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[stevokenevo]

I have been a good boy this year (well, financially speaking) and dont think ive incurred many charges at all.

For one reason or another though, mostly from overspending and not keeping track of the ins and outs, ive incurred a couple of charges in the last week.

Now, the last time i got a charge, they sent me a letter first, informing me of when the charge would be deducted in advance.

over the weekend, we have had £76 of charges applied to the account almost instantly as a couple of DDs bounced leaving insufficiant funds to clear two payments made by maestro which then incurred a further £70 charge.

I am now £140 over my O/D and £146 of it is charges. mas:RBS


Dont ask me why, i have succesfuly pursued and recovered charges from various different institutions. But i seem to have a mental block when it comes to RBS.

I sent them a prelim + LBA earlier in the year for approx £300 of charges, but didnt bother going any further as the test case had started and cases were being stayed left right and centre., but, i am seriously ****ed off at the way they have helped themselves to these charges, this topped by the fact i have previously added funds to my account on the morning a DD came out only to be hit with 'referal' charges nevertheless, this has stoked the fire in me, and led to me rambling on here with no punctuation, direction and steam coming out my ears!!!!!!!!!!

[Paule]

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, this topped by the fact i have previously added funds to my account on the morning a DD came out only to be hit with 'referal' charges nevertheless, !

I think you will find, and the FOS will back it up, that funds have to be in the account the day before the direct debit is due out.
I had this argument many times wih barclays and took it to the FOS who agreed with Barclays

[stevokenevo]

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I think you will find, and the FOS will back it up, that funds have to be in the account the day before the direct debit is due out.
I had this argument many times wih barclays and took it to the FOS who agreed with Barclays

i know what your saying PK, the fact that ****ed me right off, is when i was depositing the cash, the cashier asked "is this to cover the DD" i said yes, she said she would ensure it was honoured, then charges me anyway! that to me stinks

[WendyB]

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The problem is that most of the time cashiers tell you what they think you need to know. Either she didn't know that you'd get a referral charge (unlikely but possible) or she did know but din't tell you in case you kicked up a fuss (possible and likely lol). These referral charges are automatically triggered and without making a phone call in advance which would probably be a waste of time anyway, "the computer" just sticks them on and thats that. As for letters warning you about charges, Natwest (part of RBS) haven't done that for ages, in fact I've NEVER had a letter, they just nick the charges right out of your account there and then, i believe they're limited to 3 at a time, I've had £114 in one day, on more than one occasion. The only warnings about charges I ever had were about interest to be debited the following month, also "overlimit" fees are warned, and taken the following month.

I know this won't make you feel any better, just telling you what I know from experience. Think the only thing to do is see what happens in the test case then take it from there.

I haven't had dealings with RBS, but being as you've been a good boy, might it be worth a phone call asking them to give the charges back, due to unforeseen circs/oversight/blatant blagging/whatever you can think of that sounds plausible? It might work....worth a try....

you could also try asking them to up your o/d to cover the charges, then at least you wouldn't get an overlimit fee every month. If you do this though, you have to make sure to keep within the limits otherwise it just gets worse and worse. (Been there, done that myself) I know you probably know all this already, just trying to help.

[thephoenix]

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I've had dealings with RBS on more than one occasion.
Due to the test case, no bank is gonna contemplate offering the charges back until a decision is made one way or the other.
The best bet you have is to argue that it was there fault and have proof of this. If you mention it was your fault, in financial trouble yarda yarda, they wont listen.

But if it's there fault, you 'should' be ok but you and me both know, it's never an easy ride.

:ho:

[Nattie]

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Actually steve and wendy B be careful what you are both saying because if the cashier has said that the funds will cover the DD and it doesn;t then surely that is a bank error because of the information they gave was false and incorrect and therefore also not allowing you the opportunity either to a) pay funds into the account or b) to contact the DD provider in advance to arrange a payment to avoid further charges by them, (remember they do not know about it until the third day after the payment has bounced).

[WendyB]

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Yes Nattie, you've got a point, but past experience is that when this happened to me, I tried to say it was bank error because of wrong information by cashier, and was told that money should be there at close of business the day before the dd was due to go out, cashier gave you wrong info, so bad luck, gotta accept the charge. Plus to get the bank to go with bank error surely would have to prove that the cashier gave wrong info, no way of doing that. It does actually say somewhere in the T and C I think, about funds being available the day before. This doesn't happen with all banks, LTSB used to have condition that as long as money was paid in by close of business that day, then dd's etc would not bounce. Not sure if this is still the case, probably not as they would make more money out of us by charging at start of business rather than close of business.

[Nattie]

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Well, yes there is a way to prove incorrect information because as anyone with half a brain who works for a bank is that there is certain screens you can look at that will show if the DD/SO is being returned and there is a way of paying the item on the day as well. I know where to look and how to pay an item as well, so the banks argument while persuasive in that it is in black and white, the actuality on the ground is normally that cash paid in to cover an item CAN BE PAID if the person asks us to do so although it is a rarity.

[WendyB]

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Nattie, I wish all the bank staff had your brains and your morals, and your experience but unfortunately most of them don't. Most counter staff will just refer to the lending centre or telephone banking, I don't think its always that they can't be bothered, mainly its due to lack of training and not actually knowing what they can do and what they can't, because on the whole they're quite nice and as helpful as they can be, within the limitations of their experience and/or training

[Nattie]

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I actually agree with you and I think experience can only come from being in an organisation and sticking with it and learning about how your bank works. Some cashiers are blatantly lazy. I have heard people say that they do not want to learn about the charges they are there to explain. Anyway we are moving away from the OP. Stevo, you know the drill, and time to action and the LBA will be probably around the time the OFT Test case begins.

[WendyB]

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Am I being dim? Whats OP? Have seen it loads of times but it doesn't clickwith me at all. And its been a long day......

[stevokenevo]

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Am I being dim? Whats OP? Have seen it loads of times but it doesn't clickwith me at all. And its been a long day......

OP = Original Post, or if refering to someone as the OP they are the Original Poster rudolf

@Nattie, the time i paid £ in on the day a DD came out, the money did go toward the DD and it was paid. I just feel it is a bit off that they charged me £35 per item for a 2second check on the computer and the click of a button, total £70!

Seeing as i have already sent them a prelim and LBA this year, i think i shall compose a letter, adding the new charges to the old, and give them the usual 14 days. We all know what the outcome will be regardless of how many letters i send them.

I shall then attempt to proceed to court, although i will need to check up on the latest regarding scottish courts and the test case. Im out of the loop a bit as everything has gone quiet on the charges front.

I think i am just more disappointed, as i have done really well over the last 3 or 4 years, added to the time of year and the fact they have whipped £146 out my account since friday.

[WendyB]

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God thats so obvious, why couldn't I see that.......but you live and learn.....

[Xena]

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I think you will find, and the FOS will back it up, that funds have to be in the account the day before the direct debit is due out.
I had this argument many times wih barclays and took it to the FOS who agreed with Barclays

mmmm this is where this is interesting. My Barclays branch is a clearing one if that makes sense so any money I put in on the day of the DD due out it automatically covers my DD's.


Like also I paid a bill with a cheque today and my statement shows as having paid out today even though the cheque hasn't cleared.......


mmmm hope I make sense will check tomorrow when the gin has worn off !!!

[Paule]

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My problem was that they would take the money out of the account on saturday for a payment on monday. My argument was that until monday I had the right to withdraw the money.