HSBC nightmare

Andy2304

Hi I need some help please;

Back in October November time I phoned the Bank (HSBC) to change my address details as I'd moved, Personal account moved fine, Business not so much! at the same time I cancelled all standing orders and dd from the business acc as I no longer was using it. A month or so later I received a call from collections saying that I owed them several hundred pounds as id gone into an unauthorised OD at £8 per day? !!!!!! I said.... they refunded the fees and confirmed again the dd/stod had been cancelled and confirmed the address change. December came and went again another call wanting £148 in od fees. few more choice words and charges again were refunded... Today I receive a call from collections saying my credit card linked to the acc had been closed as £48 had not been paid off from the current account which were charges that were not applied yet to the account from the last refund, and that my Commercial card linked to the business acc has been closed and paid off by the current account so I owe £980 plus 2 days at £8 a day. obviously I complained and am awaiting response from their complaints team. Who unbelievably were saying the £48 was valid even though they'd refunded the charges die to them not cancelling a standing order, and the last refund was a gesture of good will.
Surly they cant do this? any ideas I'm at the end of my wits with HSBC business banking.....

Thanks

meer53

Andy2304 wrote: »

Hi I need some help please;

Back in October November time I phoned the Bank (HSBC) to change my address details as I'd moved, Personal account moved fine, Business not so much! at the same time I cancelled all standing orders and dd from the business acc as I no longer was using it. A month or so later I received a call from collections saying that I owed them several hundred pounds as id gone into an unauthorised OD at £8 per day? !!!!!! I said.... they refunded the fees and confirmed again the dd/stod had been cancelled and confirmed the address change. December came and went again another call wanting £148 in od fees. few more choice words and charges again were refunded... Today I receive a call from collections saying my credit card linked to the acc had been closed as £48 had not been paid off from the current account which were charges that were not applied yet to the account from the last refund, and that my Commercial card linked to the business acc has been closed and paid off by the current account so I owe £980 plus 2 days at £8 a day. obviously I complained and am awaiting response from their complaints team. Who unbelievably were saying the £48 was valid even though they'd refunded the charges die to them not cancelling a standing order, and the last refund was a gesture of good will.
Surly they cant do this? any ideas I'm at the end of my wits with HSBC business banking.....

Thanks

So what happened about the "several hundred pounds" overdraft after they refunded your fees ? Do you still owe this ? To be honest your post isn't very clear.

Andy2304

Sorry, There is no authorised overdraft, the fees initially that were all refunded as a standing order that should have been cancelled came out of the account, causing £8 a day charges. this happened again in December which again was refunded and the standing order finally cancelled. however the amount charged must have spanned the statement period and a further £48 applied to the account. sometime In Jan. no statements received until a letter in March at which I transferred £60 from my personal acc ( turns out not done) my point is the 48 should not be there from december, but they have closed my credit card and transferred the ballance into my current acc which has again no auth overdraft facility!

meer53

I think you'll need to wait for a response to your complaint if what you say is correct. They have up to 8 weeks to respond.

Andy2304

there phoning back tomorrow (apparently)

Wywth

If I understand you correctly, you held the following accounts with HSBC

1. Personal current account
2. Business current account (Was this a sole trader business account, or one in the name of a limited company?)
3. Credit card (Presumably one linked to the business?)


Around October/November 2012, you advised the bank of a change of address. At the same time you cancelled all payment instructions (Standing Orders & Direct Debits) on your business account because you were no longer using the account.
(Why didn't you close the business account if it was no longer in use?)

You appear to suggest the bank only changed your address on the Personal current account.

A month or so later you were contacted by phone regarding fees that had been applied to your business account.
(This seems rather quick to be making telephone call collections as it appears, if I understand you correctly, that the fees are applied in the month following the month they were incurred. So they were effectively calling you as soon as they were applied???)

Anyway, were these fees as a result of a Direct Debit being collected (despite you cancelling the mandate) or the result of a standing order being paid (despite you having cancelled the SO instruction)?

Direct debits are covered by the terms of the Direct Debit Scheme, and you can claim for consequential loss when a Direct Debit is incorrectly paid out.

Anyway, you say the bank agreed to refund you all the costs (and presumably the amounts paid out in error)

Then you were charged more fees the next month. Presumably this was a result of fees incurred as a result of you being in an an unauthorised overdraft the previous month (due to their errors which they seem to have acknowledged by refunding you all the money paid out and the fess occurred)

If that is a true reflection on the course of events, then I'm sure the bank will agree to refund the extra fees so applied (as they are as a direct result of an error they already agreed to)
It is a shame this needed to go to a formal complaint, but that is the right course of action to follow if a refund was not immediately forthcoming on request (and possible explanation)

Now to the credit card. Are you saying you were not paying at least the minimum monthly amounts? If not, why not?

Anyway, whilst assets held by the bank may be used to offset money you owe to the bank on another account, I don't think they are permitted to change a debt on one account to a unauthorised debt on another. What does that gain the bank?

Finally, despite you moving address, you would still have had access to your internet banking. By regularly checking online, you would be able to see any current DD or SO standing orders, be able to cancel them if required and also see any unauthorised transactions on your account in a timely manner (especially if you find you are not receiving the statements you would otherwise expect to have received in the post)

I think, as meer53 says, you will have to await the outcome of the formal complaint. You need this response in writing