halifax overdraft fees

[shamen]

These guys are cowboys arent they?

Someone I know who had a 500 arranged overdraft with halifax had it cut by them to 250. This put them over by 50 quid several months ago (300 OD Balance) , so they paid 100 as soon as they got the statement showing they were over the limit. The next months statement arrived, expecting it to show 200 overdraw, but instead it says overdrawn by 349. "last months overdraft daily fees paid: £150".

So figuring she would swallow this and get back in the limit she sends 100 over, to bring her back into the limit of 250. Next statement arrives, even further over the limit this time. The banks charged her another 150 of 'daily fees' , this time she notices that the bank is actually working a month in arrears on its 'fees' - so the 150- shown as charged on her june statement is actually from may, and there is another 150 to go ontop of that again for june which wont show up until the july statement. So the july - aug statement arrives, sure enough shows another 150 charges on there, the 100 deposited and her balance is now 358.00. On top of this at the bottom of the letter, "total amount payable to be taken from your account on august 31st - £150"

So for the sake of halifax cutting her overdraft limit and her being over by 50 quid, shes actually had to pay them the 200 pounds she put in, then on top of that theres 450 pounds halifax want for the privilege. the balance is going up and up and 150 per month for an unauthroised overdraft, which they forced her into, seems very excessive for a disabled woman with 4 kids.

Is that even legal!??!

[shamen]

Re: halifax overdraft fees

Ok more background and some scans now

So this is an account that was forgotten about, not used and it looks lit the account was at some point taken overdrawn by the massive amount of £3.34. The bank then let this account stay in overdraft putting on £30 per month in 'arranged overdraft fees' until the account got close to the £250 overdrawn mark. At that point they cut the overdraft limit to £250 in time for the account to sail over to £273.34 (thats 9 months of £30 'arranged overdraft fees' plus the original 3.74 overdraft she had).

She got a statement on 8th July showing a balance of £308 overdrawn and in tiny letters at the bottom, advice she would be charged £150 at the end of july for being overdrawn in june (see http://www.b3tards.com/u/02a841467ca2f73e9da0/june.jpg)

So not expecting this account to be overdrawn at all, she hasnt even opened any halifax statements in months and they just sit there (we will find out from halifax why the original 3.38 overfraft happened ASAP - it may be a charge itself!). Until she gets a letter on 25th July from halifax saying her account is 58.54 over its limit and she should pay it. OOps.

http://www.b3tards.com/u/02a841467ca...0/junewarn.jpg

Immediately the last statement is checked, shows 28 quid over the overdraft limit and £100 is sent via fast transfer to the account. She missed the small print down the bottom of the letter as the balance in/out sheet showed a £30 arranged overdraft fee and a £5 un arranged overdraft fee. Thinking this settles the matter, shes happy to pay off the charges, balance and then close the account.

However, July statement turns up

http://www.b3tards.com/u/02a841467ca.../julytoaug.jpg

Gist: Thanks for the 100 quid. Heres 150 in charges from June. Were going to charge you another 150 for july at the end of august. And we can only assume that now we are in august, they are actually going to whack the same £5 per day charge on top when the september statement is received, given that shes now unlikely to be able to pay off the even greater balance they are now asking for, which are going to build faster than she can afford to pay indefinitely.

So for the sake of 3.38, this poor disabled woman is basicly having to pay the halifax at least 300 pounds in unarranged overdraft fees, an extra 270 in arranged overdraft fees and then thats before the august amount even gets added on top. What a thieving load of T**sbags.

[shamen]

Re: halifax overdraft fees

Good news! Halifax have agreed to cancel all of the fees. This is even before the SAR was responded to, just in phone calls. They have been asked to put their offer in writing. The crux of the decision was that the person receiving the statements had informed halifax she pas partially sighted yet their overdraft information was in tiny fonts at the bottom of the statement, so they agreed and removed all charges. Result!

[lindylou]

Re: halifax overdraft fees

I have had a reduction of my overdraft £1,800 plus £100
compensation for my trouble.I didn't fill in any hardship forms
just wrote explaining I was living on benefits and felt
I was dealt very harshly during a time that I was recovering
from a brain Operation thanks to research on the internet
i found out that the Financial Ombudsman was more
likely to be sympathetic to a honest letter rather
than some set downloaded so I think the
Halifax new they had to respond in a favourable manner
I was also informed by them if i still was not satisfied
I could take the matter onwards to the Financial Ombudsman.
However the time & energy in taking this any further probably
for very little award doesn't seem worth it
I have had a Lions share reduced

[GODALMIGHTY111]

Re: halifax overdraft fees

i got OD by £2.50 on a DEBIT card, now they want by threat of court action £1020 (notice how its just over the magical one grand); told em to f off, it worked