Should i complain?

[saltire]

Just wondering if its worth my while complaining to my bank about the following situation.

I have two current (cheque) accounts. One is in my own name, and the other is the joint account. Back in the beginning of december, i used my account to buy something costing £97 from Amazon. At the time i hadn't been notified that the account was overdarawn, but the Bank still authorised the payment, and charged me £20 for being overdrawn, and £30 for them authorising the payment.
Then on the 19th December, i went to pay £22 fromt the joint account for petrol and the card kept coming up as being declined. The snotty woman in the Esso garage told me they didn't take cheques. By this time a big queue of people had formed, i told her i was going to have get money from my hubby. She followed me outside and stood over me while i was getting the money from him.
When i got back home i phoned the bank. They told me that the account was £18 off going overdrawn, and even though there was £600 pounds worth of cheques due to clear the next day, they had decided not to pay out!
The bank then called me two days before Christmas and told me i had to pay £200 into my own account immediately, or they would cancel the overdraft on the joint account. Despite telling them i didn't have 200 pounds they insited. I eventually persuaded them to let me pay the money in on the 31st, when my hubby got paid.
Now whilst i realise that it was my fault that i had gone overdrawn and not realised, i still feel that the bank were out of order processing a switch payment of £97, even though the account was alread £50 overdrawn, but the same bank wouldn't let me go £4.00 overdrawn on another account, even though there was money showing up on the balance.
I want to complain, not because i want the charges paid back, but because i feel it was wrong. Would be really interested to know what others thinks.
Sorry its long and waffles a bit.

They're probably well within their rights - when they pull out the small print, they always seem to have an answer for everything That said, I've never paid bank charges, I've always rung up and had a bit of a moan, and so far they've refunded them every time.

I am afraid that I think Laura is prob right - check your bank?s policy on honouring payments and unauthorised overdraft conditions. Some banks offer a buffer zone type unauthorised OD - where they charge you through the nose for going over your pre agrred limit but as long as it is only by a certain amount then they will honour it. A lot of the decisions made are electronic ones with amounts and figures being black and white. Still, yours do seem rather contradictory and worth chasing them for an answer.
I think you should make an appt with your bank and go and speak to them about it all. If you do find yourself getting a little close to the limit now and again, it might be appropriate and peace of mind to organise an agreed overdraft limit. Another option would be to organise internet banking, if your nak offer it, as it gives you instant access to your account so that you can check your balance, what has cleared etc at any time of the night or day.
My DH has very erratic pay thanks tot eh nature of being self employed and working for companies all over the world. We frequently find we are owed large amounts of money but haven?t enough to pay the petrol for two days. Recently a promised payment took three months to arrve - very stressful. As a result, we have a large prearranged OD facility on our business account to take away this stress factor. It does cost us a fair bit of money but has also saved our bacon more than once.

The bank has a buffer zone of £20 over the overdraft limit before charges are incurred. So buy pying the petrol i would have gone only £4.00 overdrawn, which they declined. By paying Amazon i went £97 pounds overdrawn, wich they authorised!