Shock from HBOS this morning...

ILW

AlisonM wrote: »

Walking a tightrope maybe, but not denial. I'm not sure I blame the banks - just thrown for a loop by an unexpected change.

My advice would be to cancel all DDs immediately.

Use cheques or telephone debit card payments to pay all bills as they become due.

If nothing else it will save you a fortune in charges.

AlisonM

mrmajika wrote: »

To answer the initial question.

HBOS back end systems were transferred to the Lloyds platform during September, so it could (most probably) be that the new (Lloyds) system has a propensity to honour payments and push you overdrawn rather than bounce the DD.

You will have little to no comeback with the bank regarding this though.

Best of luck.

Thanks - this is helpful. Although I'm wrong in saying HBOS - I'm Bank of Scotland which I wrongly thought was linked to the Halifax.

AlisonM

ILW wrote: »

My advice would be to cancel all DDs immediately.

Use cheques or telephone debit card payments to pay all bills as they become due.

If nothing else it will save you a fortune in charges.

Thanks - I've only been having overdraft charges to date, so this hasn't applied.

ILW

AlisonM wrote: »

Thanks - I've only been having overdraft charges to date, so this hasn't applied.

You have been very lucky to date. A bounced DD quite often involves a charge from the bank and also a charge from the supplier.

AlisonM

ILW wrote: »

You have been very lucky to date. A bounced DD quite often involves a charge from the bank and also a charge from the supplier.

I know! Bank of Scotland only charges overdraft charges.

Old_Wrinkly

AlisonM,
as mrmajika says, the HBOS back-end systems were transferred to the Lloyds platform on the 11th or 12 September (and have been involved in 'tidying up' ever since ).
So now, Lloyds, Halifax and Bank of Scotland all run more or less the same software.

This has meant that a number of things that the transferring 'brands' (Halifax and Bank of Scotland) did before on their own software are no longer possible.
It still amazes me that they didn't seem to know exactly what would and wouldn't be possible beforehand, since they didn't advise customers that certain online facilities would no longer be possible afterwards, and that for example certain accounts that could be handled online before were to become 'branch only'.

So yes, it seems there has been a change in bank policy in your case, brought about by a change in computer systems.

Although I'm wrong in saying HBOS - I'm Bank of Scotland which I wrongly thought was linked to the Halifax.

You're not really wrong.
Bank of Scotland bought/merged with Halifax (to become HBOS) and then HBOS was taken over by Lloyds TSB (now the Lloyds Group). So the Lloyds, Halifax and Bank of Scotland names that you see outside branches are really only different brands of the same company - as happens a lot in the rest of the High Street retail sector.

AlisonM

Old_Wrinkly wrote: »

AlisonM,
as mrmajika says, the HBOS back-end systems were transferred to the Lloyds platform on the 11th or 12 September (and have been involved in 'tidying up' ever since ).
So now, Lloyds, Halifax and Bank of Scotland all run more or less the same software.

This has meant that a number of things that the transferring 'brands' (Halifax and Bank of Scotland) did before on their own software are no longer possible.
It still amazes me that they didn't seem to know exactly what would and wouldn't be possible beforehand, since they didn't advise customers that certain online facilities would no longer be possible afterwards, and that for example certain accounts that could be handled online before were to become 'branch only'.

So yes, it seems there has been a change in bank policy in your case, brought about by a change in computer systems.

You're not really wrong.
Bank of Scotland bought/merged with Halifax (to become HBOS) and then HBOS was taken over by Lloyds TSB (now the Lloyds Group). So the Lloyds, Halifax and Bank of Scotland names that you see outside branches are really only different brands of the same company - as happens a lot in the rest of the High Street retail sector.

Thanks, this is useful.

I've also just spoken to the bank a second time - as I noticed that they hadn't taken my overdraft fee this month - and they have further explained that the 'new online' system will display a direct debit as having been taken out, even if there are insufficent funds, until about three o clock in the afternoon, when the information will update to show an unpaid direct debit and the relevant readjustments to the amount of money available - or not available, whatever the case may be.

I wish that the person that I spoke to this morning had told me that!

pmduk

AlisonM wrote: »

Thanks - this is helpful. Although I'm wrong in saying HBOS - I'm Bank of Scotland which I wrongly thought was linked to the Halifax.

HBOS (Halifax Bank of Scotland) is now part of the Lloyds Banking Group, so you might find some practices/attitudes changing slightly.

AlisonM

pmduk wrote: »

HBOS (Halifax Bank of Scotland) is now part of the Lloyds Banking Group, so you might find some practices/attitudes changing slightly.

Thank you - it is difficult to kep up sometimes.

AlisonM

My online bank account is now readjusted to a 'returned direct debit' and I have the funds to pay today's bills.

Thank you to all of you who responded to me.

An interesting day.