Well annoyed, banks are crap. Have they screwed over my little sister? Is this fair!?

TangerineDream_2

I was well annoyed when i saw this bank statement from my little sister’s first and only bank account. She was 19 when this happened. She is a bit immature when it comes to handling money. I personally think this is so unjust it’s untrue...

So the question is, is this fair? Or should she try and fight it? If so what could she do? Is she partly at fault for not being aware and acting or contacting them while this debt spiralled out of control?

She thought she had no money left in there, and was totally unaware of what was happening... she opened no letters until it was too late. But I really think banks should not be allowed to do this. She also has real issues with dealing with anything ‘grownup’ or outside of her comfort zone.

If you look at the bank statement below you can see how a TINY overdrawn balance can become over a thousand pounds worth of debt. When finally contested the bank did knock off some of the debt, but still!? It seems a joke to me the amount she owes now. It’s been passed on to debt collectors as well who have knocked round our house.

What do you reckon to this situation people? (Look how the balance quickly went to !!!!. The 25 paid in each month was from our granny. From 12/10/2010 she was complete inactive...that was her last use of her account on her part.)

I could hardly believe my eyes...





There is no way her account has cost them the amount they are asking for now. It is outrageous. She is off to uni this summer and she is worried she won't be able to open a student bank account because of bad credit.

I have a good mind to call some news agency or at least a !!!! magazine or something. I reckon it has potential to be published.

Thoughts? Help?

JuicyJesus

I'm going to put on my "Tesco Value dunstonh" hat here.

She looks like she's had charges, and they've prenotified her of the charges coming out, but she hasn't left enough money in her account to cover them. She's kept doing this, and as such has been charged accordingly. In fact, after October 2010 she didn't pay anything in at all, and instead just let an overdrawn balance build up.

She was 19 when this happened. She is a bit immature when it comes to handling money. I personally think this is so unjust it’s untrue...

Once you're 18 you're an adult and responsible for your own actions. That includes not paying money in to cover charges due.

Is she partly at fault for not being aware and acting or contacting them while this debt spiralled out of control?

Try totally.

She thought she had no money left in there, and was totally unaware of what was happening... she opened no letters until it was too late.

The bank will have prenotified her of charges coming out. It is her responsibility to pay money into cover them. If she ignored the letters, that isn't the bank's fault.

She also has real issues with dealing with anything ‘grownup’ or outside of her comfort zone.

That, also, is not the bank's fault. Basically you're saying the bank should have seen your sister was an idiot and not charged her because it's not her fault she ignores important things.

If you look at the bank statement below you can see how a TINY overdrawn balance can become over a thousand pounds worth of debt.

Yes - sticking your head in the sand and ignoring letters.

When finally contested the bank did knock off some of the debt, but still!? It seems a joke to me the amount she owes now. It’s been passed on to debt collectors as well who have knocked round our house.

So it's not her fault that she ignored all the post from her bank? If she'd opened the letters and paid enough money in to cover the charges, or better yet not gone overdrawn in the first place, she'd have been fine.

From 12/10/2010 she was complete inactive...that was her last use of her account on her part.)

So not only did she ignore letters, she also then abandoned the account and pretended it wasn't happening. Terrible move.

I have a good mind to call some news agency or at least a !!!! magazine or something. I reckon it has potential to be published.

"Hello, my sister went overdrawn, ignored all the letters the bank sent her until it was too late then abandoned the account and didn't clear the debt, and now something bad has happened, this is someone else's fault, help!"

I don't think that'll make it onto Daybreak somehow. You'd be pushing it getting in one of those glossy women's magazines with a laughing woman on the cover and stuff about "MY DOG IS TELLING ME THE APOCALYPSE IS NEAR - AND I'M PREGNANT WITH HIS BABY".

She is off to uni this summer and she is worried she won't be able to open a student bank account because of bad credit.

What do you expect? If I did student accounts, I wouldn't be falling over myself to offer a large interest free overdraft to someone this irresponsible either.

Well annoyed, banks are crap.

Nope, they've done exactly what they said they'd do, your sister is just quite silly. The bank has charged her as they said they would, and the problem from that point onwards is entirely your sister's own making.

Sorry.

notts_phil

Well if she is going to uni she may have to do with a basic bank account or a building society passbook account.
She will have to make do with no overdraft and deal with it!!!

Andystriker

JuicyJesus wrote: »

I'm going to put on my "Tesco Value dunstonh" hat here.

She looks like she's had charges, and they've prenotified her of the charges coming out, but she hasn't left enough money in her account to cover them. She's kept doing this, and as such has been charged accordingly. In fact, after October 2010 she didn't pay anything in at all, and instead just let an overdrawn balance build up.



Once you're 18 you're an adult and responsible for your own actions. That includes not paying money in to cover charges due.



Try totally.



The bank will have prenotified her of charges coming out. It is her responsibility to pay money into cover them. If she ignored the letters, that isn't the bank's fault.



That, also, is not the bank's fault. Basically you're saying the bank should have seen your sister was an idiot and not charged her because it's not her fault she ignores important things.



Yes - sticking your head in the sand and ignoring letters.



So it's not her fault that she ignored all the post from her bank? If she'd opened the letters and paid enough money in to cover the charges, or better yet not gone overdrawn in the first place, she'd have been fine.



So not only did she ignore letters, she also then abandoned the account and pretended it wasn't happening. Terrible move.



"Hello, my sister went overdrawn, ignored all the letters the bank sent her until it was too late then abandoned the account and didn't clear the debt, and now something bad has happened, this is someone else's fault, help!"

I don't think that'll make it onto Daybreak somehow. You'd be pushing it getting in one of those glossy women's magazines with a laughing woman on the cover and stuff about "MY DOG IS TELLING ME THE APOCALYPSE IS NEAR - AND I'M PREGNANT WITH HIS BABY".



If I did student accounts, I wouldn't be falling over myself to offer a large interest free overdraft to someone this irresponsible either.



Nope, they've done exactly what they said they'd do, your sister is just quite silly. The bank has charged her as they said they would, and the problem from that point onwards is entirely your sister's own making.

Sorry.

I'll lay generous odds that the OP does not want to hear any of that

opinions4u

She didn't check her letters and statements.

She didn't pay her bills.

She is completely to blame for not facing in to this.

Tell her to get a grip of her finances. She is unlikely to get a student current account now.

coldhandoff

It's your sister's responsibility to check her accounts. I would recommend her calling Natwest and asking to speak to lending to try and see if the situation can be resolved that way.

VfM4meplse

Ts&Cs, it's all in the small print. This is a hard lesson learned.

JuicyJesus

opinions4u wrote: »

Tell her to get a grip of her finances. She is unlikely to get a student current account now.

It's that bit that absolutely kills me and frankly scares the sh*t out of me.

"The banks won't lend to my sister now she let a massive overdraft build up because of her own irresponsibility!" YOU THINK???? So unfair, those evil banks, not wanting to advance large sums of money to people who manage their accounts badly. I BLAME FRED THE SHRED.

Anselm

Tell her to set up online banking, It's a lot easier to manage your finances then.

coldhandoff

TangerineDream wrote: »

she opened no letters until it was too late

Just noticed this as well. She would have received a pre-advice of the charges with her statement and/or as a seperate letter.

TangerineDream_2

I can see where you are coming from. But if you honestly think it’s justifiable on this earth that being a couple of pounds overdrawn can turn into over a thousand pounds debt, simply for doing nothing, is totally ludicrous. It is not right. Fine if it’s the bank practices, if it’s in their T&Cs. It is still morally wrong. It is setting young, 'silly' like you said, people up for a life of debt, due to burying one’s head in the sand, it is then justified for them to be this much in debt before they even start uni?

There was a big argument in the press about the amount banks should charge if direct debits or cheques bounced weren’t there? That it didn't cost the banks what they charged people? Well if that can be questioned why can't this?

How can you not see how totally unjust this is? This is a bank vs a young naive little girl. 19 may be an adult in the eyes of the law, but what sort of harsh life lesson is this?


THAT THE BANK PROFITS FROM IMMENSELY…. Disproportionately to what 'harm' has actually been done.


Itis immoral, it is unjust, it is ethically WRONG.