Help - Bank Charges

SimmoP

Hi all

I am after some advice on what to do around bank charges that i have.

I stopped using my current account around March last year (i did not close the bank account down), my reason for stopping to use it was because they was unable to upgrade my card to a Visa card (and another bank did)

So in my eyes at this point the balance etc was 0 and i had nothing set up to come in or out.

I subsequently moved homes and basically forgot about this account (As there was nothing happening with it)

i then got a letter the other day stating i was overdrawn by £125 and to make immediate payment.

After ringing them up they said it was due to a direct debit that was set up in August from kirkwood hospice (A Charity) for £4.43 to come out every month. With no funds this had bounced every month and i had incurred fees each time.

I disputed this on the phone and said i can't remember setting this up etc i will have to find out more information.

i contacted Kirkwood who came back to me and said that it was set up by someone else and that when they set up the direct debit to my bank it would have had the Account name as the other person.

Where do i stand on this? I have proof it was not set up by me. The banks state i should have been monitoring my account so owe them the money. (how can they allow a direct debit to be set up when it clearly had the wrong person's name)

Any advice welcome