# I accidentally went ?5 overdrawn...



## katie (Nov 2, 2010)

By topping up my phone  And now Ive been charged ?57 

because the bank charges however much a day.

This is ridiculous  Does anyone know if I can get it back? I really can't afford this.


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## Jennywren (Nov 2, 2010)

Katie , i didnt think they were allowed to do that anymore ! take a look at this link and enter bank charges Martin Lewis is great and sos the website .

http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/


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## Steff (Nov 2, 2010)

Oh my god ?57 what bank are you with if you dont mind me asking? jenny is right i also remember a case of a man who claimed back all his charges in court.I kow the bank im with charges ?5 a day if you go overdrawn.


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## Northerner (Nov 2, 2010)

If you haven't done it before it's worth ringing them up and ask ing them to waive the charges as it's entirely disproportionate to charge that for a ?5 oversight.


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## Steff (Nov 2, 2010)

Northerner said:


> If you haven't done it before it's worth ringing them up and ask ing them to waive the charges as it's entirely disproportionate to charge that for a ?5 oversight.



Yup to right, once i went ?2 into the red and i was charged ?35 i rang them up and of course they would not budge, o/h said i should of froze the account and went to another bank


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## ukjohn (Nov 2, 2010)

katie said:


> By topping up my phone  And now Ive been charged ?57
> 
> because the bank charges however much a day.
> 
> This is ridiculous  Does anyone know if I can get it back? I really can't afford this.



Katie.
Tell them if they don't refund you the charges, that you will take your overdraft somewhere else  I think the charge is silly, I would only charge you ?15 on that amount  I've always been generous


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## Twitchy (Nov 2, 2010)

Ouch, that's ridiculous!!  Best of luck with the bank Katie - hope they see sense & decide to keep your custom rather than risk you leaving if they charge that disproportionate fee!  Good luck!


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## shiv (Nov 2, 2010)

Which bank is it with? If it's the first time you've gone overdrawn, definitely request they waive the charges for you. They do have the ability to do it - when I worked for RBS/Natwest I could personally waive up to ?150 of charges in one go (any more and the managers had to clear it).


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## margie (Nov 2, 2010)

Katie - I hope you can get the bank to be lenient. Sometimes they can be a bit crazy.


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## rossi_mac (Nov 2, 2010)

Defo worth a shot at asking nicely first then look at other routes.

Good luck, a lot of pintage in 57!!

Rossi


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## Ellie Jones (Nov 2, 2010)

I would give them a phone, ask them to wavier it...

If it sounds like they aren't going to budge, I would be very tempted to pull a diabetic card...

Say something like it was an oversight, but you really needed to have your phone operational incase of a diabetic emergency so that you could an emergency phone call...  If they say, but 999 works without credit, act suprised and say I didn't know that does it!!

I don't normally suggest using diabetes as an excuse but just sometime..


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## SilentAssassin1642 (Nov 2, 2010)

katie

unfortunately banks can do this. It's clearly in the T&C's so is explained somewhere. If you want to avoid any charges, and go overdrawn make sure you get any money in your account by 2.30 the same working day and you'll avoid charges.

What bank are you with? If you want to discuss charges and get them wavered you'd need to talk to their lending departments - they're really good, and understand if its just a one off 

I get a lot of people phoning up about the same sorts of thing.

lots of love
your favourite banking guru.


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## SilentAssassin1642 (Nov 2, 2010)

Ellie Jones said:


> I would give them a phone, ask them to wavier it...
> 
> If it sounds like they aren't going to budge, I would be very tempted to pull a diabetic card...
> 
> ...



Ellie, you can't pull the diabetic card with a bank, I've tried it. Unless you are listed on their records as disabled, they won't do it. 

If katie explains it was an accident, and if she's always been in good credit with the bank, never been overdrawn then they will happily waver it as a good faith thing. 

Katie, do you not have an overdraft you can use? Would save you getting any of these extortionate charges in the future. By the sounds of your charge it seems as if you were in the OD for a couple of days


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## SilentAssassin1642 (Nov 2, 2010)

shiv said:


> Which bank is it with? If it's the first time you've gone overdrawn, definitely request they waive the charges for you. They do have the ability to do it - when I worked for RBS/Natwest I could personally waive up to ?150 of charges in one go (any more and the managers had to clear it).



THIS!

Most of the time they can waive it  I don't have the power to do that myself, often have to send them off to lending or collections (SHIV!) in the worst case scenarios


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## FM001 (Nov 3, 2010)

katie said:


> By topping up my phone  And now Ive been charged ?57
> 
> because the bank charges however much a day.
> 
> This is ridiculous  Does anyone know if I can get it back? I really can't afford this.





It's always worth a phone call Katie, depending upon time with bank and frequency of going overdrawn they can cancel the charges, so a cheap phone call could save you ?57.  Not sure if this is the case, but if the bank is local to you pop in and ask to speak with a customer service rep, they have the authority to refund bank charges also.


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## katie (Nov 3, 2010)

Thanks for all you replies.

It was Lloyds TSB, the barstewards!

My mum has told me to go down to the bank in person and cry (which would totally happen naturally because I'm sill like that )

I can't go till friday though so I will try calling them tomorrow 

I know they are allowed to charge, but this charge is ridiculously disproportionate and either Vodafone or the bank should not have let the transaction go through in the first place!!!


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## margie (Nov 3, 2010)

Hi Katie

Read this 
http://www.lloydstsb.com/current_accounts/changes_to_our_accounts.asp

it says from the 2nd of December there will be a ?10 overdraft buffer - maybe you could use that in your discussions.

I had an issue with their card services - the card had gone into collection and they had charged me ?12. I normally pay the whole thing off and that month there was a strike and I didn't get the bill. The collection people were horrible and continued to call even though I had been to the bank and paid, after their third call and being told my card had been stopped I rang customer services. I also wrote and complained. I got the ?12 back and a recovery - apparently they had just changed systems and the fact that I normally paid without fail had gone unnoticed.  It did get me really stressed and I had to double my insulin and even then it was having little effect.


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## katie (Nov 3, 2010)

margie said:


> Hi Katie
> 
> Read this
> http://www.lloydstsb.com/current_accounts/changes_to_our_accounts.asp
> ...



Trust me to be a month early and miss out big time 

What happens when these debts go to collection? gah I'm scared, let's just say I have other issues with HSBC  Where to go next...


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## katie (Nov 3, 2010)

Urgh, I don't know if i'll be able to sleep tonight now, starting to panic about money


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## Steff (Nov 3, 2010)

katie said:


> Urgh, I don't know if i'll be able to sleep tonight now, starting to panic about money



Katie ive been like that for a month now hun, we get charged as well and funnily enough it was vodafone...I've found that one of my main stresses is  money and it never seems to go away


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## katie (Nov 3, 2010)

Steffie said:


> Katie ive been like that for a month now hun, we get charged as well and funnily enough it was vodafone...I've found that one of my main stresses is  money and it never seems to go away



I'm always poor but usually manage to forget about it and not let it worry me, but it's just hit me now and I'm getting worried because I don't have a full time job


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## SilentAssassin1642 (Nov 3, 2010)

katie said:


> Thanks for all you replies.
> 
> It was Lloyds TSB, the barstewards!
> 
> ...



katie was it a direct debit or a POS that made you go OD?


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## SilentAssassin1642 (Nov 3, 2010)

p.s. i'm with lloyds too (shh don't tell work) and always find them really helpful  Phone up phonebank and explain the situation and I'm sure they'll get it sorted out.


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## katie (Nov 3, 2010)

SilentAssassin1642 said:


> katie was it a direct debit or a POS that made you go OD?





SilentAssassin1642 said:


> p.s. i'm with lloyds too (shh don't tell work) and always find them really helpful  Phone up phonebank and explain the situation and I'm sure they'll get it sorted out.



Sorry dont know what POS means  it was where u phone up vodafone and type your bank casrd numbers in!

Great, I will call in the morning then


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## rossi_mac (Nov 3, 2010)

It could be point of sale, i.e. you paid your card to some dude/dudette at a till... 

Good luck Katie


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## SilentAssassin1642 (Nov 3, 2010)

katie said:


> Sorry dont know what POS means  it was where u phone up vodafone and type your bank casrd numbers in!
> 
> Great, I will call in the morning then



point of sale, i.e. using your card to buy stuff 

Really they shouldn't have let you go overdrawn. Nor should they charge you that much. Robbing bumheads.


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## margie (Nov 3, 2010)

Oh Katie I wasn't trying to scare you. 

What stressed me with the card situation was they kept ringing - even when on the 1st call I said I was going to the bank and on the second call I had been to the bank, because the payment hadn't been processed they kept ringing. Its a form of harassment really as they keep calling (this was a US call centre) until you pay. I could have used my debit card over the phone but decided it was safer to go into the bank.

I can't see you going into recovery with lloyds. Its not in there interest. 

I hope everything gets sorted tomorrow.
If you are having general banking issues maybe Martin (or is it Martyn) Lewis' web-site may be of some assistance - or try the CAB.


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## katie (Nov 3, 2010)

No worries margie. The thing i'm actually worried about is my HSBC account that ive been ignoring. I ignored calls for 2 weeks and now theyve stopped   That's a whole other issue, and much bigger one :/ I think they've handed it over to debt collections, but not sure how that all works *scared".


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## SilentAssassin1642 (Nov 3, 2010)

katie said:


> No worries margie. The thing i'm actually worried about is my HSBC account that ive been ignoring. I ignored calls for 2 weeks and now theyve stopped   That's a whole other issue, and much bigger one :/ I think they've handed it over to debt collections, but not sure how that all works *scared".



if they'd done that surely you would have recieved a letter?

Also, if things are that bad with them then I would get in contact with them asap because stuff like that ruins your credit rating


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## shiv (Nov 3, 2010)

katie, I used to work for the debt collector people (well, probably the people who have been calling you). What you need to do is get in touch with them - otherwise this could end up affecting your credit rating etc. It's not a pretty thing to do (finances in general) but it might be better to get it all sorted out rather than ignore it.

What's up with your HSBC account? Is it that you've got an overdraft on it but haven't paid anything into it for ages? (that's an easy one to fix btw). Banks have rules on dormancy - ie how long you can go without paying anything into the overdraft. I think the general rule is 3 months but student accounts are much longer than this (or it might be monthly and student accounts are 3 months. hmmm.)


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## SilentAssassin1642 (Nov 3, 2010)

shiv said:


> katie, I used to work for the debt collector people (well, probably the people who have been calling you). What you need to do is get in touch with them - otherwise this could end up affecting your credit rating etc. It's not a pretty thing to do (finances in general) but it might be better to get it all sorted out rather than ignore it.
> 
> What's up with your HSBC account? Is it that you've got an overdraft on it but haven't paid anything into it for ages? (that's an easy one to fix btw). Banks have rules on dormancy - ie how long you can go without paying anything into the overdraft. I think the general rule is 3 months but student accounts are much longer than this (or it might be monthly and student accounts are 3 months. hmmm.)



*nods* I speak to alot of people who have to go through to Shiv's old lot. Some are just...silly people and others are genuinely lovely. But definitely best to not ignore it 

Dormany rules have gone to three months I think Shiv, students much longer  unless its an ISA, which is a year I think


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## Ellie Jones (Nov 3, 2010)

Katie

As to your other problem, don't be scared yes it will need sorting, if it's gone to collection they will either try to phone to arrange payment or send you a letter stating how much is owed they will likely also give a second lower figure if you can find all within xxx amount of days...

To a certain extent it's better to get the letter has this give's all their contact details etc, take this to your local CAB with you and get their help with the matter...

As you will need to get the bank/collectors to freeze the interest on the sum of money other wise this will increase what you pay back making it a lot harder to clear...

CAB, will help you write the necessary letter to request interest is frozen, also the will be able to go through your living costs and help you work out a reasonable realistic amount to pay back on a monthly bases...

Debt collections departments in general if delt with right (hence the help of CAB) are pretty reasonable...


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## shiv (Nov 4, 2010)

Interest can't be frozen until it is passed over to recoveries - aka the step before they look to send out bailiffs, repossess things, etc. Trust me on that one, having worked in a collections department - even if the CAB write to the bank, they do not by rights have to freeze interest.

If you go into an arrangement with the bank (ie if you have a loan or a standard overdraft that has fallen behind, gone overdrawn, etc) you can go through the CAB to get help with sorting out exactly what money you have coming in and going out. They can also arrange to make ultra low payments, eg ?1 a month for x amount of months (this is worst case scenario though). Whoever you speak to on the phone in a collections department will also go through your income and outgoings, to see if you can make an arrangement with them to pay off x amount per month.

If you've got an overdraft that's gone dormant (ie you haven't paid anything into it for a while) they will threaten that you will have to pay it all back etc - actually, all you need to do is make a payment of any amount into the account, and it will trigger it back into 'safe' mode, so to speak! That's why I have a standing order set up from my main account to my old student overdraft for ?5 a month - but you can just do it for like, ?1 or so. The system just needs to make a payment and the account will come out of collections and back over to your regular bank.


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## katie (Nov 4, 2010)

Thanks for all the info guys. I will read it all properly tomorrow and reply when I'm less tired


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## rossi_mac (Nov 4, 2010)

Hope you manage to sort these issue out Katie. I don't know much about it, but when you have debts to pay if you are showing good faith by paying amounts regularly even if small I have heard it is very difficult for them to do much as you are trying. Also some people move credit cards around to keep the 0% balance deals, is there anyway you can open a new account agree an overdraft and then use it to close to other biggie HSBC??

Good luck 

Rossi


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## katie (Nov 4, 2010)

Whoop. Phoned up and the lady said straight aay that she'd refund it.  Then she said there's another ?70 charge due for December  (which was actually for the ?5!!) so she's cancelled that too.  I must have been over by about ?2 before because I'm sure I have never been over by much :roll eyes:

The other account that is in a mess is HSBC and it's a student overdraft that I haven't been paying back.  I will phone them later too 

Thanks for all your help you little legends xx


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## Steff (Nov 4, 2010)

katie said:


> Whoop. Phoned up and the lady said straight aay that she'd refund it.  Then she said there's another ?70 charge due for December  (which was actually for the ?5!!) so she's cancelled that too.  I must have been over by about ?2 before because I'm sure I have never been over by much :roll eyes:
> 
> The other account that is in a mess is HSBC and it's a student overdraft that I haven't been paying back.  I will phone them later too
> 
> Thanks for all your help you little legends xx


phew pleased she cancelled it hun xx


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## katie (Nov 4, 2010)

Thanks Steff 

Have news about the other account too but again i'm tooo tired to type lol, didn't get much sleep last night and had to be up early and walk miles.  Think I need a nap


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## Andy HB (Nov 4, 2010)

That's good news. 

I must admit that I have a hazy memory when I worked in IT at HSBC that they used to have an 'overdrawn threshold' (my term!) to avoid situations where someone went overdrawn for a few quid only for a day or two. That used to stop people getting hammered! I guess that they must have withdrawn that facility since I left?

Andy


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## katie (Nov 4, 2010)

Andy, it was Lloyds who were giving me the charges  HSBC is a whole other issue 

So basicially my HSBC overdraft has been handed over to a collections agency.  I hadn't been recieving my post from HSBC because my parents moved whilst I was in Australia.  It happened last month.  I'm such an idiot! Shouldn't have burried my head in the sand.  I have agreed to pay ?50 a month which I'm not even sure i can make but I will deffinitely phone them in advance if I can't!!

Didn't have the heart to tell my mum about HSBC when I phoned her to tell her about getting the charges back


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## Old Holborn (Nov 5, 2010)

katie said:


> By topping up my phone
> 
> And now Ive been charged ?57
> 
> ...


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## katie (Nov 5, 2010)

It could be worse then 

Who would have thought my job involved reconciling bank accounts  haha!


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