Pulling my hair out!

Almost-free

If you are local to me I would happily bring you some food and cat food. I don't suppose you are in Essex?

tigerfeet2006

Out of interest, were you advised that the bank would freeze your account when you went BR? We're you told about the BR friendly accounts that are out there? Who did you take advise from?

alastairq

Whilst I have sympathy for the OP's plight, their experience really does emphasise the need for those considering Bankruptcy [in all its forms?]....to conduct prior preparation.

Such preparation has been re-iterated over & over again on this forum......& time & again we see posters in a desperate situation pleading for advice...after the fact.

I was lucky, perhaps.....I received excellent advice from a truly committed Debt expert at CAB.....got my ducks in a row right at the outset.....as a result I practically sailed through the process......however, I also fully appreciate that, when in a debt situation, one very often cannot see the wood-for-the-trees.....which is perhaps one reason why I continue to contribute to this particular forum?

My post is for the lurkers here, not aimed at the OP, BTW.

melissa-elizabeth

tigerfeet2006 wrote: »

Out of interest, were you advised that the bank would freeze your account when you went BR? We're you told about the BR friendly accounts that are out there? Who did you take advise from?

I was advised it would be frozen with the letter I got from AIB so I lifted what I thought would have been the right amount, plus after using a chunk of last months wages to pay for the bankruptcy, its pretty much all I had. If I had known that it would have dragged out for more than three days and on to seven, I definitely would have been better prepared! No, I wasn't told about bankrupcy friendly accounts, I was actually told that providing I opened another account, my new account wouldn't be frozen as they were not one of my creditors.

melissa-elizabeth

So I finally got my wages through today, but now I have a question. Whilst my account was frozen, Three Mobile tried to take out money from the account for my phone bill and because they were unsuccessful, I got a letter through from Royal Bank Of Scotland yesterday stating that they were taking £6 for every time Three tried to take the amount, I got a text from Three stating they were just going to try again with my next bill, which I'm hoping means they only tried to take the amount once and I'm only getting charged £6.

But then today I got the exact same letter, but it said they were charging £6 and then up to £60 because my wages couldn't go in?! I understand they charge when they can't remove money, but I had no idea that they can also charge when money can't go in?! It states that 'we couldn't make some of your payments because there was not enough money in your account'. The wages were going INTO my account. I'm baffled about this. I was going to phone and ask if they can do this but I'd rather ask here first due to the amount of hours I've spent on hold to them over the past week.

alastairq

No, I wasn't told about bankruptcy friendly accounts, I was actually told that providing I opened another account, my new account wouldn't be frozen as they were not one of my creditors.
melissa-elizabeth is offline

To be clear..the above isn't the sort of information an 'adviser' would, or should be giving out....the correct information was what you had....that you need a 'basic' bank account.

What advisers cannot give out is information about which bank to apply to for a basic account, prior to BR.

This is the sort of information available via forums like this one...where folk find things out through experience.

All banks 'officially' have basic accounts available to those who are, or are thinking about, bankruptcy.

But most have a policy of non-encouragement.

It is this reluctance on the part of most High St. banks regarding bankruptcy, that has resulted in Co-op adopting their policy toward Undischarged BRs.

melissa-elizabeth

melissa-elizabeth wrote: »

So I finally got my wages through today, but now I have a question. Whilst my account was frozen, Three Mobile tried to take out money from the account for my phone bill and because they were unsuccessful, I got a letter through from Royal Bank Of Scotland yesterday stating that they were taking £6 for every time Three tried to take the amount, I got a text from Three stating they were just going to try again with my next bill, which I'm hoping means they only tried to take the amount once and I'm only getting charged £6.

But then today I got the exact same letter, but it said they were charging £6 and then up to £60 because my wages couldn't go in?! I understand they charge when they can't remove money, but I had no idea that they can also charge when money can't go in?! It states that 'we couldn't make some of your payments because there was not enough money in your account'. The wages were going INTO my account. I'm baffled about this. I was going to phone and ask if they can do this but I'd rather ask here first due to the amount of hours I've spent on hold to them over the past week.

Can anyone advise me with this please? I know it's only £12 to some people, but I don't want to be just giving mony away. It's just quite funny to me how the bank claimed they had no evidence of my wages attempting to go in and then I get a letter charging me £6 because my wages couldn't go in. I don't mind paying the £6 towards the money they couldnt get out but I still had no idea they can charge you when money can't go in.