bastard bastard bastard bank. HSBC. refrained from using the C word - just.

[ThatVikRinA22]

i have an adult son with autism who recently took my bank card and pin and withdrew large sums of money, which has sent us into an unauthorised overdraft.

The HSBC have charged us over £200 in bank charges for this privilege.

It is going to cost over £800 to apply through the court of protection to take control of DS finances as he has no capacity with money, and as well as taking money from us he has got into masses of debt with pay day loan companies etc.

Tonight i rang the HSBC and explained the situation, and explained that the money was taken from our account without our knowledge or consent by our adult autistic son, that we have taken steps to prevent it happening again, and i asked if they could waive any of the charges given the circumstances.

they kept me on hold for ages. really. ages.
then said no.
tough.
pay up

I feel like taking out a bloody loan with another bank, just so i can pay the overdraft off and tell them to fuck off to the far side of fuck, the money grabbing, grasping, bastards.

why, do people just insist on piling on the misery? i dont know whether to laugh or cry to be honest.

Also I just learnt that some banks still "offer" chip-plus-signature cards which might be an option for you?

I say "offer" as apparently you may have to ask a bit persistently to get one - they want us to use the chip and pin ones - but with a signature check your son should not be able to use your card very easily?

Hi Vicar, so sorry about the bank but congratulations on passing your test.

You could try contacting Radio 4's Moneybox programme which goes out on Saturdays. Their people deal with a variety of financial institutions and circumstances on behalf of listeners - try giving it a go. You can email the programme team on [email protected]

www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006qjnv

Hope you get the charges sorted.

Get Guardian Money involved (Saturday back page). And your MP.

Vicar, I really hope you challenging them on this and that they sort it out humanely.

It sounds like you have had to have huge reserves of fortitude to parent your ds so successfully that this is his main glitch.

Your bank are bastards.

thanks again all - i will challenge them, feel a bit 'fussy' getting anyone else involved so will try it the quiet way first. I do feel exceptionally scatty that i didnt notice the cash disappearing, but tbh, i didnt check the bank much - i do now, i make a point of checking.

ill let you know how i get on. I do feel that these charges are a piss take. I felt that the lad on the phone was sympathetic to my plight but i think his hands were tied, although he checked twice, told me i had to pay, then asked if there was anything else he could help with....
errrrm.....
i asked him if he would like to adopt. he flapped then and didnt know what to say.
i said i would leave the HSBC as soon as humanly possible and he said that was my perogative.
too fucking right it is. and i will. cant while they have me by the metaphorical balls but i will.

Hi! Just wanted to add that HSBC is being extraordinarily obdurate in refusing to refund massive bank charges on my wife's account. She has difficulty managing money due to cognitive disability following a stroke and I care for her. HSBC know this full well and in the past under reasonable local management made due allowances. Modern day HSBC doesn't and charges her up to £150 a time for being overdrawn, even though the charges are normally the main cause of the overdraft. Her neuropsychologist has asked us to insist that they write to him. However they haven't and have just turned down our latest appeal against the charges giving us it appears no option but to go to the Financial Ombudsman. So yes vicar, it's a b' x 5 bank.

Just wondering whether b' bank HSBC is failing to comply with the Disability Equality Act. Ironically on its website it advises business about avoiding discrimination!

Been with HSBC since I was a teen but when there was a mix up last year which meant I was whacked with a massive charge because of a mistake with their internet banking system they refused to listen.

I decided to bank with someone else and then they spent an age trying to make me stay, apologising, waiving all charges. Complete reversal from the first couple of phone calls I'd had, where they basically told me to buggar off.

So keep at em and stand your ground, it may work.