Getting off an expected bank fee

Milarky

From Nationwide, for a direct debit that was taken and then returned due to the amount being claimed being 'wrong' and overwhelming my normal overdraft (that part is my 'fault'.)

Tariffs state this will be £30.

Haven't been charged until my statement is produced in two weeks - and then 21 days or so before collected.

Am a 'good' customer who has only had this happen once before, in 1992, so it's sort a 'first offence'.

I've tried ringing up once but its the: "we don't have the authority to do that anymore" reply so far.

Can I fruitfully introduce the: "It's basically illegal to charge what do you charge and the OFT is currently looking at that." into the next conversation if I tried to get this waived just after my statement shows the fee d'you think?

Thanks

M

robert_harper_2000

It isn't illegal it's unlawful. An unfair term.

I would wait until you have the date and have actually been fined. Then send in a preliminery letter from consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum. They will pay up rather than risk court over £30.

Their solicitors will be charging them £150 an hour at least!

Regards,
Robert

If you need a hand just pm me

anniecave

So did a company try to take a direct debit value that was too high and it was rejected? If so I would take that up with the company taking the direct debit. If a company takes an amount that was too high then it's their fault and they should reimburse you for any direct consequential loss. In the case of an electricity company for example, complain direct, if that gets nowhere, complain to the ombudsmen, which would be energywatch.

If it was too low, or you had some other problem not relating to the direct debit, then that's a different issue.

YorkshireBoy

anniecave wrote:

So did a company try to take a direct debit value that was too high and it was rejected? If so I would take that up with the company taking the direct debit.

Milarky has posted elsewhere that the problem arose from a failure to check what a (credit card) DD instruction was set up to collect.

It was 'assumed' the payment was set for minimum, when in fact it was set for full payment (£10K :eek:).

M_Thomson

Milarky wrote:

From Nationwide, for a direct debit that was taken and then returned due to the amount being claimed being 'wrong' and overwhelming my normal overdraft (that part is my 'fault'.)

Tariffs state this will be £30.

Haven't been charged until my statement is produced in two weeks - and then 21 days or so before collected.

Am a 'good' customer who has only had this happen once before, in 1992, so it's sort a 'first offence'.

I've tried ringing up once but its the: "we don't have the authority to do that anymore" reply so far.

Can I fruitfully introduce the: "It's basically illegal to charge what do you charge and the OFT is currently looking at that." into the next conversation if I tried to get this waived just after my statement shows the fee d'you think?

Thanks

M

Did you call telephone banking? I would get a phone number for Nationwide customer relations at their head office and call them. Point out you have been a good customer, and could they wave it this time. I am almost certain they will. I don't think it is worth going the CAG route for £30.

BYould

I would try writing to them as my wife got a charge from them recently and got it refunded.

They always seem to refund the first couple of times if you send in a letter asking for it back, I wouldn't go down the CAG route yet until they refuse to refund it otherwise you might lose the account!!

Milarky

Thanks for all your replies. I might try the online secure messaging first - addressed to: 'a supervisor or manager' rather than phone up. They take a day or two to reply and that gives them time to think about it. Increasingly with Nationwide it isn't possble to just go into your branch with a 'problem' and ask them to help -they just refer you elsewhere and you end up speaking to a junor member of staff on the phone. Based on their reply I might feel encouraged to press them on the phone.

robert_harper_2000

I didn't mean actually going CAG route just make it seem like it