retired_jjdr1881

Not checking an account regularly when it is active and bills are coming out is incredibly stupid if you ask me.

Although the charges are harsh, if you kept on top of it like any responsible person would then it would never have happened.

retired_brose

or how about you check your statements on a regular basis and have more knowledge of your own financial status. That way having gone 19p overdrawn and then been fined once you could have made arrangements to put a bit of money in the account to make sure you wernt overdrawn again.
Why is it never the account holders fault when they do overdrawn, its no secret banks charge when you go overdrawn. if you make every effort to ensure you dont go overdrawn in the first place you will never have to pay any charges.

retired_margie

Thanks Henry_14 for your wise input to the dispute. I should get you to write a book about it. 19 pence overdrawn doesnt normally warrant a 350 pound charge, and the reason i didn't check it was because there was enough money in, bar 19 pence. so ill make sure i rummage under the sofa for that extra 20 pence next time, just to make you happy.

retired_frogchickie

did they not try and contact you when you went overdrawn?

retired_srujanach

He does have a point though. In these days of internet and phone banking it takes one minute to check your account so you have no real reason to not know what's going in and out of them.

retired_bemesel

I know I'd be sorely tempted to do so.

£350 for being 19p overdrawn. Bank should be hit with a big fat fine for this type of theft. </BLOCKQUOTE>

Definitely get in touch with the financial ombudsman about this.
I am sure you will get your money back.

retired_brose

the 19p overdrawn was a £38 charge (which is harsh but i suppose its a standard fee not relative to the ammount overdrawn). It could happen to anymore where you slightly misjudge your funds - fair enough. The £300 has come about becasue you havnt taken control of your own finances properly.
I think advising you to take more notice of your account is wise information since it would have saved you £260 in bank charges.

retired_kris10nicole

Why do people have this black and white mentality, that if you make a mistake (as mardy did in this case), that any punishment is then appropriate and proper?

yes he should have checked his account. Does that then automatically mean charged of £350+ immediately acceptable for this error? Why does it have to be one is right and one wrong? Why can't it be that Mardy was wrong for being careless, and that bank was also wrong for excessive cumulative charges?

retired_margie

Nah man no contact.

And look, to the people who keep telling me to check my bank account, why should I have to check when I spent about 2 hours before i went away sorting out what bills were owed over the summer, and made sure the right amount of money was available. yes 19p ffs. anyway that is not the point, kym has suggested i ring up citizens advice and see what they say, so am going to do this as well.

retired_princesspouty

I think they legally have to inform you of any charges, so that's one possibility.

Just go down to your bank and explain the situation to them. If they won't remove the charges out of decency, I presume you can move your account? If you have a student loan with them, then you can threaten to move that (I presume you can do that). You can threaten to write a letter to the student union... etc etc. Basically, if they won't do something out of courtesy, then threaten to be a pain in the ass.

Students are quite valuable to banks.