Abbey (merged)

shell-boy

jonnymagicpants wrote: »

I tell you guys what, the tank thing doesn't seem to be a bad idea!! We should all get together and hang out outside the Abbey London HQ and protest against their charges and cause some unwanted publicity and maybe Abbey will get the message that we're not scared and will stand up against them and maybe it will pave the way to get a quicker settlement from them.

Just a thought!!

That is a fantastic idea. I am behind you on this one. Anyone else want to take part in a protest at Abbeys adress?
:j

Frenzy

lol maybe when ive got the money off em to go there then maybe i will lol get them to pay for the protest then lmao. im sending my 2nd letter to abbey tomo, shold have sent it today but havent had time today (bloody parents, an i dont live at home)

twopennystar

I've got a problem with Abbey. I have a current account with them with a £250 overdraft. Back at the beginning of January I bounced my rent cheque as my student loan was late going in, I also went over my overdraft a couple of times just after New Years by mistake and a direct debit bounced. My student loan money went in shortly afterwards and I paid my rent and the missing direct debit etc fine. Abbey didn't give me any charges in February, which is when they should have occured. In March they then took around £250 charges off me for things that happened back in January. They didn't write to me and tell me that they were going to do this, I had no warning. In the past when I've had charges they've taken them the next month (unless the things which I'm being charged for happened at the end of the month, in which case they sometimes carry forward another month and they've ALWAYS written to me to tell me when they'll be taking the charges from me and what for. (I've taken the following information from my online banking)

05 Mar 07 Charge for returned cheque no 001020 £35.00
05 Mar 07 Charge for returned cheque no 001020 £35.00
05 Mar 07 Charge for unpaid direct debit no 10 £35.00
05 Mar 07 Charge for clearing Direct Debit/Standing Order while overdrawn £30.00
05 Mar 07 Charge for clearing VISA payment while overdrawn £30.00
05 Mar 07 Charge for an overdraft that has not been authorised £20.00

Then just to make things worse, I'd been using my card in the days preceeding these charges, having no idea that they were going to be debited from my account and Abbey didn't process the card transactions until after they took the charges off. My online banking records state that the card transactions were all made before the 5th March but they weren't processed until at least the 7th.

Which brings us to this month. Yet again, without warning me (no letter or anything from them), Abbey have taken a load of charges from me and these ones are clearing VISA payments I made while overdrawn. The only thing is, I wasn't overdrawn when I made the transactions. I know this sounds unlikely, but I actually keep a very close eye on my online banking to make sure there's enough money in my account when I use my card for anything.

So this month I've been charged:

02 Apr 07 Charge for clearing VISA payment while overdrawn £30.00
02 Apr 07 Charge for clearing VISA payment while overdrawn £30.00
02 Apr 07 Charge for clearing VISA payment while overdrawn £30.00
02 Apr 07 Charge for clearing VISA payment while overdrawn £30.00
02 Apr 07 Charge for clearing VISA payment while overdrawn £30.00
02 Apr 07 Charge for clearing VISA payment while overdrawn £30.00
02 Apr 07 Charge for clearing VISA payment while overdrawn £30.00
02 Apr 07 Charge for clearing VISA payment while overdrawn £30.00
02 Apr 07 Charge for clearing VISA payment while overdrawn £30.00
02 Apr 07 Charge for clearing Direct Debit/Standing Order while overdrawn £30.00
02 Apr 07 Charge for an overdraft that has not been authorised £20.00

(Although for some reason this month they've also credited my account with:

02 Apr 07 Refund of returned cheque charge £30.00
02 Apr 07 Refund of returned cheque charge £30.00
02 Apr 07 Refund of returned cheque charge £30.00

and I have no idea what cheque charges these are for)

I work really hard. I'm a full time university student who until this month was working 20 hours a week on top of that in a call centre. I still work in the call centre but I'm only doing 12 hours a week at the moment as I just can't cope at the end of my degree with so many hours at work on top of it. I basically use my student loan to live on and then use the £350 I earn a month from my job to pay off debts (I was very stupid in first year and ran up some credit cards which went to debt collection agencies). I'm trapped in a cycle now though where they are taking almost all my pay each month. Plus my wages are going to be less from now on as I've had to cut back my hours at work. Last month I survived by selling nearly all my DVDs just so I had some money to live on and money to make my monthly debt payments with. I haven't got any left to sell this month and am currently £231.85 over my authorised overdraft, entirely due to bank charges. I'm not even going to get paid £230 this month so I'm just totally stuck.

Sorry, this has all become extremely long winded, I'm just really worried. I know I can claim these charges back but that will take a while and at the moment I have literally no money. I can't pay bills that I have stacked up and I'm living off pasta. Is there anything I can do about this?

Thank you in advance for any help anyone can offer, I'm just so worried about this whole situation and I don't know what to do.

hudders

We have had the last 12 months statements from the Abbey, but are still waiting for the previous five years. Do these still have to come within the 40 days. They have cashed the £10 cheque that was sent to them. Could anyone help? Thanks

PaulW922

The first step is to write and point out to Abbey what has happened and ask for the charges back. There is help elsewhere on this site.You never know!

However the other thing to do is make sure that any regular credits/income are directed to another account - even if it is just a savings account. Otherwise they are just going to be swallowed up by the charges.

nickmack

hudders wrote: »

We have had the last 12 months statements from the Abbey, but are still waiting for the previous five years. Do these still have to come within the 40 days.

All of the infrormation should be sent within the 40 days.

cruncher75

Hi can i claim for cleared transaction fees need to know soon as pos so i can it of tomorrow thanks

nursegladys_3

Hi, to you guys on the "get at Abbey" forum.

I have used moneyclaimonline to get to the stage of Abbey saying they will defend the case; I have estimated my total claim to be £1500 ish.
They are saying things like; "terms and conditions" " authorised overdraft" the "fees are unenforceable".
Does this scare me....:eek: ...a little if I'm honest, and I'm a mature grown up!:cool:
Just waiting for the Court to get back to me with a date.


One question...I made a bit of a !!!!-up calculating the charges and interest, I sent the revised figures to the court and to Abbey......will this affect my claim??

Regards

nursegladys_3

treasureirealnds wrote: »

I received a copy of Abbey's defence in the post today. They basicly say i knew terms and conditions, the charges are not penalties and they are proportionate to Abbeys loss of me going over my agreed overdraft. But then i think they go on to say ( i've read it 20 times but still a bit confused), that even if they are not proportionate i remain liable to pay such fees as may be found proportionate.
so really they are saying they are a true cost then if they are found to be too much i must deduct the difference? They also say that i am not entitled to interest and i have not provided admissions for the amounts claimed. But i have sent the schedule of charges about 3 times now

Whats next? all advice greatly appreciated

Hi I've just posted my thread that is similar to yours...just waiting now for the court date, maybe they will pay up:eek:
By the sounds of it they are running scared and this is a blanket letter to cover themselves.....but does it??:rotfl:

nursegladys_3

cruncher75 wrote: »

Hi can i claim for cleared transaction fees need to know soon as pos so i can it of tomorrow thanks

I am, I didn't know what they were, so in the claim they went.