Halifax bank charges

DoingItAlone_2

Hi,

I have not read through the forum on this area yet but.. as I have my money saving head on lately I thought I'd post a message here and get some general feedback before I spend any time on it.

I have a £100 overdraft, with Halifax. No credit cards, which I stopped using about 10 years ago now.. and just cleared my last loan. Debt free to some degree.

Always maintained with bank when they offer me credit cards/more overdraft etc I am not interested.

I have been of the belief that I had requested many times that I do not want the ability to go overdrawn on my Visa Debit card.

I've never been the best with watching my money and aways used to get charged silly ammounts for going a few squid overdrawn. I learned the hard way as such and had requested this numerous times.

Anyway... a few weeks ago... I purched something online with my card. I thought I had about £20 or £30 left in my account. Purchase was for £10.99.

I ran it through to see if it would be accepted and hey ho it was. great, or so I thought.

I have now been charged near on £70 for going £4 overdrawn. I spoke to the bank on Friday when I got a letter about it and they said as it was a small payment on the card they would approve it. If it had been a big payment it would have been rejected.

I explained I didn't like that approach and had been of the belief that ALL transactions would be rejected if it was to take me over my overdraft limit and that I would never have ran the transaction through if it was liable to put me overdrawn and so incur such ridiculous fees.

Anyway... is there any chance I can get these chages wiped? In the past I'd have just accepted it but nowadays my life and my attitude to banks have changed and quite frankly I feel connned and I'm willing to put in some work on this one.

Yes I should have phoned and checked my balance first but I felt safe knowing that if there were insufficient funds it'd be rejected..

I had no idea that the bank now say they will approve small payents.

Thanks
DIA

Premier_2

Some stores have what is known as a floor limit. Where a card is presented below that amount, it may be accepted without prior authorisation of the issuer (a bit like the way cheques and credit cards were years ago)

It saves time and avoids embaressment of a card being refused if the bank cannot be contacted.

Sometimes it may not be possible for a retailer to get the card authorised by the issuer (ever bought goods whilst flying 40,000 ft above the ground?)

If you don't want to get in trouble using the card because you are not sure the account has sufficient cleared funds to settle the transaction you authorise, then best not to use it.
You can always ask the bank not to issue you them

DoingItAlone_2

Premier wrote: »

You can always ask the bank not to issue you them

I was pretty sure I had, many times.

Any thoughts on whether I should pursue refund of charges?

Thanks for your info...

Premier_2

DoingItAlone wrote: »

I was pretty sure I had, many times.

Any thoughts on whether I should pursue refund of charges?

Thanks for your info...

I don't think you should bother attempting to obtain a refund of charges on that basis.

To prevent further charges by similar mistakes, you could always cut up the card (ensure it is also cut through the chip) and return it to the bank as 'not requested or required'

If they still keep sending you the cards, don't activate them
(let alone use them), but return them in a similar way.
As they cost the bank money to create and issue, I'm sure they'll stop soon enough.

DoingItAlone_2

it's just a debit card... not a credit card or anything. but you don't think it's worth it? £70 for £4 overdrawn is shocking!

the_insider

To incur £70 of charges on the account you will have been over your limit for 14 days. Unfortunately this won't work in your benefit because you obviously didn't check after you made the payment that you had the funds. But your best bet is just to call them and ask them, nicely, to refund the charge based on the fact that you have not received any previous refunds. In my opinion a lot of people waste time posting on here for small charge amounts when they'd be better off just asking the bank!! If that doesn't work, THEN come on here for advice!! Good luck with it.

adamt1990

applyfora expresscash account with a visa electron card as these can't go overdrawn as every transation has to be checked simlar to and under 18's account.

Premier_2

adamt1990 wrote: »

applyfora expresscash account with a visa electron card as these can't go overdrawn as every transation has to be checked simlar to and under 18's account.

If that is true, term 15.2 appears superfluous to requirements :cool:

15. Overdrawn accounts

15.1 There is no overdraft facility on your account.

15.2 You must not allow your account to go overdrawn. If any

transaction does make your account go overdrawn, this does not mean that we have agreed to allow you to have an overdraft.

https://www.halifax.co.uk/Expresscash/pdf/HalifaxExTandC.pdf

Cuppatea1982

DoingItAlone wrote: »

it's just a debit card... not a credit card or anything. but you don't think it's worth it? £70 for £4 overdrawn is shocking!

My 18 year old sister went over her limit with halifax by 59p. Weeks went past and she finally managed to to log onto her account and found out she has been charged £129 for going over 59p!!!! She was devastated as she had been trying so hard to keep ontop of her money. Because she had online banking (although she couldn't access it as her computer was down) they didn't send her any warning that she had gone over her limit, because as they put it 'just check your online account'. Nice little earner the halifax has going there eh!!! Makes me sick how they can get away with it.

Premier_2

Cuppatea1982 wrote: »

My 18 year old sister went over her limit with halifax by 59p. Weeks went past and she finally managed to to log onto her account and found out she has been charged £129 for going over 59p!!!! ...

As I understand it, Halifax charge their customers a fixed £5 per day for each day they have unathorised borrowings.
You say "weeks went past", yet another usual condition of Halifax is that for authorised overdrafts (you mentioned she went over her limit, suggesting she has an authorised overdraft), she should have her regular income (e.g. salary) paid into that account.
http://www.halifax.co.uk/bankaccounts/rates-rewards-fees/

I don't know why you are sick when the detail is clearly published? If your sister doesn't like the terms, why does she give them her custom?

Perhaps you could also explain further the breakdown of the £129 charge? (as it's not a multiple of £5)
If you or your sister does not understand the charge perhaps you could ask your sister to ask her bank to explain it and then you copuld post that detail here.

I look forward to the explanation

Cuppatea1982

Premier wrote: »

As I understand it, Halifax charge their customers a fixed £5 per day for each day they have unathorised borrowings.
You say "weeks went past", yet another usual condition of Halifax is that for authorised overdrafts (you mentioned she went over her limit, suggesting she has an authorised overdraft), she should have her regular income (e.g. salary) paid into that account.

I don't know why you are sick when the detail is clearly published? If your sister doesn't like the terms, why does she give them her custom?

Perhaps you could also explain further the breakdown of the £129 charge? (as it's not a multiple of £5)
If you or your sister does not understand the charge perhaps you could ask your sister to ask her bank to explain it and then you copuld post that detail here.

I look forward to the explanation

I'm angry as she was not notified of going 59p over....if she had known about going over the charges would not have stacked up..and the halifax's reason for not notifying her was because she had online banking with them. What happens if your internet is down? The way I see it is she was penalised because she had online banking which at the time she couldn't access. Ive looked online and as far as I can see, it doesn't state this in the small print either. My bank notify me when I go over my overdraft, and I have online banking too.
The charge was actually £120.....my bad