Natwest: £320 & Rising Monthly

CelticSam

Hello,

It's not stupidity as the title says - I hope.

I went onto JSA last year and has an Income going Into my bank. However they recently said your 'Young Savers Account' can now be upgraded. So I did so, and In turn they said you can upgrade to 'Advantage Blue'. Which for a few quid a month I thought great. Free Cinema Card and Rail Pass. Great for a wannabe-film-producer... these? I never ended up using or claiming for.

Turns out I then had the following accounts:

• Young Savers Account
• Normal Savers / Standard Account

So It wasn't just ONE account, I had two. And my JSA was being forwarded Into my Young Savers. Despite trying to change this, I think some of us understand what the Job Center can be like sometimes..

So I went to my bank explained and they said they can start up a forwarding service. Forgotten the name for it, but they transfer the money automatically every month Into my newer account. Since my old one.. no card anymore from when I upgraded.

Then a month later I discovered I was overdrawn by some specific amount.

I went back and tried to sort them asking what was going on, long story short I didn't get my JSA for a few fortnights. In the end they told me I'd have to end up paying 72.00. So I paid my JSA money to 0 the account back to normal. And told them I want to CANCEL the forwarding service, and SHUT DOWN the Advantage Blue.

By this time there was a customer service employer who was Sick of seeing me. I weirdly always had her when I went to queue.

They said they CAN'T shut down the Advantage Blue until the 6 month contract was up - which obviously I didn't know about. Not something they highlight I guess when you talk to them.

So after this I thought sod It, a older gentleman told me In a pub Alliance and Leicster are fantastic. Signed up with them within the week, true enough. No Issues at all. There online banking can be a bit slow, but nothing at all to fault.

Now with Alliance and Leicster

Not to play on the 'guilt' card but In the course of the last 9-12 months I've:

• Met a lovely girlfriend,
• Some relatives have died,
• We just had a baby (unfortunatly coming to terms with that its her ex's)
• & been living with her most of the time.
• (amongst some other things)

(The point of me saying this being that I haven't had the time of day to deal with them......)

In this time my account has apparently been stacking up to around 320 quid now. Overdrawn which I didn't know about. I refuse to play it because apparently I should have even PAID that 72.00 a year ago, because it was JSA and I was entitled to it etc, etc.. etc.

I want to go In to one of there branches now after a few Strongbow's and sort this whole thing out for once and for all. I'll need the drinks because I'm not one for confidence going into a bank and making a scene.


Has anyone got any advice on what I can do?
I'd be very grateful.

:beer:

chrisharri

Hello CelticSam,
Sounds as though you're in a bit of a pickle with Natwest. I wouldn't worry that it's taken you a little while to face up to what's happening with your bank account, the main thing is that you're dealing with it now.
I'm no expert on these matters, but I think that you should write to Natwest, explain all of this to them. Then tell them that you don't have an income and that there is no way you can pay back this money. Surely they shouldn't be charging you when you are on JSA?
Good luck!

gmags

I really wouldn't recommend going in drunk though

CelticSam

I wouldn't have thought they would to.

I thought about writing to them, but It might take a while for a reply. With possibly no resolution. I could try It first though? Then If that doesn't work.. go against gmags advice.

I'm not sure whether to play It as:

'I refuse to pay It', or, 'I would like you to cancel It'

chrisharri

I would personally say: I wish to cancel, and I refuse to pay! Then go on to explain the reason you refuse to pay and why you wish to cancel. Send the letter by recorded delivery, so you know the bank have recieved the letter. You final paragraph could say that you expect to hear from them within 14 days or something.

natweststaffmember

CelticSam wrote: »

Hello,

It's not stupidity as the title says - I hope.

I went onto JSA last year and has an Income going Into my bank. However they recently said your 'Young Savers Account' can now be upgraded. So I did so, and In turn they said you can upgrade to 'Advantage Blue'. Which for a few quid a month I thought great. Free Cinema Card and Rail Pass. Great for a wannabe-film-producer... these? I never ended up using or claiming for.

Turns out I then had the following accounts:

• Young Savers Account
• Normal Savers / Standard Account

When were you actually aware of the two accounts?
So It wasn't just ONE account, I had two. And my JSA was being forwarded Into my Young Savers. Despite trying to change this, I think some of us understand what the Job Center can be like sometimes..

So I went to my bank explained and they said they can start up a forwarding service. Forgotten the name for it, but they transfer the money automatically every month Into my newer account. Since my old one.. no card anymore from when I upgraded.
What forwarding service? Was it setting up a standing order(you can't on a young savers account)?
Then a month later I discovered I was overdrawn by some specific amount.
If the money had been forwarded at the time, would that have covered the amount going out?
I went back and tried to sort them asking what was going on, long story short I didn't get my JSA for a few fortnights. In the end they told me I'd have to end up paying 72.00. So I paid my JSA money to 0 the account back to normal. And told them I want to CANCEL the forwarding service, and SHUT DOWN the Advantage Blue.
With Advantage Blue you have 14 days to close it or minimum period is 6 months. Perhaps maladministration might be a better word to go with them on since they were not clear in what they told you. Furthermore, a Young Saver's account is for 0-9 years old so they obviously didn't administer the account correctly.
By this time there was a customer service employer who was Sick of seeing me. I weirdly always had her when I went to queue.

They said they CAN'T shut down the Advantage Blue until the 6 month contract was up - which obviously I didn't know about. Not something they highlight I guess when you talk to them.

So after this I thought sod It, a older gentleman told me In a pub Alliance and Leicster are fantastic. Signed up with them within the week, true enough. No Issues at all. There online banking can be a bit slow, but nothing at all to fault.

Now with Alliance and Leicster

Not to play on the 'guilt' card but In the course of the last 9-12 months I've:

• Met a lovely girlfriend,(irrelevant to bank charges)
  
• Some relatives have died,(irrelevant unless immediate family)
  
• We just had a baby (unfortunatly coming to terms with that its her ex's)(Could be relevant on financial hardship)
  
• & been living with her most of the time.(which could be a negative on financial hardship).
  
• (amongst some other things)

(The point of me saying this being that I haven't had the time of day to deal with them......)

In this time my account has apparently been stacking up to around 320 quid now. Overdrawn which I didn't know about. I refuse to play it because apparently I should have even PAID that 72.00 a year ago, because it was JSA and I was entitled to it etc, etc.. etc.
Why should you have been paid that £72 a year ago cos the post isn't clear. It is irrelevant what benefit you are on for bank charges.
I want to go In to one of there branches now after a few Strongbow's and sort this whole thing out for once and for all. I'll need the drinks because I'm not one for confidence going into a bank and making a scene.
Write to them because they will have no way of dealing with it in the branch and likelihood is that Collections have the account

Has anyone got any advice on what I can do?
I'd be very grateful.

:beer:

See above......

CelticSam

When were you actually aware of the two accounts?

Only when it came to them setting up a forwarding service..

What forwarding service? Was it setting up a standing order(you can't on a young savers account)?

I believe It was a Standing Order yes. Almost all the expected money was going to get forwarded to the newer account.

If the money had been forwarded at the time, would that have covered the amount going out?

Sorry not quite sure I understand, but I think so..

Why should you have been paid that £72 a year ago cos the post isn't clear. It is irrelevant what benefit you are on for bank charges.

I was told I was overdrawn back then, when I tried to cancel my account and shut down advantage blue. This is roughly when I payed them 72 quid. Sorry that my mind isn't as clear now, but I was told at the time I shouldn't have because ''it was my Job Seekers Allowance money that I needed to live off.''



Sadly I do think Collectors have the account now. I'm getting sneaky letters getting me to answer recorded messages, trying to establish that I still live at my old address.

natweststaffmember

Further clarification needed. Was the account converted at the point in which the bank said that they could set up a forwarding service or not?

CelticSam

I think both accounts are still open. Can't be 100% certain ..could I ask why?

natweststaffmember

CelticSam wrote: »

I think both accounts are still open. Can't be 100% certain ..could I ask why?

I didn't phrase the question rightly. At the point in which they told you about the forwarding service, was that the time in which you set up the advantage blue account?
Was the advantage blue account in credit at that time?

CelticSam

I didn't phrase the question rightly. At the point in which they told you about the forwarding service, was that the time in which you set up the advantage blue account?
Was the advantage blue account in credit at that time?


When they told me about the forwarding service.
I didn't have a Advantage Blue Account.

It was later on that I signed up for it.

:beer: