Halifax and their charges (please help)

aban4803

Hi, can someone please assist me...

I have current account with Halifax, Last week I checked my online statement it shows that I had £14.00, so I transferred £8 from Halifax saving account to the current account. This was done at night time. When I checked the statement it showed that I had sufficient funds.

The next morning I went to Sportworld and I purchased goods for the amount of £12.48. 4 days later, I received a letter from Halifax telling me that I have used an authorised overdraft of £2.04, Therefore they are charging me £28which I have to pay by the 14/11/09 and then pay additional £35 on the 30/11/09 totalling the amount of £68.00. I went back to the back and paid the £2.04, and I spoke to one of the advisers and they told me that there was there was payment made to Asda (£6.89) and Tesco (£4.98), which resulted account to be overdrawn by £2.04.

What I don’t understand why they charging me £68 pounds. At the moment I have no income and I am unable to pay them.... My account balance at the moment is £0.00

I have never been overdrawn or being charged at ALL. This is my first time.

· What would happened if I don’t pay these charges Can the bank still charge me for the charges if there is no fund in the account?

· Is there away I can close my bank without paying them.

When I spoke to the bank advisor, she told me she cannot waive the charges, as this is the instructions, they have received from the head office until the court case finish.

Please help me what to do and what action to take before the 14/11/09.

Thank you all in advance.

natweststaffmember

You cannot close the account prior to charges being deducted. I would write to them and state that as this is the first occasion whether they would consider refunding the amount as a gesture of goodwill as you paid money in as soon as you realised your error. See what they say.

geddo19

Hi,
couldn't work out how to post a new thread, but was wondering if anyone could advise me.

I switched my Halifax account to Allianc and Leicester some months back but didn't get around to closing the old account. Due to interest charges on my £100 overdraft, I exceeded it briefly and was charged £56 for the privilege. I contacted the bank that 'likes to give a little extra' to try and sort it out. Offered to clear the debt at the rate or £45 per month (the limit of what I can afford) and was told that from the 6th December I will be charged £5 per day for the time I exceed my £100 overdraft.

So, my first payment at the end of this month will take my debt to £111 and I will then incur charges of £5 per day, amounting to a total of £125 additional charges for December. It doesn't take a genius to work out that at this rate my debt to Halifax will increase every month to the tune of £150 or so, which I will never be able to pay off at the rate I can afford.

I accept that it is partly down to disorganisation on my part but I do feel that the Halifax is being very inflexible about this. I have explained my situation and asked them to take that into account but they are adamant that their new 'easier to understand' rules cannot be made exception to in any way.

Does anyone know what I can do, if anything? I'm not, as the Halifax employee suggested, in financial difficulties, merely, like most of us, on a budget but now face the very real prospect of being in dire straits with a debt I will never be able to repay.

ekkygirl

Cant you pay a little extra the first month to get it down to under 100 and then 2 payments later the debt will be gone for the sake of an extra tenner on the first month, Does this make sense or have I missed somethin?

aban4803

natweststaffmember wrote: »

You cannot close the account prior to charges being deducted. I would write to them and state that as this is the first occasion whether they would consider refunding the amount as a gesture of goodwill as you paid money in as soon as you realised your error. See what they say.

On the 14/11/2009 they said they will take their first payment ... what happend if i dont pay

geddo19

Ty ekkygirl, I would if at all possible, but I really have gone to the limit in terms of what I can afford to pay and it is this which seems to be the sticking point with Halifax.

ekkygirl

I was thiking maybe you could miss some other payment that won't end up costing you a fortune in charges like phone payment or something. Its tempting to call their bluff but you will be the loser, they have it all stitched up. The people who can least afrord it and who actually want to pay get screwed every time. Good luck whatever you try

J

natweststaffmember

aban4803 wrote: »

On the 14/11/2009 they said they will take their first payment ... what happend if i dont pay

They keep charging you to be blunt.

aban4803

natweststaffmember wrote: »

You cannot close the account prior to charges being deducted. I would write to them and state that as this is the first occasion whether they would consider refunding the amount as a gesture of goodwill as you paid money in as soon as you realised your error. See what they say.

Do u have template letter that i could use please .. urgently

wayne99

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=400981

the stickys at the top of this forum page are quite usefull.

natweststaffmember

aban4803 wrote: »

Do u have template letter that i could use please .. urgently

You don't need a template to write this kind of letter. You write an introduction ie what is the letter about, you then ask them to consider a refund and then you end the letter with something polite ie I look forward to hearing from you, etc, etc,