More Abbey Shat Woes
A few years ago I got into minor difficulties with Abbey. Being a sensible sort I went down to the branch to see what could be done.
"Well Mr X5, you'll need to make a payment of £120 immediately to bring your account back in line."
"Not an immense problem," says I, "my next monthly salary will be credited on the 26th, approximately £950."
"Ah," says the fat tart on the customer services desk. "you'll need to pay it by the end of the day on the 25th I am afraid."
"But I cannot make this payment," says I, "until the following day."
"In that case you will be charged an additional £35 unauthorised overdraft fee on top of the £50 you have already been charged for being £70 overdrawn."
"Not fair," I cry. "It shouldn't have let me go overdrawn in the first place, seeing as I have an Electron card - which I wanted to avoid this happening!!"
"Well," says fat tart, "We shall now take away your Electron card and give you a cash card instead."
"what would happen," I rejoin, "if I lost my job now?"
"Well," she says. "You would not be able to use your account and you would need to pay us an affordable monthly amount."
"Brilliant: I am unemployed and am not expecting any more salary payments."
"You said you were expecting £950?"
"Oh silly me, I meant that the new account I am about to set up at another bank is expecting £950."

Closed the account and they froze the charges. I then proceeded to pay the £70 back at the rate of a pound a week. Abbey now send me a statement every month showing that I have a penny in the account. I can't withdraw it because they "don't handle coppers", and they can't transfer it out unless I pay a "small transaction fee".

And if they had waited not twelve hours, they would have had my charges and my continued custom. Abbey's rules are, to say the least, a little daft.
(MightyX5 living on a small island on, Tue 21 Jul 2009, 10:48, 2 replies)

I love this
This is exactly why it pays to know how your banks processes work - you can then use them to your advantage :-)
(bblgoose, Tue 21 Jul 2009, 12:26, closed)

My flatmate
Gets charged £35 a month for going overdrawn, and every month rings up and says "Can you refund this charge please, I have not been overdrawn before". They are so understaffed they never check, they just refund it.
If you can get hold of the number for your local branch, it's a definite win
(MightyX5 living on a small island on, Tue 21 Jul 2009, 12:50, closed)