Bloody Banks

[Bailes1992]

I have a Club Lloyds bank account. I get some free cinema tickets a year and 4% interest. The interest is a bit of a waste of time. Every week when I get paid direct debits move money around automatically between a few different accounts for the house, phone, car, savings etc. That means there's never more than a few hundred quid in there at the time which is my 'living money' each week. My 'living money' which is for diesel and grub basically.

It should cost £5/month or free if you debit over £1500 a month.

When I took the account out it was hit or miss whether or not I would actually hit the £1500/month so I set up two direct debits of £500/month to go back and fore my savings account on the same day to ensure I clear the £1500/month.

These days I clear the £1500/month with ease but never got rid of the DD.

I moved some money about, bought some shares, acquired an Astra and bought a load of Christmas prezzies meaning there wasn't £500 in my savings account.

Now the bank wants to fine me £10 for each of the failed direct debits. The direct debits where I was paying myself. £20 for f*ck all.

Without a doubt my fault for not keeping an eye on it but absolutely scandalous. I didn't even know they could do it!

I can see a few angry phone calls and some threats to leave when they open in the morning unless they waive the fines.

[PeterN]

You can't trust banks, or many other businesses come to that. Threatening to take you business elswhere is probably the most effective attack.

They have just closed the branch of HSBC (Midland) in Axminster which is already 7 miles from us, we now have to got to Honiton or Bridport which are nearly 15 miles away. Fortunately I do most of our banking online but that doesn't help if you want to pay a cheque in. For private accounts cheques can be paid into the Post Office but not business cheques which our son gets paid so he is expected to make a 30 mile round trip to pay his cheques in, I think he has threatened to take his overdraft somewhere else.

We have been with the Midland bank since 1958, loyalty seems to count for nothing nowadays.

Peter

[Welly]

I find it works against you if you ring them up with an attitude, call them with a "sorry I've made a mistake here and wondered if you can help" will get a far more lenient response I think.

My advice is chargeable, you signed up to this in 2009, please credit my account with £19.99 my 11:59pm today to avoid further charges.

[OllieNZ]

I find it works against you if you ring them up with an attitude, call them with a "sorry I've made a mistake here and wondered if you can help" will get a far more lenient response I think.

+1 We've had a similar issue in the past and a bit of a sob story and a sorry I'll be more careful in future resolved the issue and got the charges reversed.