Debt Mediation for €13 overdraft?

Sky King · 04-09-2012 09:53AM #1

My bank just wrote me a snooty letter to tell me to eliminate this outrageous overdraft of €13, run up over a ridiculous period of seven working days.

They even went so far as to offer debt mediation services. I've had this account over 20 years and I actually can't ever remember it being overdrawn before... it's my main account. It only happened due to a bit of bad timing on my part and if they bothered their collective hole actually looking at the account details they would have known that.

Do you think I should ask them to help me work out a long term repayment strategy for the €13?

It's people like me that destroyed this country. I am a bad man. A bad bad man.

pickarooney · 04-09-2012 09:55AM

Do you reckon they sat down and composed that letter specially for you?

Gurgle · 04-09-2012 09:56AM

Go for it, make sure to stretch it out over a decade or so to ease the pain.

Duggy747 · 04-09-2012 09:57AM

People like you and your gallivanting ways make me sick.

*BLLLEEEUURGGH!!*

Huh, I don't remember eating carrots.....

Feeona · 04-09-2012 09:58AM

Tell them you'll pay them back at 20c a week. Should take just over a year.

Sky King · 04-09-2012 09:59AM

pickarooney wrote: »

Do you reckon they sat down and composed that letter specially for you?

No I don't, obviously, and I don't need a repayment strategy for the 13 euro either. This is called sarcasm.

Anyway even in the event that it is an automated letter, someone still made a conscious decision to send it out.

pickarooney · 04-09-2012 10:00AM

Sky King wrote: »

No I don't, obviously, and I don't need a repayment strategy for the 13 euro either. This is called sarcasm.

Anyway even in the event that it is an automated letter, someone still made a conscious decision to send it out.

I doubt that. These kind of things are just automatically generated, printed and sent without anyone looking at them.

beertons · 04-09-2012 10:01AM

I can give you that sum in 1cent coins. Go in and count it out of them 1 by 1. Lose count a few times too.

CreepingDeath · 04-09-2012 10:02AM

Sky King wrote: »

My bank just wrote me a snooty letter to tell me to eliminate this outrageous overdraft of €13, run up over a ridiculous period of seven working days.

Yeah, but they'll probably penalize you €100 for an unapproved overdraft on top of that too !

Colmustard · 04-09-2012 10:19AM

I got this. The reason they are so enthusiastic about your 13 debt is they charge you for the letter.

Sky King · 04-09-2012 10:24AM

Colmustard wrote: »

I got this. The reason they are so enthusiastic about your 13 debt is they charge you for the letter.

Are you serious?

There's a guys name on the letter, I might give him a call.

dotsman · 04-09-2012 10:27AM

Sky King wrote: »

Anyway even in the event that it is an automated letter, someone still made a conscious decision to send it out.

I think you may be a little confused. You accept that it is an automated letter, but then immediately follow that up by saying that someone made a concious decision to send it out

Do you have any idea what the word "automated" means? That's right, the letter was sent automatically - no humans involved - because you have gone into an unauthorized overdraft. Anyone, and everyone who goes into an unauthorised overdraft is sent one by the big computer thingamajig, regardless of how long they have been a customer.

If they didn't send you one, you would, no doubt, be on here complaining that the bank never informed you that you were screwing up your financial status and receiving penalty charges etc.

04-09-2012 10:28AM

A friend of mine's mother owed under a euro but whatever kind of account it was there was no extra charge. Anyway she got a letter a month for 2 years reminding her about it and that was up til 3 years ago, she may still be getting them. Geniuses.

syklops · 04-09-2012 10:30AM

Sky King wrote: »

My bank just wrote me a snooty letter to tell me to eliminate this outrageous overdraft of €13, run up over a ridiculous period of seven working days.

They even went so far as to offer debt mediation services. I've had this account over 20 years and I actually can't ever remember it being overdrawn before... it's my main account. It only happened due to a bit of bad timing on my part and if they bothered their collective hole actually looking at the account details they would have known that.

Do you think I should ask them to help me work out a long term repayment strategy for the €13?

It's people like me that destroyed this country. I am a bad man. A bad bad man.

Yes, write back and ask to have a meeting with them to discuss your circumstances, and to agree a repayment strategy. I would be interested to see what you get back.

EDIT: This reminds me. Years ago, my dad got a bill from the ESB for Zero pounds and Zero pence. He ignored it. Every month for about 3 months it came in, the same bill Zero pounds and Zero pence. Then on the fourth month, he got a letter saying "This is a final reminder for your account, if you do not pay, your services will be cut off". So he sent in a Cheque for zero pounds and zero pence. He got a phonecall a few days later from the IT department apologising for the inconvenience of the letters. Apparently, when he sent back the cheque for Zero pounds, zero pence, the billing computer system hung when trying to figure out how to add zeros.

SEPT 23 1989 · 04-09-2012 10:43AM

You will need to go to the UK and declare yourself bankrupt,you will be a slave to the banks for the next twelve years over here

13 euro what the hell were you thinking?

lazygal · 04-09-2012 10:50AM

What did you do to run up the debt? Did you overspend on Happy Meals or have too many pints and hookers or what?

Tazio · 04-09-2012 10:53AM

13 eh? Unlucky.

Mr Benevolent · 04-09-2012 11:01AM

No wonder the country's the way it is, with people €13 in debt.

griffdaddy · 04-09-2012 11:09AM

You should ring up and engage their mediation services, keep them on the phone for as long as possible and explore all options as if it's a much bigger debt. It'd be interesting to see if they just stick to the script or if they realise how ridiculous the whole thing is at some stage and just get you off the phone.

hardCopy · 04-09-2012 11:13AM

dotsman wrote: »

I think you may be a little confused. You accept that it is an automated letter, but then immediately follow that up by saying that someone made a concious decision to send it out

Do you have any idea what the word "automated" means? That's right, the letter was sent automatically - no humans involved - because you have gone into an unauthorized overdraft. Anyone, and everyone who goes into an unauthorised overdraft is sent one by the big computer thingamajig, regardless of how long they have been a customer.

If they didn't send you one, you would, no doubt, be on here complaining that the bank never informed you that you were screwing up your financial status and receiving penalty charges etc.

Even automated letters run off rules designed by real people.

Somebody decided that €13 was a sufficiently large overdraft to require this letter. Such systems are configurable to generate different letters, or no letters, depending on the amounts involved.

Lollers · 04-09-2012 11:21AM

This chap had the right idea

From the Gaurdian : After being charged £20 for a £10 overdraft, 30 year old Michael Howard of Leeds changed his name by deed poll to "Yorskshire Bank PLC Are Fascist Bastards". The bank has now asked him to close his account, and Mr. Bastards has asked them to repay the 69p balance, by cheque, made out in his new name.

Link here http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/1999/nov/05/workandcareers1

humbert · 04-09-2012 11:26AM

Lollers wrote: »

This chap had the right idea

From the Gaurdian : After being charged £20 for a £10 overdraft, 30 year old Michael Howard of Leeds changed his name by deed poll to "Yorskshire Bank PLC Are Fascist Bastards". The bank has now asked him to close his account, and Mr. Bastards has asked them to repay the 69p balance, by cheque, made out in his new name.

Link here http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/1999/nov/05/workandcareers1

I love that there are people like this in the world

suicide_circus · 04-09-2012 11:34AM

Lollers wrote: »

This chap had the right idea

From the Gaurdian : After being charged £20 for a £10 overdraft, 30 year old Michael Howard of Leeds changed his name by deed poll to "Yorskshire Bank PLC Are Fascist Bastards". The bank has now asked him to close his account, and Mr. Bastards has asked them to repay the 69p balance, by cheque, made out in his new name.

Link here http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/1999/nov/05/workandcareers1

beautiful. that kind of commitment is so rare these days, bravo that man.

dotsman · 04-09-2012 11:55AM

hardCopy wrote: »

Even automated letters run off rules designed by real people.

Somebody decided that €13 was a sufficiently large overdraft to require this letter. Such systems are configurable to generate different letters, or no letters, depending on the amounts involved.

And the rules are quite simply that a customer is informed whenever they account has gone into an unauthorised overdraft.

I really don't see how this is so difficult to understand.

Boombastic · 04-09-2012 11:58AM

Fat cats in the bank, trying to make it look like they are busy and they have a worthy job

Pataman · 04-09-2012 12:23PM

Bloody Capitalist. I hope you are happy!
Ruining the country for the sake of €13.
Move over Seanie Fitz, and Mr Quinn.
Room on the bench for one more!

stepbar · 04-09-2012 07:42PM

dotsman wrote: »

And the rules are quite simply that a customer is informed whenever they account has gone into an unauthorised overdraft.

I really don't see how this is so difficult to understand.

I could understand perhaps if the account was overdrawn by 500 quid but 13 eur? Does the customer really need to be informed?

Personally, I wouldn't be loosing sleep over 13 eur nor would I be over 500 for that matter.

ArtSmart · 04-09-2012 07:45PM

Sky King wrote: »

My bank just wrote me a snooty letter to tell me to eliminate this outrageous overdraft of €13, run up over a ridiculous period of seven working days.

They even went so far as to offer debt mediation services. I've had this account over 20 years and I actually can't ever remember it being overdrawn before... it's my main account. It only happened due to a bit of bad timing on my part and if they bothered their collective hole actually looking at the account details they would have known that.

Do you think I should ask them to help me work out a long term repayment strategy for the €13?

It's people like me that destroyed this country. I am a bad man. A bad bad man.

and dont you forget it.

and to think people caller bankers, ****.

ArtSmart · 04-09-2012 07:49PM

hardCopy wrote: »

Even automated letters run off rules designed by real people.

Somebody decided that €13 was a sufficiently large overdraft to require this letter. Such systems are configurable to generate different letters, or no letters, depending on the amounts involved.

exactly.

as someone else mentioned they charge for the letter. business is a good thing, but banks make it bad. ie, they are scum. (the ones at the top)

ScouseMouse · 04-09-2012 07:56PM

I hope they send you to NAMA. So you you and the Quinn fella meet for lunch daily?

Its people like you living beyond your means that has fecked up this country.

Bring back hanging.

:D:D:D:D:D

kincsem · 04-09-2012 08:09PM

Do not be surprised if they charge you very heavily each day for an unathorised overdraft (or going over your limit.) I would expect €50 to €100 charges.

Let us know.

Debt Mediation for €13 overdraft?

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