Writing a letter to my Bank Manager - Help

[taz999]

Hi,

I have had my current account with Halifax for about 16 years now. I feel that I have managed it well. So well that I never felt the need to have an overdraft facility.

And then a couple of weeks I went overdrawn to the tune of....wait for it....£7.50 A transfer from another account took longer than usual, as a result I went overdrawn (for 2 days) for the 1st time.

Lo and behold I get a letter informing me that I will be hit with a £30 quid charge. OK, you might think, strictly speaking I aint got a leg to stand on: the bank charges are listed in that small leaflet we never read, I was overdrawn with no overdraft in place. Take the fine, shut up Taz and learn from it is one way of looking at it.

The other is: does not customer loyalty and a previously well managed account mean nothing to these money grabbing b&*%^*s?

Obviously I would like the 30 quid back. Admittedly I wont starve if it is not reimbursed, but it's the principle of the matter which is important here.

I have drafted a letter to the Manager trying to impress upon him a few of the points above in an attempt to get him (the bank) to reverse their decision.

I am sure that there are people out there who are capable of expressing my views in a more articulate but succinct manner than myself. What would be nice would a few lines added to my own which would make the Manager cringe with embarrassment and make him feel dirty and ashamed that he ever sent me the letter in the first place. Or would that be too much to ask from these faceless and heartless gits

Snippets of letters that have worked for yourselves if you have been in a similar situation would be helpful.

Any advice and thoughts would be appreciated.

Take care,

Taz

 

[securespark]

So where is it???

I think you've done a fairly good job so far from what you've said.

Here is a letter I wrote to NitWust when I went overdrawn by £00.11, and they charged me: It could have been written for you!!

Dear Mr Manager


A/c number 01234567890: Balance £00.11DR.


I am writing to you concerning the above account, and am asking you as a gesture of goodwill to waive the £40.00 charge you have levied on the account.
As you can see from my past financial history, I have never been overdrawn before, and cannot forsee this situation cropping up again.

A quick glance at average account levels and annual bank charges will reveal how much revenue my account has generated in the eight years since my account opened.
I have an impeccable credit rating, and I have been a good and loyal customer to your institution in those years- I hope it is not too much to ask you to repay this loyalty by waiving the charges on this occasion?

Yours etc.....


On receipt of this letter, my manager rang to say that he was very sorry but that rules were rules....I told him if he did not waive the charge, me and my "revenue-generating" balance would walk to another bank.....After two minutes on hold, he told me that his manager had authorised reinstatement of the £40.00 to my account.

Hurrah!

The thing about this kind of thing is that you don't get anything if you don't try..The worst they can say is no - you haven't lost anything trying (apart from your o.d. fee, of course!!)

 

[chainsaw_masochist]

Taz,

The example that Securespark sets out is a good one. Though they legally can charge for this "overdraft" if your credit history is as good as you describe your bank should not want to lose your custom so threatening moving to another bank is a wise move.

From a strictly legal point of view the Banking Code (revised in 1999) has a section under the fair conduct section which says "Banks and building societies should always act 'fairly and reasonably' in dealings with customers". It seems pretty clear (to me, at any rate) that they have not acted reasonably. What you could state in your letter is that if you were intending to ever go overdrawn (even though this has not happened previously), you would only do so obtaining the bank's agreement beforehand. It is only the slow speed of the transfer from the other account that caused this anomaly to occur.

Good luck.

 

[Panjandrum]

It might be worth either a phone call or a personal visit. I have known both to work. Their system is set up to charge automatically and my personal view is that they (1) are happy to take your money if you keep quiet and (2) are happy to refund the charge completely to make you feel like a valued customer - if you ask for a refund.
I would write only if the phone or visit didn't work. You need, of course, to be calm and courteous ...... which is difficult .... but for £30, worth it.
If you feel really strongly about the injustice of it all, do what is necessary to get the money back, then write your letter of complaint

 

[Igorian]

I agree with the personal approach. I have been with Halifax for a similar length of time and have had letters of the same ilk. I have never known them not to refund the charges for accounts that are generally well kept.

 

[pipme]

Was the a/c overdrawn beyond an agreed overdraft limit or just by the £7.50 ?
My Halifax a/c has £1k overdraft limit without notification built in .. Don't they all have this ?

 

[AdamW]

Only £1K? I'm still on my "graduate" account: £1500 interest-free overdraft, can go over that limit without too much interest (not sure when they start levying fines though).

 

[pipme]

Only £1K? I'm still on my "graduate" account: £1500 interest-free overdraft, can go over that limit without too much interest (not sure when they start levying fines though).

Only one problem -- has to be repaid sooner or later -- low inflation not helping either, loans not shedding value very quickly !!
Never had a loan 'cept mortgage since 1978 !! Cash is king ! Get nae interest here laddies.

 

[david and julie]

Don't even bother writing, phone them up and tell them you will close the account if they don't drop the charge. At the same time tell them you want a free agreed overdraft limit in case it happens again by mistake. Banks back down on these charges almost instantly, unless you are alway's doing it. You may even get a letter apologising.

We once took out a business loan with Nat West and the bank manager said we charge 12% for small businesses, to which we replied, we only pay 9%, he backed down instantly and gave it us for 9%.

To many people are intimidated by banks and they shouldn't be, this is why their profits are obscene.

 

[Diyisfun]

Just telephone..They want your business....charges are all automated...You will get an apology as well...No need to be stroppy, aggressive or even threaten

 

[securespark]

It's very good to use the phone for quick contact and an instant response, but I feel backing it up in writing is sensible: a conversation can be denied, but a letter cannot.

 

[2scoops0406]

2.5K interest free O/D yes give 'em what for, more than likely they'll refunfd the charges.