HELP! Abbey National

Paul · 16-07-2007, 14:30

What a useless bunch of incompetent s***es. Couple of months ago our account was subject to several fraudulent transactions that escaped Abbeys' notice. Including one attempt to purchase Ã‚Â£815 worth of PC equipment in another country which the online company had noticed a problem with and put the money back into our acocunt 2 days later.
Upon seeing this on our statement we called Abbey but thanks to it being the weekend they were not taking calls so we had to go to Lakeside to visit the branch. We showed the person there the printed statements and she checked her systems and agreed that there was transactions occuring which were fraudulent so we filled all the forms in and she sent them off and we also rang the Abbey Fraud department to confirm everything.
Several weeks later we were contacted and told the money was being put back into our account and that they were also placing the Ã‚Â£815 into our account for 3 days to make our interest back up.
Unfortunately on the 9th June Visa was due to take the Ã‚Â£815 back from our account to put our account back to it's original amount, at this point both they and Abbey failed to notice that they actually took the money twice in the same day.
Our account is now Ã‚Â£815 short, into it's overdraft and about to bounce our monthly direct debits which are due to go out. This will no doubt incur penalties and fees from the bank and from the people trying to take payments. Abbey are aware of this as we went back to Lakeside Saturday and spoke to them again but Elaine has just got off the phone to them and it could be another 48 hours before they call us back and anything from a week upwards before they put the money back. Basically they don't care.
How on earth can a bank be allowed to do this? We have no access to money from our main account, our DDs are about to start bouncing and Abbey don't care enough to call us back and admit to c*cking up. Even the girl at the branch could see the double withdrawal on the account.
Anyone know where we stand and if there is anyone we can complain to in order to try and get our money back BEFORE we incur Ã‚Â£100s in penalties? It's Rebeccas' wedding at the weekend and to be honest Chi is about to have a bl**dy breakdown

Shaun · 16-07-2007, 14:50

My advice to you would be to go to your nearest large "real" Abby and make a scene. Abbey are know for doing things in their own time (and their own "special" way).

When I worked there 6 years ago they were slow, underhand and sly, even with their staff. It took me a year to get them to remove a black mark from my credit file taht shouldn't have ever been there and they only did it when I complained to the Data Protection Ombudsman.

They didn't even write to say they'd done it.

When I worked there the best way to get the manager to do anything (not that they can do much it's all done by phone to the service centre) was to go in and make a scene so other customers could hear. I saw that trick work several times. Women in tears, men thumping desks and all because they couldn't be bothered to do stuff in a timely manner.

As for the charges - they'll be refunded eventually.

**Maggy J** · 16-07-2007, 15:47

Hey Paul talk to Bex.She gave up working for them because she hated working for them in the end...they made her injury much worse with their attitude.

Shaun · 16-07-2007, 17:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by Incognitas

Hey Paul talk to Bex.She gave up working for them because she hated working for them in the end...they made her injury much worse with their attitude.

They really are bad to work for

Wicked_and_Crazy · 16-07-2007, 17:25

You shouldnt incur any penalties. If the penalties are as a result of a DD cockup then the bank has to reimburse you

Paul · 16-07-2007, 18:28

Abbey know they have messed up, as far as I am concerned they have allowed money to be taken in error and they should put it back and then deal with Visa themselves afterwards. Trouble is Abbey don't want to take responsibility for this mess.

etccarmageddon · 16-07-2007, 18:44

I hope your stresses end as soon as possible. I'm with the nationwide and never had serious problems with them and when I have needed to get in touch the call centre is always open and the branch staff are competent.

greencreeper · 16-07-2007, 20:31

Letter arrives. Feels like a card. Not my name on the envelope but it is from Abbey and I bank with them. Lo and behold - a card for a basic account, with Abbey, in some woman's name. Possibly the previous tenant, though she does have several names

Phone Abbey - "You're not the account holder". Well no - clearly. My voice is a shade higher than your average bloke I'll admit. "We can't do anything because you're not the account holder" HELLO! FRAUD ALERT! Total impasse. So I took the card into the Commercial Street branch in Leeds. "You're not the account holder". What gave it away? The lack of a floral print dress maybe? No handbag possibly? "We can't do anything because you're not the account holder" Hmmm. Two weeks later, I receive a pin number for the card. I phone Abbey - same story again. "You're not the account holder". I've given up. I can only assume that, for reasons unknown, the previous tenant has managed to open an account with Abbey

Useless *******s, like you say

Good luck with sorting them out - might take time though

Shaun · 16-07-2007, 20:36

Just write on the envelope - no longer at this address - and post it back (without a stamp).

They'll soon get the message. They should ahve stopped the card and put a stop on the account till the customer goes in with ID for her new address but hay ho.

Wicked_and_Crazy · 16-07-2007, 21:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by etccarmageddon

I hope your stresses end as soon as possible. I'm with the nationwide and never had serious problems with them and when I have needed to get in touch the call centre is always open and the branch staff are competent.

I with Nationwide, i've had the worst nightmare ever with them when sorting a mortgage, taking 2 DD's in a month, adjusting the payments when the agreement was that theyre fixed. Then you talk to the call centre and you just wished they had a brain cell between them. Appart form that theyre pretty good

Paul, you should do what i did when had a problem like this, i complained to both parties and they both refunded the money

Paul · 17-07-2007, 12:16

Well, Chi has just got out of Abbey and the only thing they will do is extend the overdraft facility. Talk about take the P. All they offered was a leaflet about their complaints procedure and they just use the excuse that the whole situation is in the hands of the Fraud department and that they (Abbey) can do nothing. Looks like we are in the smelly stuff till our wages go in and by then DDs will be bouncing all over the place

superbiatch · 17-07-2007, 12:27

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paul

Well, Chi has just got out of Abbey and the only thing they will do is extend the overdraft facility. Talk about take the P. All they offered was a leaflet about their complaints procedure and they just use the excuse that the whole situation is in the hands of the Fraud department and that they (Abbey) can do nothing. Looks like we are in the smelly stuff till our wages go in and by then DDs will be bouncing all over the place

Hi Paul

I too suffered exactly the same experience as yours with Abbey. Make a complaint, this really did give them a good kick up the ars*

I got all the BS about fraud not communicating with any other dept but you'd think they'd speak to you considering its your account! It took many days of screaming, shouting and threatening to leave before i finally got a satisfactory outcome.

I've just opened an account with Halifax, and need to sort out a higher overdraft limit before i swap over - thats what i'd advise you to do. This has happened to me twice with Abbey and it will not be happening again.

Good luck!

Acathla · 17-07-2007, 12:50

Complain Complain Complain - http://www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk/

joglynne · 17-07-2007, 13:40

Paul you might find some posts of interest on this forum. http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/abbey-bank/

The sites a bit of a pain as you have to do a lot of scrolling down to get to the actual posts.

Jo.

Paul · 17-07-2007, 18:46

Well Chi has just posted this on another forum she uses:

Quote:

OK, so Abbey have extended our overdraft - it's just more debt at the end of the day, isn't it? I tried pointing out in the branch that they (Abbey) should be re-imbursing me, and then claiming the money back from Visa - 'it doesn't work that way' I was told!!!!
It is our problem though, we're still out of pocket, got a HUGE overdraft now and Ã‚Â£400 charges! I know it (hopefully) will be resolved eventually, but it's not nice in the meantime.