Bank... field agent... charges

I received today a letter from a bank. I have an account with them with
an overdraft limit of 150 pounds and and overdraft of 150 pounds. I had
paid little or no attention to this account recently since the bank
concerned could get just about nothing right.

To paraphrase the letter, it said hand my cards back in 7 days or a
'field agent' would be sent round at a cost of 45 + VAT which *would be
debited to my account*.

This is strange, to my mind at least... the idea of a random charge
being added to my account by the bank on their whim of sending someone
around to collect a card. Especially on such a piffling overdraft.

Thoughts?

P.S. Advice about paying debts not wanted... I cleared the outstanding
amount by telephone this morning.

Axel

Re: Bank... field agent... charges

writes:

> To paraphrase the letter, it said hand my cards back in 7 days or a
> 'field agent' would be sent round at a cost of 45 + VAT which *would be
> debited to my account*.

And if there is nobody at home or nobody answers the door when the
field agent calls, would they make a further charge for subsequent
visits?

Re: Bank... field agent... charges

wrote:
> I received today a letter from a bank. I have an account with them with
> an overdraft limit of 150 pounds and and overdraft of 150 pounds. I had
> paid little or no attention to this account recently since the bank
> concerned could get just about nothing right.
>
> To paraphrase the letter, it said hand my cards back in 7 days or a
> 'field agent' would be sent round at a cost of 45 + VAT which *would be
> debited to my account*.
>
> This is strange, to my mind at least... the idea of a random charge
> being added to my account by the bank on their whim of sending someone
> around to collect a card. Especially on such a piffling overdraft.
>
> Thoughts?

Give them your new address - some small island off of Scotland - let
them know you will be in next Saturday afternoon around 3:00pm to meet
their "field agent". Tell them you would have handed the cards back to
the local branch but they closed it.

Re: Bank... field agent... charges

In article <>,
Graham Murray <> writes:
> writes:
>
> > To paraphrase the letter, it said hand my cards back in 7 days or a
> > 'field agent' would be sent round at a cost of 45 + VAT which *would be
> > debited to my account*.
>
> And if there is nobody at home or nobody answers the door when the
> field agent calls, would they make a further charge for subsequent
> visits?

They presumably leave a card which entitles you to visit a local branch and
be set upon by large blokes with baseball bats when it's convenient for you.
--
SAm.

Re: Bank... field agent... charges

At 12:31:50 on 01/06/2006, Colin Forrester delighted uk.finance by announcing:

> wrote:
> > I received today a letter from a bank. I have an account with them with
> > an overdraft limit of 150 pounds and and overdraft of 150 pounds. I had
> > paid little or no attention to this account recently since the bank
> > concerned could get just about nothing right.
> >
> > To paraphrase the letter, it said hand my cards back in 7 days or a
> > 'field agent' would be sent round at a cost of 45 + VAT which *would be
> > debited to my account*.
> >
> > This is strange, to my mind at least... the idea of a random charge
> > being added to my account by the bank on their whim of sending someone
> > around to collect a card. Especially on such a piffling overdraft.
> >
> > Thoughts?
>
> Give them your new address - some small island off of Scotland - let them
> know you will be in next Saturday afternoon around 3:00pm to meet their
> "field agent". Tell them you would have handed the cards back to the local
> branch but they closed it.

What if you'd already shredded them?

Re: Bank... field agent... charges

In message <kEzfg.261258$>,
writes
>I received today a letter from a bank. I have an account with them with
>an overdraft limit of 150 pounds and and overdraft of 150 pounds. I had
>paid little or no attention to this account recently since the bank
>concerned could get just about nothing right.
>
>To paraphrase the letter, it said hand my cards back in 7 days or a
>'field agent' would be sent round at a cost of 45 + VAT which *would be
>debited to my account*.
>
>This is strange, to my mind at least... the idea of a random charge
>being added to my account by the bank on their whim of sending someone
>around to collect a card. Especially on such a piffling overdraft.
>
>Thoughts?
>
>P.S. Advice about paying debts not wanted... I cleared the outstanding
>amount by telephone this morning.
>
>Axel

My only thought is that creditors often send letters threatening visits
to people's homes or work. Its the one thing guaranteed to get them
worried enough to comply. They rarely send anyone though.

After months of refusing to pay a bill I didn't owe I was also
threatened with such a visit. I turned up at their head office (it
wasn't far from me) and insisted on speaking to the person who wrote me
the letter, saying that I wouldn't leave until I spoke with him.
Apparently he didn't see people personally as he was a very busy man. I
asked that they leave a message that I was also a very busy man and if
he isn't prepared for uninvited callers to see him at his place of work
he should damn well stop threatening others with the same thing.

On the matter of the charge however, check your terms and conditions.
They are allowed to charge reasonable costs and £45 quid doesn't seem
unreasonable for getting someone to physically come and visit you. They
do own the cards and if you failed to return them on request how else
would they recover them?

Something is a little odd about your issue though. If your overdraft was
authorised and within its authorised limits then there shouldn't have
been an issue at all.

--
Mike_B

Re: Bank... field agent... charges

"Alex" <> wrote in message
news:
> At 12:31:50 on 01/06/2006, Colin Forrester delighted uk.finance by
> announcing:
>
>> wrote:
>> > I received today a letter from a bank. I have an account with them
>> > with
>> > an overdraft limit of 150 pounds and and overdraft of 150 pounds. I
>> > had
>> > paid little or no attention to this account recently since the bank
>> > concerned could get just about nothing right.
>> >
>> > To paraphrase the letter, it said hand my cards back in 7 days or a
>> > 'field agent' would be sent round at a cost of 45 + VAT which *would
>> > be
>> > debited to my account*.
>> >
>> > This is strange, to my mind at least... the idea of a random charge
>> > being added to my account by the bank on their whim of sending
>> > someone
>> > around to collect a card. Especially on such a piffling overdraft.
>> >
>> > Thoughts?
>>
>> Give them your new address - some small island off of Scotland - let
>> them
>> know you will be in next Saturday afternoon around 3:00pm to meet their
>> "field agent". Tell them you would have handed the cards back to the
>> local
>> branch but they closed it.
>
> What if you'd already shredded them?

Then you'd be identified as outed as the offspring of a Middle-Eastern
dictator.