Natwest withdrawing my debit card!?

Mrs_Ryan

Dont think they HAVE to pay it - have had a ding dong with Santander about OH's account and them bouncing DD's or randomly cancelling them (thats happened to me and my Mum as well...)

Cmdr_Bond

As far as I am aware - if paying the DD would put you into an unauthorised OD, or beyond your authorised OD limit, then it is at the banks discretion to pay or not pay the DD. I have had returned DD's and their respective fees in the past - sometimes the company concerned will re-attempt collection, sometimes they will cancel the agreement.

The Direct Debit Guarantee is not a Guarantee of Payment to the supplier, but a Guarantee that an Immediate Refund will be made if an unauthorised or cancelled Direct Debit is taken from the customers account (Well, thats how I read it anyway)

richard9991

stitchly wrote: »

Received this letter from Natwest on Monday:

I am concerned by the number of transactions on your account that you do not have sufficient funds available to meet.

These items have been paid by us because they were supported by a cheque guarantee or Maestro card.However, there were either insufficient funds in your account or your overdraft facility was insufficient to meet the payments.

As a result,your unarranged borrowing has reached a level which is unacceptable,and I have no choice but to withdraw your right to use these cards.

It goes on about sending back the card within 7 working days or they will charge me £125!
My account is a basic Step account and I dont have an overdraft and cant use the card unless there is money in my account.
A direct debit has been paid by them this month putting my account into the red by around £70 and not due to card usage!
I have written them a letter stating these points and asking them to reconsider there decision.

Has anyone this happened to anyone else,and if so what was the outcome?

Dont under stand how bank could say they had tho pay as supported bt cheque guarentee step accounts dont have cheque guarentee cards or cheque books they used to have solo cards when solo was used by them now they have visa full authorisation cards no chq guarantee function

jambosans

Are you sure it was a Direct Debit that took the account overdrawn?

A Continuous Payment Authority* can often be mistaken for a Direct Debit (as it's a recurring payment), but the key difference is the payment is taken using your debit card. This would tally up with NatWest stating the payments were "supported by a [...] Maestro card", and the withdrawal of said facility. Also, on a basic account, the only payments that tend to "slip through the net" and get paid regardless of sufficient funds are debit card payments.

*For example, LOVEFiLM take their monthly subscriptions via CPA.

stitchly

jambosans wrote: »

Are you sure it was a Direct Debit that took the account overdrawn?

A Continuous Payment Authority* can often be mistaken for a Direct Debit (as it's a recurring payment), but the key difference is the payment is taken using your debit card. This would tally up with NatWest stating the payments were "supported by a [...] Maestro card", and the withdrawal of said facility. Also, on a basic account, the only payments that tend to "slip through the net" and get paid regardless of sufficient funds are debit card payments.

*For example, LOVEFiLM take their monthly subscription via CPA.

It was definitely a direct debit that plunged my account overdrawn.
My fault but the fact they are saying it was my Maestro card that caused it is baffling because I dont have a Maestro anymore its a Visa Debit and has been for over a year!
Im starting to think they dont want people with basic accounts and any chance they get they will try to get rid of them or get then onto a different account where they can make more money from them.

Anyway I will give them until Tuesday to respond and as stated before I will close the account and use Halifax instead!(even though i'd rather stay with natwest!)

jambosans

Read your terms & conditions, the scenario you've described is only mentioned twice under the same circumstances:-

NatWest wrote:

15.3.12 We may suspend, withdraw or restrict the use of your card for
any of the following reasons:
[...]
(c) as a result of a change in the way you operate your account
or in your financial circumstances, we have reasonable
grounds to believe that you may have difficulty in meeting
your commitments; or
[...]

And re-stated on Pg. 93:-

NatWest wrote:

Financial Difficulties
[...]
If you have a more serious debt problem, we will work
with you and put you in touch with organisations
that offer independent financial advice. In certain
circumstances, we may ask you to return either your
cheque book, debit card, credit or charge cards, or in
some cases all of them. [...]

I don't think you're giving us the whole picture, as there's too many inconsistencies in your story. For example, I can see no reference in the NatWest T&C's of a £125 charge for failure to return a card. Indeed NatWest could simply cancel the card and it would automatically be retained next time you attempted to use it at an ATM. Also, there's no charge for a paid Direct Debits on a Step Account, the T&C's explicitly state "Holders of these accounts [Step] will only pay the Returned Item Fee." (see Pg. 59), whereas you state "I will get charged for that". Indeed, I would go as far as to suggest that the fact NatWest do not make a provision for charging for paid Direct Debits (against insufficient funds) on their Step Account that all non-guaranteed payments would automatically bounce.

I also echo jonesMUFCforever's point that a bank doesn't withdraw your debit card facility on a first offence.

It would be helpful if a NatWest staff member could clarify on few of the points I've made.

[Deleted User]

jambosans wrote: »

Read your terms & conditions, the scenario you've described is only mentioned twice under the same circumstances:-



And re-stated on Pg. 93:-


I don't think you're giving us the whole picture, as there's too many inconsistencies in your story. For example, I can see no reference in the NatWest T&C's of a £125 charge for failure to return a card. Indeed NatWest could simply cancel the card and it would automatically be retained next time you attempted to use it at an ATM. Also, there's no charge for a paid Direct Debits on a Step Account, the T&C's explicitly state "Holders of these accounts [Step] will only pay the Returned Item Fee." (see Pg. 59), whereas you state "I will get charged for that". Indeed, I would go as far as to suggest that the fact NatWest do not make a provision for charging for paid Direct Debits (against insufficient funds) on their Step Account that all non-guaranteed payments would automatically bounce.

I also echo jonesMUFCforever's point that a bank doesn't withdraw your debit card facility on a first offence.

It would be helpful if a NatWest staff member could clarify on few of the points I've made.

the matter it is that you must have committed earlier offence
first - normally not withdrawn and fee should have been waived in good grace
card indeed belongs to bank sadly

brian_723

If the op has never missed any other payments then it would be best to open up an other bank account with a debit card elsewhere perhaps Santander and get 100 pound .otherwise if you have missed more payments than you mentioned it may be best to stay with them and show them you can manage your account responsible and then maybe you will get your debit card back .I could not live without a debit card .