Advice needed Please

skint__again_

HI all,

My mother went overdrawn by 8p last month, today the bank has taken £85 in charges......

Last week she checked her balance and it said she was in credit by £40, she withdrew and hasnt used the card since.

The bank said she was charged £35 for being overdrawn last month and 2x £25 this month for using her card.

She's getting in a state worrying how she's going to afford to pay it back and if she is going to be charged next month on top.

Firstly I dont understand how they can justify charging that amount for 8p in the 1st place, she had no letters or phone calls from the bank and she wasnt overdrawn when she checked her balance, can they charge you like this with no warning a month after the original problem occured?

Any advice would be greatly recieved
Thanks

dunstonh

Firstly I dont understand how they can justify charging that amount for 8p in the 1st place,

Its computer driven based on a line in the sand. If you cross that line you get charged.

she had no letters or phone calls from the bank and she wasnt overdrawn when she checked her balance,

The bank only shows the current balance. It wont show a reconciled balance. The account holder is responsible for that as there is no way a bank can know it.

can they charge you like this with no warning a month after the original problem occured?

Yes they can. Indeed, that is how it should be. They give one months notice to allow people to prepare. If your mother checks her statement from that period she will see that she was notified of the amount and date.

Any advice would be greatly recieved

If it is her first error then the banks will usually refund on a first offence if you ask nicely.

SteveB81_2

Always take a trip to the branch.... never bother calling up. Usually that way you speak to people who are trained to help not just sort until the next call and most banks are quite reasonable.

You can also make a complaint if need be as there is a lot going on around proportionality of charges... that's not to say the bank can't charge what they do but this is something being addressed by various banks.

skint__again_

Thanks for your answers, we will take a trip to the branch tomorrow

dunstonh wrote: »

Yes they can. Indeed, that is how it should be. They give one months notice to allow people to prepare. If your mother checks her statement from that period she will see that she was notified of the amount and date.

They didnt give any notice this is my argument, she didnt know she was going to be charged, she didnt even know she had gone overdrawn, does waiting a month before charging someone mean they have been given notice? or should it be in some sort of letter, she doesnt recieve paper statements. Thanks

zppp

skint__again_ wrote: »

They didnt give any notice this is my argument, she didnt know she was going to be charged, she didnt even know she had gone overdrawn, does waiting a month before charging someone mean they have been given notice? or should it be in some sort of letter, she doesnt recieve paper statements. Thanks

Without you stating which bank, I would put money down that notification was sent in some format or other, and that in the very unlikely case it wasn't there would be a very good reason, i.e. returned mail etc. This may be something you want to ask in the branch when you go in.

Ihatecameron

I am sure if she has a polite word with customer services at the bank they will waive the charge. I recommend she takes out an overdraft facility to avoid going overdrawn, she does not have to use it, it is useful for preventing charges if you do end up slightly in the red.