Ulster Bank have stealthily charged over €250 since 2013 for an account I stopped using in 2006

[Deleted User]

Not rude at all. You're either super diligent or you're not.  And if not, it's sometimes useful to know how to improve things.

PRAISETHESUN

joeyjoejnr1 said:

Catsacor said:

How could you have missed all that though, even unused accounts still generate paper or online correspondence which requires inspection - for these very scenarios you're describing.

The responsibility of an account is by the owner, i'm not sure you'll get very far with this because it just shows how you've been negligent in your affairs from that point to this.

I spoke to them on the phone briefly and asked why they hadn't been sending me comms, it says it looks like they hadn't been sending me anything so they didn't even have an answer.

Also - I tried to get my online banking working for this account and it wouldn't let me reset it even though it is an option online - I recorded evidence of this.

The frustrating thing is I am super diligent about my accounts, I check everything weekly and always move the rectify issues like this immediately. I left the account open and it had a positive balance as I thought it would be useful to have a € account.

It sounds like something has slipped through the cracks here.

It'd be worth determining exactly what made you go overdrawn in the first place - was it a payment you initiated, or something the bank did. In the case of the latter you may have grounds to get them to sort it out for you. Otherwise take this as a learning experience

As for the online banking, it's probably a security thing that locked you out and disabled you access when your account went dormant - you mention you haven't used it in several years. Not sure how you go about getting that sorted to be honest without a branch visit - might be worth considering if you actually still need the account. It's fairly easy to open a EUR account with UK banks if that makes things easier.

joeyjoejnr1

PRAISETHESUN said:

joeyjoejnr1 said:

Catsacor said:

How could you have missed all that though, even unused accounts still generate paper or online correspondence which requires inspection - for these very scenarios you're describing.

The responsibility of an account is by the owner, i'm not sure you'll get very far with this because it just shows how you've been negligent in your affairs from that point to this.

I spoke to them on the phone briefly and asked why they hadn't been sending me comms, it says it looks like they hadn't been sending me anything so they didn't even have an answer.

Also - I tried to get my online banking working for this account and it wouldn't let me reset it even though it is an option online - I recorded evidence of this.

The frustrating thing is I am super diligent about my accounts, I check everything weekly and always move the rectify issues like this immediately. I left the account open and it had a positive balance as I thought it would be useful to have a € account.

It sounds like something has slipped through the cracks here.

It'd be worth determining exactly what made you go overdrawn in the first place - was it a payment you initiated, or something the bank did. In the case of the latter you may have grounds to get them to sort it out for you. Otherwise take this as a learning experience

As for the online banking, it's probably a security thing that locked you out and disabled you access when your account went dormant - you mention you haven't used it in several years. Not sure how you go about getting that sorted to be honest without a branch visit - might be worth considering if you actually still need the account. It's fairly easy to open a EUR account with UK banks if that makes things easier.

The funny thing is that I asked for a full list of transactions but they only went back to the first Overdraft fee they charged. I specially asked in the last letter for "Date that my account first went overdrawn" but they only sent back a statement.

I don't need the account and plan to close it ASAP.

born_again

Was it a Student account that you opened? Which will convert to a normal account after X years and at that point is there a charge for having the account?
Which could explain the charge.

Surely this would have been passed "Statute of Limitations" as over 6 years from last contact.

colsten

joeyjoejnr1 said:

The frustrating thing is I am super diligent about my accounts, I check everything weekly and always move the rectify issues like this immediately. I left the account open and it had a positive balance as I thought it would be useful to have a € account.

Like it or not, you were not super diligent about this particular account, and you certainly did not check it weekly.

joeyjoejnr1 said:

I got a letter from Ulster Bank in Nov 2019  (UK address)

.......
I assume they had my address

Obviously they did have your address if they sent you a letter. The question is how long have they had your UK address, and how did they get it in the first instance.

colsten

joeyjoejnr1 said:

I don't need the account and plan to close it ASAP.

That sounds a plan. 

joeyjoejnr1

colsten said:

Like it or not, you were not super diligent about this particular account, and you certainly did not check it weekly.

Yeah, agree. I'm in my mid 30's and this is the first time something like this has happened.

joeyjoejnr1

colsten said:

Obviously they did have your address if they sent you a letter. The question is how long have they had your UK address, and how did they get it in the first instance.

I know, I don't see how say they didn't have my address and then send me a letter. How else would they have gotten my address apart from getting it from me?

veryintrigued

joeyjoejnr1 said:

Is there any course of action I can take? 

    

Accept that you're at fault


Learn from mistake and be more organised.

Is that along the lines you meant?

joeyjoejnr1

veryintrigued said:

joeyjoejnr1 said:

Is there any course of action I can take? 

    

Accept that you're at fault


Learn from mistake and be more organised.

Is that along the lines you meant?

Yes, this was exactly the kind of advice I was looking out for. Are you free for life coaching lessons outside of this forum?