Getting nowhere with bank

ozziec

I have been charged £25 by Santander for them paying a direct debit of 1.50. This £25 took me overdrawn so they charged me £30. I am currently in an IVA and as such can't get an overdraft to help in situations like this. Over the past 2 years the charges have amounted to over £1500. I wrote to Santander who have simply said that I need to ensure I don't go overdrawn and that there is enough money in my account to pay direct debits.
I am a single mum and have recently had my working families tax credit stopped (with no notice to enable me to sort out my finances and it amounted to approx £450 per month). I wrote again to Santander to explain my hardship and received a letter today saying there desicionis final and they will not be doing anything. I have complained to the FO but as they are so busy I don't expect to hear for a while. I have again gone overdrawn by 0.10p and will no doubt be charged £25 again by these moneygrabbers. Does anyone know of anything I can do before I get even more into financial hardship.

dunstonh

Does anyone know of anything I can do before I get even more into financial hardship.

First thing to do is to stop spending money you dont have. They will charge in accordance with their published terms if you keep doing what you are doing. The FOS will not rule on the fairness of charges since the banks won the court case and cannot force the bank to refund charges. The best they can do is encourage the bank to look at them fairly. However, Santander do have a fair approach on charges.

All you can do is put your position to them and play on their goodwill. However, if you start being rude or abusive to them do you really think the goodwill will flow in your favour?

ozziec

I am not spending money I don't have. Sometimes unforseen things happen such as my childs shoes getting torn - is it wrong to have to buy him a new pair to stop his feet getting wet?? It's the bank taking £25 out of my account for a £1.50 over the limit that is the reason for my lack of funds - this then puts me over my account limit so they charge me another £30.
I have wrote to them twice and have never been rude or abusive. I have clearly stated my case and asked them to be reasonable. I am entering further hardship due to thier unfair charges. I am happy to pay charges but it should be in line with what has been paid by then. Do you serioulsy deem charging me £25 for paying a £1.50 direct debit fair?? you obvioulsy work for them and have no idea of life in the real world!!

Valli

ozziec wrote: »

you obvioulsy work for them and have no idea of life in the real world!!

and being abusive or offensive to other posters isn't going to help; neither is making assumptions about them.

Banks have a policy - they charge you if you go overdrawn. Doesn't matter by how much; they will charge. And they charge all their customers the same amount and they publish the charges they will take.

We are, apparently, lucky in this country because we have free banking; in other countries it is customary to charge customers merely to provide them with a bank account. One of the ways the banks can give those of us who don't go overdrawn free banking is to charge customers who do go overdrawn.

If you know you are going to be close to the limit then you must ensure that you don't go overdrawn so if your child needs new shoes then you'll have to cut back somewhere else.

bengal-stripe

ozziec wrote: »

It's the bank taking £25 out of my account for a £1.50 over the limit........

Have you forgotten, Santander gives you a "buffer" of £12.00 before you get charged, so you must have been at least £13.50 overdrawn.

ozziec wrote: »

I have again gone overdrawn by 0.10p and will no doubt be charged £25 again by these moneygrabbers.

You won't get charged for being 10 pence overdrawn. Or are you talking about £12.10?

Do leave the buffer well alone, let it work as what it is supposed to be: a buffer for unforeseen situations.

No, I do not work for Santander or any other bank.

celiacelia226

Do whatever, so does not exist overdrafts

ozziec

I have never been offered the use of a £12 buffer and I was 0.10p overdrawn this month.
Your right - I will stop feeding my child or turn all the elecetricity off in order to buy him shoes just so that I can pay the bank £25 when I go overdrawn by £1.25.
As I have said -I appreciate thatthere are charges but they are dissproportionate to the amoutn that I have gone overdrawn by. Why don't they take the charges out when I have sufficent funds in the bank - why take them out knowing I have no money in there - ah yes, it's so they can charge me another £30 for being overdrawn. Just to clarify - they paid a £1.50 direct debit as I didn't have the funds in the bank at the time ( I had £1.20)for this they charged me £25, by taking this £25 I became overdrawn by £25.30 for wich they charged me £30 - Now pushign my charges up to £55.30 - all for the sake of 30p....still think thats acceptable???

dunstonh

Your right - I will stop feeding my child or turn all the elecetricity off in order to buy him shoes just so that I can pay the bank £25 when I go overdrawn by £1.25.

Bottom line is that is what you have got to do. Your spending is causing this. Either earn more or spend less. Otherwise you are going to keep suffering the charges.

-I appreciate thatthere are charges but they are dissproportionate to the amoutn that I have gone overdrawn by.

Which is why Santander have the £12 buffer and they wont charge if you go upto £12 over.

bengal-stripe

ozziec wrote: »

I have never been offered the use of a £12 buffer and I was 0.10p overdrawn this month.

The buffer of £12.00 has been in place for all accounts since the last six months. You were advised of these changes, you do not get that buffer "offered" individually.

Buffer zone

Santander introduced a buffer from 20 December 2011 on all accounts, so anyone £12 into an overdraft or £12 over their limit won't get the relevant fees. Customers also now have until 4pm each day to credit their account with necessary funds to avoid fees.

http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/news/banking/2012/01/santander-to-double-overdraft-charges

Either the charges you mentioned are more than six months ago, or you did exceed the £12.00 buffer.