Bank customers face rival ATM ban

[teaboy2]

Re: Bank customers face rival ATM ban

Teaboy, as I've said above, I've got a Natwest account (two, in fact). One is an A/Gold and the other an ordinary current plus. Neither one of them will let me go overdrawn (or in my case, over my overdraft limit, as I'm usually overdrawn by about the 10th of the month) when using my debit card. Not even by a few pence. As soon as I pay for something on my debit card, it is subtracted from my available balance. If I attempt to use my debit card when there aren't enough funds available, it is declined. No exceptions. So I can't understand how people can actually go overdrawn/over their limit by using a debit card. The only time I ever get caught is if I've written a cheque which then hits my account before I expected it to, in which case it's my own fault.

Well i went overdrawn using my card on a the step account, maybe your accounts are slightly different in someway. But i am referring to way back in early 2009 and late 2008. So maybe they changed it to stop you going over drawn when using your card, all i can tell you is my own person experience from going overdrawn using my card when i was still on JSA back in 2008 and early 2009. Plus the cards back then were meastro and not visa debit like they are now, so maybe that is something to do with it. I don't know, but like you i can only say what i experienced.

[leclerc]

Re: Bank customers face rival ATM ban

Teaboy, as I've said above, I've got a Natwest account (two, in fact). One is an A/Gold and the other an ordinary current plus. Neither one of them will let me go overdrawn (or in my case, over my overdraft limit, as I'm usually overdrawn by about the 10th of the month) when using my debit card. Not even by a few pence. As soon as I pay for something on my debit card, it is subtracted from my available balance. If I attempt to use my debit card when there aren't enough funds available, it is declined. No exceptions. So I can't understand how people can actually go overdrawn/over their limit by using a debit card. The only time I ever get caught is if I've written a cheque which then hits my account before I expected it to, in which case it's my own fault.

I don't want to argue with you but there is no account that natwest offer that does not allow you go overdrawn where you have a card(remember floor limits?). You can go overdrawn due to floor limits, card transactions being processed at close of business than immediately etc, etc,

[leclerc]

Re: Bank customers face rival ATM ban

Yeah but the maintence fee is also charged daily on non business days where you account is overdrawn (or over the minimum allowed overdrawn limit which is now £6 on BASIC Account), so if your account is overdrawn for 3 non business days in a month you get charged 3 x £6.00 which used to be, if i recall correctly, £12 - So 3 x £12 = £36 monthly maintence charge (back in 2008) for being overdrawn. So with todays new rates on basic accounts, if you were over drawn 5 business days in a row (one charge at end of first business day) then 2 non business days (Sat + Sun) then it would be 1 x £6 + 2 x £6 = Monthly maintence charge of £18. So i think we both agree, but just have different interpretation of the charges.

I.e. from what you said, my understanding was you were saying you did not get charged for being over drawn on STEP accounts when you do i.e. Monthly Maintence charge + any interest.
I will write this one more time. You DO NOT get charged fees for being overdrawn on a STEP/BASIC account. Not today not ever. You can go into a negative balance, you can be charged for UNPAID ITEMS but you will NEVER be charged for MAINTENANCE charges on a STEP/BASIC account. If you have done then the account is either (a) NOT a step account or (B) has been charged for unpaid items.
So the charging structure is still the same, and its not that you are not charged for going overdrawn as you clearly are charged for going overdrawn, but instead of it being taken from your account (unlike unpaid item fees) the charges are not debited from your account till the following month. But they are still charges for going overdrawn no matter which way you look at it and there still daily charges for the non business days - Which in my opinion is the banks taking advanage of the fact you can not get into the branch on a saturday or sunday to pay money into bring it back into credit, unless off course you live in a town or city where the Bank is open on a saturday. Because i can not see any reason why they would charge us daily for non business days when they only charge for the first business day where you overdrawn at the close of the day, and not each business day like they do for each non business day, other than to take advanage and make extra profit from the fact people can not get into their local branch to pay money in to bring their accounts back in credit on non business days.
You have no idea what you are talking about. We are talking about the most basic account NatWest offer ie STEP/BASIC account and the only other account that works similarly(albeit there would be overdraft on the other account) is the Student/Graduate account. Those daily charges would not be incurred if cash is paid in on the Monday btw(that one was a change in their rules).
So just imagine how many people, particularly unemployed people, that live in rural areas where they have only a rival banks ATM machine that they can not use in the nearest village, so instead (if not checked online or not have internet) they will have to guess how much they have in the bank and hope there card purchase at the village shop doesnt take them over the £6 overdrawn allowance. I think there will be a huge increase on how many times they go overdawn as a result when compared to how many times they went overdawn when they were still able to access their money/account from rival banks ATM'S. Hell when at my local shop back prior to summer 2009, if the ATM was out of order when i was still on JSA at the time, there was loads of times when i guessed wrongly and ended up being charged for it if i weren't able to get to the bank to pay the difference before they closed, or if i not have enough cash to pay back into the account - which most times i didn't. And i dare say the most vulnerable people, for which this change will effect the most, will probably find themselves in the exact same situation, i.e. not have enough spare change to pay back into the account to bring it back in credit (or even able to travel to there nearest branch) and therefore incur charges for each non business day and first business day it is overdrawn for, until there next benefit is paid in - which adds up to a lot when your on benefits.

Teaboy, IF they have a STEP/BASIC account they face ZERO charges for simply be overdrawn. IF they have a STEP/BASIC account there is NO MAINTENANCE charges.
However, if they have a current account, current plus account, advantage gold account, advantage premier account, advantage black account etc, etc, then yes they face maintenance charges for exceeding the overdraft.
The STEP account has never had maintenance charges on it, and there are no plans for it to happen in the future. Are the charging scenarios wrong? You're argument is based on false assumptions about the most basic bank account NatWest offer however if you are talking about any other normal bank account where a cheque book is allowed and overdraft if applied for then your scenario works to a point in that current account with a cheque book facility can be charged unpaid items and maintenance charges which are made 21 days after the statement date(or charging period).

[The Debt Star]

Re: Bank customers face rival ATM ban

Teaboy, as I've said above, I've got a Natwest account (two, in fact). One is an A/Gold and the other an ordinary current plus. Neither one of them will let me go overdrawn (or in my case, over my overdraft limit, as I'm usually overdrawn by about the 10th of the month) when using my debit card. Not even by a few pence. As soon as I pay for something on my debit card, it is subtracted from my available balance. If I attempt to use my debit card when there aren't enough funds available, it is declined. No exceptions. So I can't understand how people can actually go overdrawn/over their limit by using a debit card. The only time I ever get caught is if I've written a cheque which then hits my account before I expected it to, in which case it's my own fault.

Well one easy way to do it as at a pay @ pump on the garage forecourt. If you have £1 credit it (the pay @ pump machine) will let you fill up to £99. That would leave you £98 overdrawn immediately. So its quite easy to do it.

[WendyB]

Re: Bank customers face rival ATM ban

I never knew that. I shall remember that next time my car is running on fumes and I have no money for fuel

[The Debt Star]

Re: Bank customers face rival ATM ban

yeah, I probably shouldn't have mentioned it

[evilhamster]

Re: Bank customers face rival ATM ban

found this thought it wouldn't do any harm to sign it

http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/13252