Natwest Bank Charges

mucktub86

Just checked my bank account and I noticed £20 of charges were deducted from my account on 29th December as I'd gone £3.33 over my overdraft limit. I rang the bank and queried it to then be told I had a further £20 to be deducted in charges.

I'm tearing my hair out as I'm unemployed and so I'm living (if you could call it that) on Jobseekers Allowance and £40 is almost one weeks money!!

The first time I admit was my own fault but the second time if the bank knew these charges were being deducted they should NOT have let me take any money out of my bank account.

The worst thing is that the chances are I will get sucked into this continuous cycle now of having bank charges every month through no fault of my own.

Any help/advice would be appreciated!

Thanks,
Lis

Premier_2

Have you thought about asking the bank to increase your overdraft since you seem to struggle to manage within the limits of your existing one?

mucktub86

Premier wrote: »

Have you thought about asking the bank to increase your overdraft since you seem to struggle to manage within the limits of your existing one?

Perhaps if you'd read my first post properly you would see that I am living on Jobseekers allowance whilst looking for a job. No bank would increase someone's overdraft whilst they are on benefits.

scottishblondie

If you're on benefits and a tight budget, you might try pleading your case based on the fact that you're in financial hardship right now. Maybe you can avoid getting stuck in the vicious cycle if you explain your situation to them?

mucktub86

Thanks scottishblondie, I said to both the people I spoke to at the bank that I am living on benefits through no choice of my own and that didn't make any difference.

I'm just so angry as I've now gone through my bank statements carefully and have no found two further charges from last year quoting dates I'd gone over my overdraft limit yet when I looked there are no transactions at all on these dates and the previous transactions show I am no-where near my overdraft limit :mad::mad::mad:

Lis

Premier_2

mucktub86 wrote: »

Perhaps if you'd read my first post properly you would see that I am living on Jobseekers allowance whilst looking for a job. No bank would increase someone's overdraft whilst they are on benefits.

Have you asked? If you don't ask you won't get.

You may get a small increase if you can show you are able to handle your account in good fashion.
If you are refused, consider how you can live within your means ... and that of the existing overdraft you have been granted if necessary.

Edit: Just seen your later post explaining how you habitually appear to go over your authorised overdraft (often without knowing). Yeah, probably a waste of time asking for a bigger one, job or no job.

stclair

The chances of getting an increase on an overdraft whilst claiming JSA is nil.

Id ask very nicely whether they would be willing to refund the charges or at least one of them as a gesture of goodwill. If that fails you may want to claim them back under hardship.

The bank will allow any available funds to be withdrawn up until the charges are claimed.

The banks argument will be that you would have been notified of the charges and the dates in your statement plus the information is also available online.

I would suggest you arrange to have your JSA paid into another account.

catflea

If you've had more than one charge in the last 3 months, chances of NW increasing overdraft limit is virtually nil (I USED to work for them in that team!) The charge also used to be £28 - guess thats been reduced then

Heres a hint for you. Get a Step account. No charges if you go overdrawn :cool: If you ring up the Telephone Advisory Service on 0800 616 848 you wont even have to pay for the call

In terms of getting the charges back, NW are a pain in the bum. Speak to someone on the phone and if they say no, ask for the case number and the address for customer relations - write to them citing financial difficulty and your reasonings you might be lucky

willo65

On your statement it will advise what date the charges go out so if you make sure on that date you have funds available then you will escape the "continous cycle".

mucktub86

Premier wrote: »

Have you asked? If you don't ask you won't get.

You may get a small increase if you can show you are able to handle your account in good fashion.
If you are refused, consider how you can live within your means ... and that of the existing overdraft you have been granted if necessary.

Edit: Just seen your later post explaining how you habitually appear to go over your authorised overdraft (often without knowing). Yeah, probably a waste of time asking for a bigger one, job or no job.

You have no right to make an ASSUMPTION I have only gone over my overdraft twice in one month (and this is whilst I'm on jobseekers allowance, I have never gone over my overdraft whilst working, again I'd suggest reading a post properly before commenting). The previous charges have quoted dates where no transactions whatsoever have taken place on my account and were also while I was working.

Thank you to people who've replied with HELPFUL responses

Lis

stclair

catflea wrote: »

If you've had more than one charge in the last 3 months, chances of NW increasing overdraft limit is virtually nil (I USED to work for them in that team!) The charge also used to be £28 - guess thats been reduced then

Heres a hint for you. Get a Step account. No charges if you go overdrawn :cool: If you ring up the Telephone Advisory Service on 0800 616 848 you wont even have to pay for the call

In terms of getting the charges back, NW are a pain in the bum. Speak to someone on the phone and if they say no, ask for the case number and the address for customer relations - write to them citing financial difficulty and your reasonings you might be lucky

You can still be charged on a step account for bounced DDs etc.