Alliance & Leicester - New Charges

Consumerist

LemonTree wrote: »

I've phoned up A+L and they said they are having technical problems and corrected my overdraft fee.

That's a result. :j

Debs0778

They would drive you nuts!

My charge is £5 for underfunding according to my account yet the account has never been underfunded. The letter I got in response to my email claimed I wasnt being charged for underfunding but for unauthorised use of overdraft - I havent been overdrawn!

Same thing happened last month, you'd think they could put two and two together. First Direct for me I think!!

aarhus_2

I have just logged in and seen the £5 charge for "under funding". My account has never been underfunded (I have paid in a minimum of £600 a month by standing order since I opened the account).

I phoned the contact centre and was told that it was because my account went below £500 (i have a small number of bills that get paid out from the account to keep it active) - there is no reference in the T+C's about a minimum balance. I am going to wait and see if clears after the 20th when the SO gets paid in.

Debs0778

Thanks for that - I've had the account for nearly two years and it's only in the last two months the underfunding fee has appeared (last month it was removed)

I've never heard anything about the account staying in credit before - anyone got any info????

Gytha_Ogg

I've got the Premier direct account too (max £5 a month o/d charge). Just checked my online statement and no odd charges - it looks like the migration to Santander's system is causing some glitches for some people perhaps? I'll be keeping a close eye on mine, definitely can't afford to have random charges taken from me!

yee_har

I logged on today to find a £5 "Under Funding Fee" had been applied yesterday to my Premier Direct a/c.

The balance on this had been (ahem) £0.22; so as this took me to "- £4.78" - and fearing related charges - I was on the blower immediately.
They agreed I had deposited £500.00 on 07/07/2010 (before moving it out in chunks shortly thereafter). They immediately refunded the £5 (as "Reversal of arranged annual overdraft fee"). I then lobbed the usual £500.00+ in to satisfy the Ts & Cs and committed to checking this daily for the foreseeable future.

I had always believed that the minimum funding was linked to calendar months and not "a/c opening day/date" nor "statement period". Over the years I'm pretty sure I've deposited very early and then very late in two consecutive months without penalty.
My two previous deposits had been 25/05 and 05/06.
As far as I am aware there is no minimum balance on the Premier Direct a/c.

Like others I wonder if this is down to systems integration - where A&L used "calendar month" and the PART-YER-LEGS (sorry...PARTENON) system maybe uses some other period checking parameters.

kerri_gt

I have been with A&L with the Premier Account for just over a year and don't recall anything about this min funding charge when I opened the account. Nor have I recevied anything relating to my T&C and related charges changing with the migration - which is part of the reason I haven't moved to a Santander Preferred In Credit account as the overdraft charges (SHOULD I go into mine) are steep - at least the A&L Prem account is capped at £5.

It suggests to me that the issues and incorrect charges are being generated by the system migration - I'll certainly be checking my account for any incorrect charges now

Consumerist

yee_har wrote: »

I had always believed that the minimum funding was linked to calendar months and not "a/c opening day/date" nor "statement period".

From A&L's Ts&Cs

1.2.2 We will take the monthly fee from Your Account during the month following the month You failed to meet Your minimum funding requirement. For the purposes of this paragraph “month” means Your monthly statement period.

Consumerist

kerri_gt wrote: »

I have been with A&L with the Premier Account for just over a year and don't recall anything about this min funding charge when I opened the account.

From A&L's Ts&Cs

1.2 In the case of Premier and Premier Direct Current Account You must pay a minimum amount into Your Account each month, which We will tell You about when You apply for the Account. Transfers into the Account from other Alliance & Leicester accounts will not count towards this minimum monthly amount.
1.2.1 If You fail to pay the minimum monthly amount into Your Account You will be charged a monthly fee for the Account as set out in Our Rates and Fees Information and We may withdraw any additional benefits and services available with the Account (see paragraph 1.4 below).

A year ago, these paragraphs were probably in sections 32.2 & 32.2.1 of the Ts&Cs at that time.

Debs0778

Guess what - after getting in touch with them twice the charges have mysteriously dissappeared again. Not that they've got in touch to admit they made a mistake or apologise!