Halifax overdraft fee

NJW69

My son has just had a letter from the Halifax informing him he has gone overdrawn and there is a £5 per day charge.

The letter was dated the 30th June so it's taken six days to get here.

I've just spoken to them to see why it's taken so long to arrive and therefore he's incurred more fees and they say that they only post these 2nd class.

I think this is a ploy to ensure you pay more charges.

samjef11_2

NJW69 wrote: »

My son has just had a letter from the Halifax informing him he has gone overdrawn and there is a £5 per day charge.

The letter was dated the 30th June so it's taken six days to get here.

I've just spoken to them to see why it's taken so long to arrive and therefore he's incurred more fees and they say that they only post these 2nd class.

I think this is a ploy to ensure you pay more charges.

Does he not do online banking you would able to see instant if he overdrawn or he would able to check too.

jambosans

NJW69 wrote: »

I think this is a ploy to ensure you pay more charges.

Or perhaps they're telling the truth and your son should pay better attention to his account. The ploy thickens when you learn Halifax offer a free text alert service* which notifies your son within 24 hours of going into an unarranged overdraft.

*Your son can register via branch, Online, or Telephone Banking (provided they have an up to date mobile number on record).

brokeinyorkshire

Sadly the Halifax DO send mail second class now but its down to Lloyds who made that decision since they took over!

vaporate

More cynical posts...

OP, get your son online banking as this is a god send.

Assuming you have internet at home, you can check your account 24/7.

Get back in credit asap as you do not want rip off charges mounting up.


Considering Halifax were bailed out by tax payers...

Would be like you bailing me out from going bust and then me over-charging you should you need my help.

NJW69

jambosans wrote: »

Or perhaps they're telling the truth and your son should pay better attention to his account. The ploy thickens when you learn Halifax offer a free text alert service* which notifies your son within 24 hours of going into an unarranged overdraft.

*Your son can register via branch, Online, or Telephone Banking (provided they have an up to date mobile number on record).

I never said they weren't telling the truth just saying that I would expect that an important communication that has financial implications would be sent first class.

Yes he should be more careful, but he's a student, teenager with no money and these things do sometimes happen.

Yes we've already registered for the text service.

Yes the account is now in credit and the money there ready for the charges.

Wow I wouldn't like to be someone who is really in debt if that is your reaction for someone going £5 overdrawn through a mistake.

vaporate

NJW69 wrote: »

I never said they weren't telling the truth just saying that I would expect that an important communication that has financial implications would be sent first class.

Yes he should be more careful, but he's a student, teenager with no money and these things do sometimes happen.

Yes we've already registered for the text service.

Yes the account is now in credit and the money there ready for the charges.

Wow I wouldn't like to be someone who is really in debt if that is your reaction for someone going £5 overdrawn through a mistake.

Get online banking too.

You get to see funds clear/not clear in advance, well, with natwest anyway. More control over your money then.

I was charged when I was a teenager at uni and it certainly was not due to carelessness, more like out of my hands in my case back then.
Only ever been charged once though in my lifetime.

samjef11_2

NJW69 wrote: »

Wow I wouldn't like to be someone who is really in debt if that is your reaction for someone going £5 overdrawn through a mistake.

Rules are rules if there was no money coming then it would be wise and not spend money you did not have in account as how on earth if he racks up £100s of charge is gonna pay them back?

vaporate

samjef11 wrote: »

Rules are rules if there was no money coming then it would be wise and not spend money you did not have in account as how on earth if he racks up £100s of charge is gonna pay them back?

Do what Halifax did and get other peoples money to bail them out.

:rotfl:

samjef11_2

vaporate wrote: »

Do what Halifax did and get other peoples money to bail them out.

:rotfl:

LOl under the lib-con goverment it would not happen.

jambosans

NJW69 wrote: »

I never said they weren't telling the truth just saying that I would expect that an important communication that has financial implications would be sent first class.

Apologies, I got ahead of myself, and used the wrong wording. I meant to suggest that perhaps Halifax's reasoning for using 2nd Class Mail is not as cynical as you suggest (i.e. a "ploy" to make more money).

NJW69 wrote: »

Yes he should be more careful, but he's a student, teenager with no money and these things do sometimes happen.

Of course they do, and I have not suggested otherwise. My general point was, you can't divert attention away from your son's financial ineptitude by adorning a tin foil hat and suggesting Halifax deliberately use 2nd Class Mail to advise of charges in order to increase their income due to the delay.

NJW69 wrote: »

Yes we've already registered for the text service.

So what's the issue? The text is sent within 24 hours of the account going overdrawn. Snail-mail is not the only way for your son to find out he has gone overdrawn. As mentioned previously, text alerts being an example, also Online (as others have suggested), Telephone Banking, an ATM, and branch are all ways for your son to check his balance (the former three available 24/7).

NJW69 wrote: »

Wow I wouldn't like to be someone who is really in debt if that is your reaction for someone going £5 overdrawn through a mistake.

Your post was not about your son's mistake, or being in debt. My reaction was towards your illogical conclusion as to Halifax's reasoning for using 2nd Class Mail. Here's a suggestion: perhaps 2nd Class costs less?