Halifax charges and closing bank account

uber_wench

I got sick of their stupid new charges

£1 for everyday you are in your AUTHORISED overdraft
£5 for every day you are in your UNAUTHORISED overdraft

So I rang and asked to cancel my account with them, they canceled my overdraft over the phone, put my account on a enquiry only service, which I checked online, and sent me the paperwork to sign and return, which I have done, they assured me no direct debits would go out, i only had one on that account anyway for £2 a week, it slipped my mind at the time to actually cancel it myself, but thought (stupidly) that it would be cancelled, the nice man on the phone had told me they would be cancelled

Just checked my account, and its still enquiry only, only the direct debit has gone out, putting me into my unauthorised overdraft (as my authorised one had been cancelled) and they have whacked a load of charges onto my account



*edit*

I rang them and the charges tahat have gone out where for the previous months use of my overdraft, before I paid it off and closed my account, I wasnt told there would still be charges or I would have left money in the account

The direct debit was a weekly payment that went off my card every week, I assumed when they closed my account,my cards would be stopped also? I wasnt advised that any payments would still go out, + the payment went out AFTER I had closed my account

I worked out that next month i will be getting charged over £125 for a £2.99 payment, I havent had a letter from them telling me that I had gone into my unauthorised overdraft, so the charged will just have been racking up, when I could have just gone in and paid it straight away, I cannot afford to pay £125!

I rang halifax and they advised that they were going to listen to the original phonecall and call me back, if they are in the wrong the charges will be reversed, but i can see them admitting that they are in the wrong,

jambosans

uber_wench wrote: »

I rang them and the charges tahat have gone out where for the previous months use of my overdraft, before I paid it off and closed my account, I wasnt told there would still be charges or I would have left money in the account

You should have been told about any charges due to debit. However, if you had checked January's statement, you would have noticed the charges due to debit on 27/02/10 (the amount and debit date is printed on the statement).

uber_wench wrote: »

The direct debit was a weekly payment that went off my card every week, I assumed when they closed my account,my cards would be stopped also? I wasnt advised that any payments would still go out, + the payment went out AFTER I had closed my account

A Continuous Authority Payment on your card is not a Direct Debit. Even with your card cancelled, payments can still go through because of the type of authorisation placed on your debit card. It is your responsibility to cancel with the merchant, the advisor would have been none the wiser about this type of regular payment on your card.

uber_wench wrote: »

I worked out that next month i will be getting charged over £125 for a £2.99 payment, I havent had a letter from them telling me that I had gone into my unauthorised overdraft, so the charged will just have been racking up, when I could have just gone in and paid it straight away, I cannot afford to pay £125!

You're going to have to clarify dates:-

When did you request the account closed? (i.e. when did you speak to Halifax, and when did you return the closure form?)
When did the debit card payment come off your account causing an unarranged overdraft?

uber_wench wrote: »

I rang halifax and they advised that they were going to listen to the original phonecall and call me back, if they are in the wrong the charges will be reversed,

Aside from not advising you of upcoming charges, and asking if you specifically had any Continuous Payment Authorities on your debit card, there's nothing else they have done "wrong". I suggest if the advisor had not mentioned upcoming charges while arranging closure, then they will probably waive any charges incurred as a direct result of said charges debiting. The debit card transaction is another issue, as the advisor has no way of telling if you have a CPA setup against your card, and it's not the most obvious thing to ask during closure. I would say, ensuring this was cancelled is more your responsibility, so Halifax may not accept liability for charges incurred as a direct result of the CPA.

Derby2

So it's not just me then?

I have just got off the phone with the Halifax regarding two SO's that were cancelled on the 18th February but still went out on the 1st March making me overdrawn. Fortunately I still have my overdraft so no major charges so far, but that is still £4 to date.

My full thread is on the praise/vents/warnings if you care to look (can't add links I'm afraid).

Oh, and when the customer service girl asked why I was cancelled and I mentioned the overdraft charges she said, I thought so. She said she gets lots of people ringing up to say they are cancelling their accounts but they don't go through with it.

She found it all quite amusing...

jambosans

Derby2 wrote: »

So it's not just me then?

I have just got off the phone with the Halifax regarding two SO's that were cancelled on the 18th February but still went out on the 1st March making me overdrawn.

It is just you (on this thread anyways). If you read the OP's post (and my subsequent reply), there was no Direct Debit but in fact a Continuous Payment Authority on their debit card, which cannot be cancelled by the Halifax - only the merchant.

PS. I've read your rant thread, and what appears to have happened in your situation is Nationwide have requested the standing order details from Halifax, and then requested them cancelled. Depending on timing, you may find that Nationwide were unable to set them up for the first payment in March, so instructed Halifax to allow payment in March and then cancelled. It's not anyone's fault, just one of those things you go through when transfer banks - you juggle between both accounts until the switch is complete. I've not replied on the original thread because it's a rant, and you're not looking for advice or an explanation on that board, but seeing as your in Budgetting and Bank Accounts territory I thought I'd oblige.

Derby2

I actually meant is it just me disliking the new overdraft charges and having problems with the Halifax and transferring accounts

In this case, it appears I am not the only person having difficulties with them.

I thoroughly read your reply and thought it was well scripted and contained useful information. Your next one however was not.

jambosans

Derby2 wrote: »

I thoroughly read your reply and thought it was well scripted and contained useful information. Your next one however was not.

You should re-read my second reply, I've tried to provide you with some helpful information. Apologies for misinterpreting your first response, I assumed it was to do with Halifax not acting on an instruction to cancel, not the overdraft charges. :beer:

Derby2

Sorry jambosans-I guess I am bit touchy. I didn't want to repeat everything i had already said on the vent board on this thread, but I guess I edited it a bit too much!

Re: my account (sorry to hijack uber_wench, last word, I promise) I had assumed something would get missed or mis-timed in the transfer period so I'm keeping the Halifax one open for a full month just in case.

What was ultimately the most frustrating aspect though was the lack of information I could get from the customer care line, and being bounced from one department to another and generally them not listening to me. It was a case of 'well, me computer says this and it must be right'.

It will all get sorted I am sure and hopefully next month I shall be happily settled at the Nationwide!

jambosans

Derby2 wrote: »

What was ultimately the most frustrating aspect though was the lack of information I could get from the customer care line, and being bounced from one department to another and generally them not listening to me. It was a case of 'well, me computer says this and it must be right'.

I can completely understand. Although it's understandable that the first thing both advisors didn't think off was the possibility of you going through a transfer to another bank, you shouldn't have been passed from one to another without at least one of them attempting to find an explanation (other than blaming you). I agree that it's frustrating to be treated like some sort of half-wit who can't remember cancelling or amending standing orders (and it gets up my nose too).

PS. OP, as Derby2 has said, apologies for the temporary hijack. We can get your thread back on track when you answers some of the questions I've asked, or even respond.

uber_wench

jambosans wrote: »

You should have been told about any charges due to debit. However, if you had checked January's statement, you would have noticed the charges due to debit on 27/02/10 (the amount and debit date is printed on the statement).



A Continuous Authority Payment on your card is not a Direct Debit. Even with your card cancelled, payments can still go through because of the type of authorisation placed on your debit card. It is your responsibility to cancel with the merchant, the advisor would have been none the wiser about this type of regular payment on your card.



You're going to have to clarify dates:-

When did you request the account closed? (i.e. when did you speak to Halifax, and when did you return the closure form?)
When did the debit card payment come off your account causing an unarranged overdraft?



Aside from not advising you of upcoming charges, and asking if you specifically had any Continuous Payment Authorities on your debit card, there's nothing else they have done "wrong". I suggest if the advisor had not mentioned upcoming charges while arranging closure, then they will probably waive any charges incurred as a direct result of said charges debiting. The debit card transaction is another issue, as the advisor has no way of telling if you have a CPA setup against your card, and it's not the most obvious thing to ask during closure. I would say, ensuring this was cancelled is more your responsibility, so Halifax may not accept liability for charges incurred as a direct result of the CPA.

I rang and asked to close my account on 1st feb, the payment went out on the 4th Feb,

I was assured by the guy on the phone that no more payments would be made from that account,

+ that the charges had been racking up on my account for a month with no notice, I dont check my account everyday, and assumed the account had been blocked/suspended, so nothing was going out

If i had been notified about the charges, rest assured I wouldnt have waited a month for the charges to rack up, I would have gone and paid them straight away

uber_wench

jambosans wrote: »

It is just you (on this thread anyways). If you read the OP's post (and my subsequent reply), there was no Direct Debit but in fact a Continuous Payment Authority on their debit card, which cannot be cancelled by the Halifax - only the merchant.

PS. I've read your rant thread, and what appears to have happened in your situation is Nationwide have requested the standing order details from Halifax, and then requested them cancelled. Depending on timing, you may find that Nationwide were unable to set them up for the first payment in March, so instructed Halifax to allow payment in March and then cancelled. It's not anyone's fault, just one of those things you go through when transfer banks - you juggle between both accounts until the switch is complete. I've not replied on the original thread because it's a rant, and you're not looking for advice or an explanation on that board, but seeing as your in Budgetting and Bank Accounts territory I thought I'd oblige.

I would have thought that if there was no money in the account, and with the account being closed, Halifax would have just refused the payment

jelbea

:mad: i went to withdraw cash from my halifax account and knowing i had £250 still in my overdraft i could not lift any money so when i got home i rang and was told they cancelled my overdraft i got no warning and was told i would have to pay the fees as well. like most people i live in my overdraft and I have been with them for 20+ years so was very shocked with the way they handled it I get paid tomorrow and this is the money i would use for day to day needs so my poor kids my be eating baked beans and toast for ever :mad: