this happening. They are planning on taking the charges from my account on the 15th of this month, again there is no way I can afford this. My wages based on commision over the last 3 years have dropped from over £1500 pcm to under £800 pcm and I have recently been awarded tax credits. Both my wages and my tax credits are paid to this account.

I need know: Can I stop the bank making these charges.
The bank phone line says I can wait til the charge is made and then try and reclaim the money from LOWELL. (meaning I will be in a cycle of over my overdraft due to bank charges)
Can I stop LOWELL being able to access my bank account.

I hope to be able to leave work a little early on Friday and go to my bank to dicuss this matter. I wish I could just change banks but my credit rating is so poor and I have a very large overdraft (1300) with NATWEST and a loan (5000) I dont think Im going to be able to.

Thank you in advance for your help

natweststaffmember

Heelz wrote: »

Im seeking advice please

I bank with NATWEST
At the beginning of August I cancelled 2 x direct debits to LOWELL financial as I knew there was no way I would have the money in my account to cover these. On the 28th of August I recieved my bank statement stating I have 2 charges for unpaid direct debits to LOWELL (the ones I cancelled) I have phoned my branch today to find out why and they have told me LOWELL have reinstated the direct debit (without my consent) and there is nothing I can do to stop this happening. They are planning on taking the charges from my account on the 15th of this month, again there is no way I can afford this. My wages based on commision over the last 3 years have dropped from over £1500 pcm to under £800 pcm and I have recently been awarded tax credits. Both my wages and my tax credits are paid to this account.

I need know: Can I stop the bank making these charges.
The bank phone line says I can wait til the charge is made and then try and reclaim the money from LOWELL. (meaning I will be in a cycle of over my overdraft due to bank charges)
Can I stop LOWELL being able to access my bank account.

I hope to be able to leave work a little early on Friday and go to my bank to dicuss this matter. I wish I could just change banks but my credit rating is so poor and I have a very large overdraft (1300) with NATWEST and a loan (5000) I dont think Im going to be able to.

Thank you in advance for your help

You can't stop the direct debit but write a letter to NatWest and state that you do not authorise any Direct Debits to Lowell and keep a copy. Should a Direct Debit be set up then you have the right to claim a bank error in allowing it to be reinstated since you have clearly informed the bank not to authorise it.
What was Lowell for?

Heelz

LOWELL is for a cc I had many years ago, they are refusing to tell me what is outstanding ( I have been paying them for several years) I am assuming if I stop paying them and still owe them money they will finally have to tell me how much I still owe them.

Thank you for your help.

patrich

same thing, natwest were told to stop a standing order as i had no money to pay it. i was 80p in credit but natwest then charged me £38 for not having funds to meet the standing order (that i'd cancelled!) and have continued to charge £28 per month admin fee and interest. so far they say i owe £450 since last october. it's all charges and interest but they won't back down, how can we stand up to people that are faceless,so much for the ad campaign! helpfull banking! helping themselves more like!

natweststaffmember

patrich wrote: »

same thing, natwest were told to stop a standing order as i had no money to pay it. i was 80p in credit but natwest then charged me £38 for not having funds to meet the standing order (that i'd cancelled!) and have continued to charge £28 per month admin fee and interest. so far they say i owe £450 since last october. it's all charges and interest but they won't back down, how can we stand up to people that are faceless,so much for the ad campaign! helpfull banking! helping themselves more like!

If it's a standing order then the bank should have cancelled it, if it is within 3 days they may not have had time to do so.

stclair

natweststaffmember wrote: »

You can't stop the direct debit but write a letter to NatWest and state that you do not authorise any Direct Debits to Lowell and keep a copy. Should a Direct Debit be set up then you have the right to claim a bank error in allowing it to be reinstated since you have clearly informed the bank not to authorise it.
What was Lowell for?

Hi OP if you follow this route be mind full that lovell may set the DD up using a different reference number. They may have claimed for it under say reference number 123456-01 then when they call for it again the reference may change to say 0123456-02 thats how they become reinstated again by the bank after they have been cancelled.

natweststaffmember

stclair wrote: »

Hi OP if you follow this route be mind full that lovell may set the DD up using a different reference number. They may have claimed for it under say reference number 123456-01 then when they call for it again the reference may change to say 0123456-02 thats how they become reinstated again by the bank after they have been cancelled.

But by asking for a blanket stop on one company the bank should show due diligence in not allowing one to be set up.
When working for the bank I was told by a CSC that it could be done

stclair

natweststaffmember wrote: »

But by asking for a blanket stop on one company the bank should show due diligence in not allowing one to be set up.
When working for the bank I was told by a CSC that it could be done

It can be done but they will possibly advise them to cancel the DD with the originator.

As its Lowell im sure theyll do what ever they can to get there money.

natweststaffmember

stclair wrote: »

It can be done but they will possibly advise them to cancel the DD with the originator.

As its Lowell im sure theyll do what ever they can to get there money.

We can work on Lowell because if the OP does send a letter in writing to Lowell cancelling it and keeps a copy then he has proof of cancellation. If they re set up the DD then they are doing it without authority.

zigzagzen

I am surprised that no one has picked up on this:

Heelz wrote: »

LOWELL is for a cc I had many years ago, they are refusing to tell me what is outstanding ( I have been paying them for several years)

What do you mean they are refusing to tell you what you owe them? They must provide a schedule of the debt, payments received and interest charged.

Once you write to your bank telling them to withhold all payments to LOWELL and accept no new Direct Debit instructions from them I would also write to LOWELL demanding to see an updated statement of the account and refusing any further payment until this is provided.

The trick of setting up two direct debits is used by a LOT of companies. Talk-Talk used to do this, maybe still do, so if you cancel one they can nick your money with the other. They don't tell you they set two up - I only discovered this when I called to cancel the one I thought was the only DD on the account and the lady at the bank asked "do you want them both cancelled?".

ZZZ

stclair

natweststaffmember wrote: »

We can work on Lowell because if the OP does send a letter in writing to Lowell cancelling it and keeps a copy then he has proof of cancellation. If they re set up the DD then they are doing it without authority.

Lowell are renound for re-setting up direct debits.

If i was the op i get it in writing and send it to them my registered post then they cant deny not receiving it. As your right once this is been done they cant not really cant set it up again without authority.