how to get bank charges refunded from A & L??

Lizzybet_2

Hi folks, sorry if this is going over old ground - I would be interested to hear from people who have had any success getting bank charges refunded by A & L, and what strategies have been helpful. I have gone through the procedure according to "Saint Martin" but at the moment they stone-walling.
All suggestions welcome.

15lsp

i called them up and I got refunded. However the initial charge by the bank was a mistake as I hadnt gone over my allowed overdraft

robert_harper_2000

I've got full refund on 3 years of charges + interest!

https://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum

Lizzybet_2

Thanks for that - good news for you!! How did you manage it, how long did it take, and have you any tips please?

robert_harper_2000

very easy just read the faqs on the site mentioned

Lizzybet_2

Of course...........sorry, I'm new to this and evidently a bit on the slow side!! Many thanks.

schiff

I suffered just two charges by A&L - £25 + £30. They reimbursed £25 after my first (sweetly phrased) letter.

I have applied twice since explaining the precise circumstances behind the charges - situations that were corrected very quickly when I discovered the problem (one at 8.10am the morning after!). I felt I had really good cases for both to be refunded in full. I even mentioned the possibility of my account being closed for being a 'nuisance' (an action I described as petty in the extreme - if they took it).

They have refused both times - which frankly surprises me, bearing in mind the background to these things. So I am now faced with threatening court action as the only way forward. Action I am not prepared to take as I don't want my account closing. The prospect of transferring all my DDs and SOs and everything else to a new bank, simply puts me off. I think A&L know that.

A bit cowardly maybe, but for £30 I would prefer a quiet life.

schiff

robert_harper_2000

Well if you applied for a new bank account the bank does all the transfering for you! They send you a list of d/d and tick the ones you want transfered! Simple

Don't let them get away with it!!

Lizzybet_2

I'm inclined to agree that they shouldn't be allowed to get away with it. Even before trying to claim back bank charges, my experience of A and L is that they are totally inflexible. I have opened another current account in case they close the one I have with them. Unfortunately, I feel it would take a very large number of people to "walk" before they would feel any pain. Still, from small acorns etc. so go for it I say! Good luck.

schiff

robert_harper_2000 wrote:

Well if you applied for a new bank account the bank does all the transfering for you! They send you a list of d/d and tick the ones you want transfered! Simple

Don't let them get away with it!!

Afraid I can't agree Robert! My experience starting off with A&L's current account was not exactly a nightmare but it was a very hard slog that lasted several months. In my case the bank didn't do 'all the xferring for me' and the very last word I would have used was 'simple' (with all due respect of course).

I am assuming you must have done this yourself ? - I'm sure you wouldn't quote the bank's blurb, when they try to get you to sign up as your comment to me. They use terms like easy, trouble-free, we'll take care of it all, etc, etc.

In my case I did virtually all the work myself, some of the actions that A&L were taking were not what I wanted and I found at times that they had done nothing about particular DDs, out of pure sloppiness. I wanted to know for sure that everything was in place for every DD and SO and the only way ultimately was for me to take it over.

In addition there are a lot of things I like about their accounts, interest rates, internet operation, website, etc and that to me is worth a £30 one-off hit - and the charges were, as the bank points out, in the T&Cs that I signed up for.

I suppose that makes me even more of a coward! However.

schiff

robert_harper_2000

Of course I've done it! I'm qouting from myself! I transferred to Nationwide almost as good rate ( need at least £1000 a month ) pretty cheap od and very helpful and flexible!

GO GO GO! lol