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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

to think halifax should be disgusted and ashamed of themselves??? rant

54 replies

cordonbleugh · 12/06/2009 20:51

so I probably am a bit, cos I should have managed my account slightly better but here goes.....

Today, I recieved a letter, kindly informing me that I had gone over my overdraft limit (I'm never out of my overdraft - its only £200 but I don't have £200 my benefits go in and then out again for bills/food etc).

They are charging me £35 for them allowing the payment ( direct debit £42 to tesco for food shopping), and £28 unauthorised overdraft fee.

How much did I go over my overdraft I hear you ask???

79p Thats seventy nine PENCE PENCE!!!!

yes, I should have been more carefull.

They can't wont reverse the charges because they've already done so in the past.

It's DD's birthday on the 29th of june, and I was going to struggle enough to buy her anything decent as it was.

I'm a single parent on benefits, and no, I haven't always been careful in the past, hence previous charges, but I learnt my lesson and have kept it all on track for age now.

feel free to come and tell me that it's my fault but god I'm so

OP posts:

policywonk · 12/06/2009 20:53

Aw no, that's shite. Can't believe they won't reverse it. Have you tried your local CAB? Or even your MP? They might think again if someone threatens a bit of press exposure?

FluffyBunnyGoneBad · 12/06/2009 20:54

That's pathetic. I'm with twatwest (sorry), I was once charged £38 and £28 at the end of the month for going £1.70 over my limit so I really do know how you feel. Thieving bastards!

Original poster

cordonbleugh · 12/06/2009 20:58

Hadn't thought of MP!! Thanks. Will try CAB on monday, after my dad goes into my local branch to tell them they're criminals lol

I thought I was doing really well budgeting and gettin all my bills paid etc. And to be honest, I am, I'm only young, I was never taught how to handle stuff like this before I moved into my own place, but I've been doing really well.

And now this. 79 bloody pence. grrrr

OP posts:

Alambil · 12/06/2009 21:01

see if you can get a programme for the pc called Quicken - you put your starting balance in it and then every single transaction you do and it keeps track of your money better than if you just keep checking the atm because they're never 100% up to date with your account. I've found it really helpful

good luck getting the money back - you could always see what martin lewis says on moneysavingexpert site

Original poster

cordonbleugh · 12/06/2009 21:01

Thanks Fluffy. £65 could buy my DD something really nice that's what I'm most pissed off about.

On the other hand, she'll get loads of stuff from other people and she doesn't really need anything.

Today was going so well but hey, It's the weekend, and I can't do anything now until monday.

OP posts:

Original poster

cordonbleugh · 12/06/2009 21:03

Thanks Lewis, I check my account online nearly everyday, turns out the one day I don't, I go over!!

OP posts:

Alambil · 12/06/2009 21:04

I'm in the same boat, cordon - I know the feeling about birthday pressies

Take heart though - the kids REALLY don't mind... honestly, they don't

policywonk · 12/06/2009 21:05

Good idea to go into the branch, but is your dad the type to go in all guns blazing? Would be better to remain very, very polite - more chance of getting your money back. Might be even better if you went in yourself and emphasised the young single parent doing her best to budget bit - take in evidence of your budgeting, lay it on thick

FluffyBunnyGoneBad · 12/06/2009 21:06

They don't seem to realise that this is half of what some people on benefits get every week so they really are taking the food from children. Bastards!

lostinthecitylover · 12/06/2009 21:08

I am with Halifax too and though don't have an overdraft they have done similar. It stinks because as you say every penny counts.

Used to be with Nat West and then the co-op who actually closed my account for similar.

They are thieving bastards and it just can't be right.

poorbuthappy · 12/06/2009 21:15

Now I might be completely wrong here, but I think there's something somewhere which states that the banks can not take benefits to pay debts, and that might also include extortionate bank charges.

Have a search on the forums on consumer action group website ( be prepared to trawl as there is a huge amount of information on there) and see what you can find.

If I'm wrong and you don't find anything I am sorry!!!!!!!!
Good luck

Confuzzeled · 12/06/2009 21:23

I too am with the Halifax and have been caught out with small amounts resulting in huge fines.

Once when I was a student my Mum put cash in my account and called to tell me. I then went out and did some shopping with my card only to find the cash hadn't gone into my account straight away. The bank said my Mum should have asked for it to go in straight away. I was charged nearly £300 for transactions worth less than £100.

The banks are currently being dragged through the courts over charges and it looks like they will loose. So in all probability you'll get your money back at some point later this year, not that it helps now.

Original poster

cordonbleugh · 12/06/2009 21:26

Thanks everyone for your advice - will have a look at that website tomorrow poorbuthappy

Thanks Lewis - I know she won't even realise, it's just depressing to think that I won't be able to spoil her (PFB lol).

If it was a large amount over, and I'd been spending frivolously, I'd not be so angry.

Am logging off now cos I've got work in the morning but will be back tomorrow.

Thanks again

OP posts:

LeonieSoSleepy · 12/06/2009 21:30

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

AitchTwoOh · 12/06/2009 21:31

actually i have been caught out by the halifax also, when dd came prematurely i wasn't in a position to move money around etc and things bounced left right and centre, costing us hundreds. they would not take the charges off because they'd taken one charge off for us some years ago. even the manager of the branch (where we went immediately proferring our tiny baby as proof) said there was nothing he could do, it's policy not to reverse more than one charge per account, ever. they are out and out hateful bastards. but if it's your first time, cordon, you might have a shot. good luck.

LeonieSoSleepy · 12/06/2009 21:32

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

AAE · 12/06/2009 21:34

Hi - I had exactly the same with Halifax - all over a couple of pound but was a previous offender for the same issue etc. I asked to be put through to customer complaints which is a different place etc and the very nice lady saw my point and reversed it there and then.

AitchTwoOh · 12/06/2009 21:49

i thought they'd closed that down, leonie, waiting for a legal judgement or somthing.? good news for us if not.

FluffyBunnyGoneBad · 12/06/2009 21:51

They have been waiting for a very long time for that judgment! Someone wankers have been stalling!

Penthesileia · 12/06/2009 21:57

Halifax tried to do this to me recently.

I went into the branch and kicked up a stink. They reversed 2 charges on the spot, but the branch manager claimed not to be able to do any more.

Not good enough, said I. So he had to write a letter on my behalf to Customer Complaints, indicating that I was severely pissed off at being charged £168 for going over my OD.

They refunded me.

Do not allow them to do this.

Kick up big fuss. Threaten to move accounts.

At the very least, even if they do nothing, you should be able to get a new account, and some offer introductory perks.

eskimum · 12/06/2009 21:58

Hi Cordonleugh

I recently ran up £600 of bank charges over 2 weeks with Halifax, and they gave it back (after a bit of a fight!), so take heart you might get yours back.

(Not really that bad with money honestly , was due to pc problmes so not checking account online as I normally do and a really busy month where I didn't open any post hence didn't see the letters saying another £35 everytime I bought anything - won't do that again!).

We got it back by going into our Halifax branch and basically arguing with them (politely, although DP got to raising his voice at one point) until they agreed to refund it to us. We were there nearly an hour and I think they realised we weren't going to go until we had what we wanted. We also had DS age 3 with us who, after an hour of boredom, was wrecking the joint and screaming his head off. So that may have helped thier decision to give in .

My advice - take your Dad with you and just keep arguing your case - like someone else said taking evidence of how you try to budget etc might help. Good luck.

FinancialNamechange · 12/06/2009 22:05

DP left Halifax for this very reason, they had no patience or understanding for extenuating circumstances. It was something along the lines of some standing orders going out when there should have been ample money there to pay them, but his work's computer systems going nuts and cocking up the day on which his wages were paid or something equally ridiculous. They charged £35 per item even though the money was in the account the following day and would not cancel the charges.

They then cancelled his current account, claiming that he wasn't managing his money properly and changed him to something akin to a student account, including telling him he was only allowed an Electron card, which isn't accepted in many places.

He told them to shove it and joined Abbey instead, who have always been much better.

Halifax are a frickin nightmare.

policywonk · 13/06/2009 09:41

Are Halifax the worst for this then? We can't move our account, we have a vast overdraft

Anyway cordon, in the hope it might cheer you up, here's my worst Halifax charge story: shopping for stocking fillers for the DCs a couple of Christmases ago, went into Early Learning Centre, spied a packet of pretend money for DS2's pretend till, didn't have enough cash so stuck it on the card...
and got the dreaded letter a couple of days later. So a packet of pretend money costing about £2.99 cost me about £60

BlackLetterDay · 13/06/2009 09:52

I hate Halifax, ran up so many charges with them, they have a stupid stupid online banking system designed to catch you out. I used to check my acct at say 5pm, all well and good, in credit. Would check the next day and a payment would have gone out at something stupid like 11.59pm the previous day, so I would have gone overdrawn, even though funds went in the next day to cover it grrrr.

Barclays are ok, if you refuse the stupid personal reserve they actually give you a free £15 buffer zone and only charge £8 for going overdrawn/refused dd, still crap but a lot less scary than £35.

Wallace · 13/06/2009 10:11

I have this with HBoS too.

I had money coming out of one account and but had money going into another on the same day (both happen at midnight)

So first thing in hte morning (before 7) I transferred money to cover the payment, but still got charged

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