Bounced fees

sportbeth

Hi, Newbie here so I will give you a bit of background.

Moving on from what was said earlier about consumer credit agreements and never signing them, I was financially in the schtuck last year due to an employer that never paid me. I approached my bank and asked for a temporary overdraft whilst I looked for work and they wouldn't let me have one as I had already told them I was temporarily unemployed.

They then slammed £250 + of bounced overdraft fees on me.

After a long search and a horrible personal time (imagine head in the sand and never coming out) I now have work and the debt has been passed onto a collection agency. I don't remember ever signing a credit agreement with them so is that one way of potentially writing off the debt? Or is another option the fact that I tried to negotiate with them and the fees just escalated from there as they knew I was in trouble?

Any advice would be great. The collection agency have refused installments by the way. They're not very nice people so I want to give them as little as possible!

debtbuster2K5

Hi, SB

If I am reading your post correctly, I dont think you have the option of writing off the debt just because you didnt sign an agreement. This is because there never was an agreement!! From what I understand, you were refused an overdraft but spent the money anyway.

I dont believe you have many other options, other than paying up. You spent the money on an unauthorised basis, attracting higher rates and fees/charges. All of this would have been in the small print.

Probably not what you wanted to hear though..
Regards

sportbeth

Oh no. Sorry. I didn't spend anything! Should have made that clear. I got in the brown stuff when my employer didn't pay me. then approached the bank for help. They sent me round the houses with telephone banking (the branch said I couldn't speak with anyone on site when I went into the branch.

Basically my problem was that I knew I wouldn't be paid in the near future and needed to get out to interviews so that's why I wanted the overdraft. They said no, and in my panic and stupidity I failed to check and they didn't mention that I could cancel my direct debits otherwise I would be charged for them.

So the £250 unauthorised overdraft was all bounced DD fees. That's why I am ever so slightly miffed! I asked them for help, they didn't offer it then they nailed me for the fees!

Wouldn't the ombudsman help on this one?

Murtle

shouldn't think so it will say in the T&C's when you opened the account that any unpaid DD will attract £x fees. It will also say somewhere, that you should make sure you have the money in the account to allow for these to be paid.

Therefore it is your responsibility not the banks to ensure you have the funds.

Again, probably not what you wanted to hear....