help with clydesdale basic cash account & returned diret debit charges

pandabear24

Hi can anyone help with any information on reclaiming charges from my clydesdale basic cash account!
i currently receive ESA benefit & have done for sometime now, i also have a 6 year old son that i currently get child tax credit & child benefit for.For sometime now i have struggled with anxiety&depression finding everyday life a struggle however recently i am not finding ways to cope & am starting to be able to sort out some of my problems such as money problems etc, going threw bank statements etc i began to notice a pattern of charges firstly ranging from £35 now down to £15 all for returned direct debits.On a friends advice i wrote to my bank explained about the charges & how after a period of time they have caused me to fall into financial hardship, i also explained i receive benefits & the charges the bank take come of my benefit that is a basic amount the law says you need to live on so there isnt any room for anything other that nasic living expenses. I also explained my illness how it has effect my life over last 6 years & how up till recently i found it hard to speak to anyone about anything including close family & friends (worked all my life upto around 6-7 years ago), the outcome of my letter was a telephone call from bank more or less telling me they had the right to charge for returned direct debits, it is my own fault, if i cant afford i shouldnt have attitude. although i agree the bank have right to charge etc i dont agree with the amount they charge!! person from bank made me feel as if i were a small child being told of very straight to the point unhelpful.
Does anyone know if anything can be done or am i looking at fighting a no winning battle, what if anything can i do,...very greatful for any help on this matter at all guys!

Thank You

sourcrates

Oh heck, you must of got the obnoxious one in customer complaints.

Usually a bank, any bank, will refund charges on at least one occasion a year, have you reclaimed from them in the previous 12 months ?

You should write back, asking them to reconsider there original decision, ask them to respond in writing only.

If there answer is still no, then you can ask the financial ombudsman to get involved, link here :

http://www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk

They will decide your case on its merits of fairness, it can take a while to go through the process, but it's free, and could get a result for you.

National_Debtline

Hi

Clydesdale sign-up to a code of practice called The Lending Code and one of the key commitments is that banks should treat customers who are experiencing financial difficulties ‘sympathetically and positively’.

I think it’s worth mentioning that if you write to them again, as Sourcrates suggests.

www.lendingstandardsboard.org.uk/thecode.html


James
@natdebtline

dancingfairy

I'd be interested to know what the bank said and how they worded it, it certainly doesn't seem appropriate from what you've said but it's interesting they choose to phone rather than write. I wonder whether they'd be prepared to put that in writing.
I suggest you write back to them, explain that you would like to correspond in writing only. You can also add that you feel your original contact with them wasn't very helpful and you expected more from them.
I hope you get more help this time but if not then don't be afraid to go to the ombudsman, although firstly you have to have exhausted the banks own complaints procedure and then I believe it can take a while for the ombudsman to deal with your case as they can get very busy. It's worth persevering though.
In the meantime you might want to open a new basic bank account with a different bank and get your benefits paid in there. Therefore if you get any more charges/hassle from clydesdale you won't be left with no money at all (ie it wouldn't matter as all your money would be in the new account). Obviously you'd have to keep the old one for a bit but it would give you more power when trying to pay the debt off, you wouldn't have to worry about them swallowing your benefits.
df

smdabs

Hi Pandabear24,

A few moons ago, i was one of those 'complaint handlers' for a large bank for a substantial amount of time.

In no uncertain terms, you have every right to take this directly to the FOS however their timescales can be quite long.

As part of being responsible lenders, there are policies in place to assist 'vulnerable customers' and each employee is (or should) be taught to identify such matters. One of the biggest flags in identifying this are customers who may be experiencing mental illnesses, such as depression and anxiety. (we were fully trained in spotting these issues, even if a customer did not say it outright)

If you have any doctors notes that support your illness, please send it a long with a letter to their complaints department regarding your charges for them to formally assess. If you have these stemming back a couple of years (up to 6) - even better!
Please ensure that you note in your letter any times you have also suffered any 'triggers' for your depression such as social upheaval/deaths of family, friends etc that may have contributed to further charges being incurred at that time - provide them a clear timeline and reasons as to why you have not been able to manage fully manage your finances.

It is possible to get the majority of your charges back as long as you provide sufficient evidence (dont worry too much if you dont have these documents, however it will assist your case) and your testimony is clear and believable. I would say that these issues are best put into letters as then it is clear for every bank member to see.

If you were to get one of 'those complaint handlers' on the phone again, depending on their 'take' on your circumstances and situation, it may not be considered as fully as it should have and therefore it will only be their words against yours. (and trust me, they can be extremely harsh...i worked with a fair few of them :mad:) - Some, unfortunately, just do not have any empathy towards customers what-so-ever and they treat refunding the bank's money like it was their own pocket it was coming from!

Be clear, be concise, be as honest as possible but do not play it down as to how hard your finances have been over the past couple of years. Pride has no place when it comes to getting your money back.

Please also remember to clearly state that if this issue is not resolved to your satisfaction or they do not provide you with an appropriate resolution, that your complaint will be forwarded directly to the FOS.

Let me know if you need anything else