Reclaim Bank Fees while in DMP

time-4-a-new-start

Hi

I am looking some advice from fellow money savers.

I have been in a DMP for just over 2 years now and at the start of my DMP I was advised to setup a new bank account - which I did with Santander. However over the past few years I have been aggressively charged by Santander for charges on my account.

As people in a DMP will know it is difficult to live month to month and at times you find some months difficult especially when you are hit with unexpected bills and as such getting charged by your bank becomes a norm for missed payments, being overdrawn etc. What makes this worse is that each month when you pay their fees you found yourself overdrawn again and so incurred new fees!!

In May this year I was fed up with the charges and wrote to Santander (using the letters from this forum) and explained that as I am extreme financial difficulties and in a DMP that I wanted all the charges (which totaled £694.49 inc interest at the time) to be refunded. Of course the bank refused so I wrote again telling again them I was in a DMP and that due to my situation they had an obligation to refund my fees. What they then offered me was a refund of £150 worth of fees to help break the cycle of paying for fees and getting new fees.

I tried to write back and get this amount improved which I couldnt as the bank responded each time saying no. But in addition to loosing out on initial £544 I have continually been charged more fees again (total of £450) each month.

So onto my question. I wanted to ask firstly that as I seemingly accepted the banks first offer of £150 from my first letters, am I still able to write a new letter to them to say either I want the £450 fees refunded or indeed the £994 total fees? I am sure if the bank has offered you a refund whether you can go back a few months later and try again?

But recovering any sort of fees while in a DMP will be very helpful to me especially with Xmas coming up and also as my DMP monthly payment has increased also.

Hopefully someone can give me some advice and/or also pointers on how I should best try again if I am able.

Thanks for any advice

Atidi

time-4-a-new-start wrote: »

Hi

I am looking some advice from fellow money savers.

I have been in a DMP for just over 2 years now and at the start of my DMP I was advised to setup a new bank account - which I did with Santander. However over the past few years I have been aggressively charged by Santander for charges on my account.

As people in a DMP will know it is difficult to live month to month and at times you find some months difficult especially when you are hit with unexpected bills and as such getting charged by your bank becomes a norm for missed payments, being overdrawn etc. What makes this worse is that each month when you pay their fees you found yourself overdrawn again and so incurred new fees!!

In May this year I was fed up with the charges and wrote to Santander (using the letters from this forum) and explained that as I am extreme financial difficulties and in a DMP that I wanted all the charges (which totaled £694.49 inc interest at the time) to be refunded. Of course the bank refused so I wrote again telling again them I was in a DMP and that due to my situation they had an obligation to refund my fees. What they then offered me was a refund of £150 worth of fees to help break the cycle of paying for fees and getting new fees.

I tried to write back and get this amount improved which I couldnt as the bank responded each time saying no. But in addition to loosing out on initial £544 I have continually been charged more fees again (total of £450) each month.

So onto my question. I wanted to ask firstly that as I seemingly accepted the banks first offer of £150 from my first letters, am I still able to write a new letter to them to say either I want the £450 fees refunded or indeed the £994 total fees? I am sure if the bank has offered you a refund whether you can go back a few months later and try again?

But recovering any sort of fees while in a DMP will be very helpful to me especially with Xmas coming up and also as my DMP monthly payment has increased also.

Hopefully someone can give me some advice and/or also pointers on how I should best try again if I am able.

Thanks for any advice

"Aggressively charged"? :huh:
What exactly do you mean? Were you not charged in line with their tariff of charges in force at the time you agreed to them when you opened the account (and possibly as subsequently advised in advance of any changes, and presumably agreed to)?

You were already spending more than your income before you opened your Santander account.
You claim to have fallen into severe financial hardship.
What has happened since you entered your DMP that you believe has made you fall into financial hardship?
If things have happened, then perhaps you should talk them over with your DMP manager.

To me it sems as you were already living beyond your means prior to opening the Santander account, then I'm not surprised they have refused to refund your account charges for continuing to spend money you do not have, despite entering into a DMP with your other creditors.

Banks are under no obligation to refund any charges applied in accordance with their terms/tariff.

You can write whatever you want to the bank, but if you are in the financial hardship you claim (rather than simply continuing to spend beyond your means which is what your post imples), then I'd be inclined to snap their hands off at their goodwill gesture of £150. The bank have given you their response to your complaint. Why do you think there is any chance of getting any different result by doing the same complaint again???

dazla

Atidi wrote: »

"Aggressively charged"? :huh:
What exactly do you mean? Were you not charged in line with their tariff of charges in force at the time you agreed to them when you opened the account (and possibly as subsequently advised in advance of any changes, and presumably agreed to)?

You were already spending more than your income before you opened your Santander account.
You claim to have fallen into severe financial hardship.
What has happened since you entered your DMP that you believe has made you fall into financial hardship?
If things have happened, then perhaps you should talk them over with your DMP manager.

To me it sems as you were already living beyond your means prior to opening the Santander account, then I'm not surprised they have refused to refund your account charges for continuing to spend money you do not have, despite entering into a DMP with your other creditors.

Banks are under no obligation to refund any charges applied in accordance with their terms/tariff.

You can write whatever you want to the bank, but if you are in the financial hardship you claim (rather than simply continuing to spend beyond your means which is what your post imples), then I'd be inclined to snap their hands off at their goodwill gesture of £150. The bank have given you their response to your complaint. Why do you think there is any chance of getting any different result by doing the same complaint again???

Where did you get the impression that the poster is spending beyond his means ?? I am in a DMP and the unexpected bills do arrive believe me and I certainly don't live beyond my means...so don't be so judgemental

Pickle29

I have recently started a DMP and find Santander really aggressive with phone calls and texts re our debt with them. Having spoken to our charity they have confirmed they are one of the worst companies they deal with. I really feel for you and what little I know, I would suggest you change banks and then pursue them again claiming extreme hardship (letters on Martin Lewis website).

Thrugelmir

dazla wrote: »

Where did you get the impression that the poster is spending beyond his means ?? I am in a DMP and the unexpected bills do arrive believe me and I certainly don't live beyond my means...so don't be so judgemental

I see nothing judgemental. The account was opened after the DMP commenced. Since then the account has gone overdrawn. So charges will levied in accordance with the terms that the account was opened. The OP accepted these terms in opening the account.

One assumes that a new account was opened due to a previous banking relationship breaking down.

antrobus

time-4-a-new-start wrote: »

... Of course the bank refused so I wrote again telling again them I was in a DMP and that due to my situation they had an obligation to refund my fees....

There is no such 'obligation'.

What the FOS say on the subject is that "we would expect current-account providers to deal positively and sympathetically with a consumer in financial hardship - including where bank charges had added to their difficulties", and that "If your bank or building society agrees that you are experiencing financial hardship, they should suggest an appropriate settlement. This may or may not involve reducing the amount you owe - depending on the circumstances".

Or ....

time-4-a-new-start wrote: »

... What they then offered me was a refund of £150 worth of fees to help break the cycle of paying for fees and getting new fees. ...

...that sort of thing.