Advice for Natwest overdraft charges please.

Zoelh

My first time posting, just need some advice please. I'm trying to figure out where I stand with Natwest re my overdraft. I changed my main account to Santander 3 years ago, I still used my Natwest one for a while whilst getting everything changed over. I had £100 arranged overdraft which I had used to just under the limit when I stopped using my account. I naively thought I could just leave it an transfer money gradually as I could afford to pay it off. I have done this over a period of time and paid more than the overdraft amount, as I wasn't using the account I stopped on-line banking and didn't regularly check it. Now Natwest say I owe them £268+, I have activated my on-line banking again to check the history and because of the £6 usage and interest charges they introduce back in 2013, when they added these on every month it made my account go over the arranged overdraft amount, which has then led to a charges of £54, £66, £90 and £90. I can accept paying the usage charge but I feel these un-arranged fees are not entirely fair as it was their fees that sent me over my limit and I've actually paid nearly £200 in to cover £100 overdraft. I'm not sure what I can do, I'm not in a position to be able to pay this amount outright but they're threatening debt collection. Is this a case of my bad management and I just have to suck it up or is there any way I can get the charges they've added reduced? TIA

jonesMUFCforever

Have you phoned them to ask?
If you are in a position to pay say 50% or more they might agree to waive/refund some of the charges.
Your naivity could cost you a lot in the long term as you probably have a lot of red marks on your credit files - your next credit application could be interesting.

Zoelh

Thanks I'll give them a ring and see where I get. There's nothing on my credit file right now, we've just got a mortgage so have been checking it closely for a couple of months! lol It shows the amount I owe but says the account is in good standing, interestingly they've only recently contacted me directly about my account which coincides with me putting a PPI claim in against them, probably no connection but a bit strange? Hopefully the person who answers the phone is in a forgiving mood!

Zoelh

Quick update, I phoned and after explaining the situation, them admitting I was not kept informed well enough and the payments I made to the account more then covering the original overdraft, they've refunded all the charges which clears the account and closed it for me! Fab result!