# BOI: Overdraft Facility Fee



## Z100 (24 Jan 2007)

Having done a search of AAM I see I'm hardly the first to be charged an Overdraft Facility Fee (E25), but just wondering why I've been charged when I'm not overdrawn and haven't been for a few months?? Never noticed the charge on my account before, but maybe I just wasn't looking closely enough?? Curious.


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## ClubMan (24 Jan 2007)

I thought that an overdraft facility fee was charged for the privilige of having the overdraft option made available to you regardless of whether or not you actually use it?


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## Guest111 (24 Jan 2007)

Bushfire said:


> Having done a search of AAM I see I'm hardly the first to be charged an Overdraft Facility Fee (E25), but just wondering why I've been charged when I'm not overdrawn and haven't been for a few months?? Never noticed the charge on my account before, but maybe I just wasn't looking closely enough?? Curious.


 
You're being charged for the privilege of having an overdraft available to you!


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## Z100 (25 Jan 2007)

Andy Doof said:


> You're being charged for the privilege of having an overdraft available to you!


 
Even if I don't use it?!?!

Think I'll take the same course of action as another AAMer and challenge them on it, it worked for me last time I whinged about a fee and threathened to take my not very valuable business elsewhere!


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## Guest111 (25 Jan 2007)

Well, if you don't use it then you should cancel it. Then you won't have to pay the fee.
However, if you go "overdrawn" once you'll be hit with big charges.


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## Z100 (25 Jan 2007)

Andy Doof said:


> Well, if you don't use it then you should cancel it. Then you won't have to pay the fee. However, if you go "overdrawn" once you'll be hit with big charges.


 
Reluctant to cancel it, for those 'just in case' times. It just seems extraordinary to me that you're charged an overdraft-related fee when you haven't actually used the overdraft facility (certainly not in recent times). But hey, when were bank charges ever comprehensible?

PS Is this an annual charge or worse?


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## CCOVICH (25 Jan 2007)

It's an annual charge and you pay it whether you are overdrawn or not.

If you can't live without the overdraft (even though you don't use it), deal with it-i.e. either pay the charge of move accounts (Ulster Bank offer a free overdraft up to €320 at 0% and others may do the same-ptsb anyway).


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## Rudolph (25 Jan 2007)

Its something I've challenged, without success, before at my then bank (nib). I can understand a fee being charged when you initially set up the facility but on an ongoing basis I could see no reasonable explanation as to why it should be an annual charge when there is no change to it. In my eyes it was part of the normal banking service which should have been available to you. Their explanation, which I found hard to believe, was that it is actively reviewed every year in their Belfast office and a system change has to be implemented to show that you will retain the facility for another year etc. To me its money for ould rope for them. I've since moved to ptsb and I don't think, but I must check, that it is an annual fee.


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## ClubMan (25 Jan 2007)

I suspect that the _OD _facility fee is an annual fee. You should always check your statements to make sure that they are OK.


Bushfire said:


> It just seems extraordinary to me that you're charged an overdraft-related fee when you haven't actually used the overdraft facility (certainly not in recent times). But hey, when were bank charges ever comprehensible?


In my experience they are generally comprehensible if you apprise yourself of the details by reading the terms & conditions and schedule of charges that you can get from your local branch or by writing to them.

Don't forget that _IFSRA _has a [broken link removed] that might help when clarifying charges and shopping around (even if, as somebody mentioned recently, it may not be 100% up to date).


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## Newby (25 Jan 2007)

Andy Doof said:


> You're being charged for the privilege of having an overdraft available to you!


 
Its a pity we can't charge the bank for the privilege of having our savings available to the bank (even if we don't have any!)


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## sun_sparks (25 Jan 2007)

I successfully challenged it last year - hadn't been charged it for years and all of a sudden it appeared on my statement. They sent me out the documentation to cancel the facility, but I never did!! Oops...

However, I've actually used it several times over the year (bought a house last year) and would have been scuppered without it as I believe that ANY unauthorised overdraft, even of a couple of euro, can be a negative on your credit report.

So I guess I'll just keep paying the flipping €25.


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## Dreamerb (25 Jan 2007)

I've had that fee charged once, having had an OD facility on my account that I had utterly forgotten about. I very irritatedly queried it, and was informed that it is charged annually _only if the facility is used_. Not having been aware I had gone into overdraft at all, I asserted positively that I didn't want it and hadn't used it: I was told that I had in fact used it, but I suspect this was on the basis of the order in which transactions were processed on a single day. They waived the fee in the end, and I never did check my statements to verify what had happened, but I have left the facility in place on a "just in case" basis and on the explicit understanding that if the facility is not used no charge is applied.


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## ClubMan (25 Jan 2007)

Are you with _BoI_? Different banks could have different policies on this sort of charge. Best to check the terms & conditions of the account and the schedule of charges that apply.


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## Dreamerb (25 Jan 2007)

Oh yes - I'm with BoI, if that's any help to the OP.


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## Z100 (25 Jan 2007)

CCOVICH said:


> If you can't live without the overdraft (even though you don't use it), *deal with it* - i.e. either pay the charge or move accounts.......


 
What's bugging you?! Relax the head! Are we not entitled to ask simple questions here about banking matters without bumping in to Mr Grumpy?  

(a) I _do_ occasionally use the overdraft facility (not for a while), that's why I want to keep it

(b) having been with BOI for 20+ years I'm naturally relucant to move my accounts, ie all the hassle, changing direct debits, etc

(c) would it not be more sensible to challenge your bank on being charged an overdraft-related fee, when the overdraft *isn't* been used, rather than leaving? Isn't that how things get changed? (*See Dreamerb's example above*).


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## Z100 (25 Jan 2007)

ClubMan said:


> In my experience they are generally comprehensible if you apprise yourself of the details by reading the terms & conditions and schedule of charges that you can get from your local branch or by writing to them.


 
That's not the point. You can be perfectly _aware_ of terms and conditions, it doesn't mean they're reasonable! By 'comprehensible' I meant 'impossible to understand how they can justify these charges'!


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## Z100 (25 Jan 2007)

Newby said:


> Its a pity we can't charge the bank for the privilege of having our savings available to the bank (even if we don't have any!)


 
  A gem! Think I might send them a bill for E25 for my empty savings account!


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## Z100 (25 Jan 2007)

Dreamerb said:


> .....I have left the facility in place on a "just in case" basis and on the explicit understanding that if the facility is not used no charge is applied.


 
Thanks for that Dreamerb, that's exactly the deal I'm looking for, ie a reasonable one! Will contact them.


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## ClubMan (25 Jan 2007)

Bushfire said:


> You can be perfectly _aware_ of terms and conditions, it doesn't mean they're reasonable! By 'comprehensible' I meant 'impossible to understand how they can justify these charges'!


If you don't like the charges then why did you agree to the terms & conditions when you opened the account and why don't you shop around for a more suitable alternative?


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## Z100 (25 Jan 2007)

ClubMan said:


> If you don't like the charges then why did you agree to the terms & conditions when you opened the account and why don't you shop around for a more suitable alternative?


 
But what about new charges that come in to force 20 years after you first opened the account?? I've lost count of all of them!


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## ClubMan (25 Jan 2007)

When you consider the charges unresonable then shop around for a better deal.


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## Dreamerb (25 Jan 2007)

In further clarification, I haven't, that I am aware of, had any "special" conditions applied by the bank to my account: it is the situation that if the OD facility is not used, they do not charge for it. If you use it once or more in a given year, they do apply the charge.

Maybe if Bank_Manager is reading, s/he could clarify as I think BM is a BoI manager?


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## Z100 (25 Jan 2007)

Dreamerb said:


> In further clarification, I haven't, that I am aware of, had any "special" conditions applied by the bank to my account: it is the situation that if the OD facility is not used, they do not charge for it. If you use it once or more in a given year, they do apply the charge.


 
Thanks Dreamerb, that's understood. I'd assume in my case they _were_ entitled to apply the charge because I _did_ use the OF facility a while back. I want to check out if it's applied even if you only use the facility once - or even if you don't use the facility at all. 

I still think it's a whole lot more constructive to actually query banks on these charges rather than just changing banks the first time you're unhappy with a fee - in which case you'd spend your life moving accounts! I've challenged my bank a few times over charges, all of which they were entitled to impose, and each time they refunded me. 

I'd hazard a guess that 99% of people grumble about charges but don't actually complain directly to the bank, so the percentages work in their favour - it's hardly any skin off their collective noses to refund a fiver here and a tenner there if it means they keep the customer. So, it's always worth a try.


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## Dreamerb (25 Jan 2007)

Bushfire said:


> I want to check out if it's applied even if you only use the facility once - or even if you don't use the facility at all.


If you don't use it, it's not, if you do use it, it is. 

And yes, I agree it can be more contructive to query than to go to the hassle of switching; you'll find a lot of banks have similar conditions in any case.


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## CCOVICH (25 Jan 2007)

Bushfire said:


> What's bugging you?! Relax the head! Are we not entitled to ask simple questions here about banking matters without bumping in to Mr Grumpy?


 
Attack the post, not the poster, as per the .

I confirmed that the BOI fee is an annual fee and that it is charged whether you use the overdraft or not and I suggested that you bank with someone who offers fee free and interest free overdrafts-not a bad suggestion I would have thought.


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## Z100 (25 Jan 2007)

CCOVICH said:


> Attack the post, not the poster, as per the .


 
Do posting guidelines not apply to you too? 



CCOVICH said:


> I suggested that you bank with someone who offers fee free and interest free overdrafts-not a bad suggestion I would have thought.


 
I thought the other suggestion was better advice (ie challenge the bank), but hey, we all have free will.


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## CCOVICH (25 Jan 2007)

Bushfire said:


> Do posting guidelines not apply to you too?



Yes.





Bushfire said:


> I thought the other suggestion was better advice (ie challenge the bank), but hey, we all have free will.



Of course.  I look forward to hearing the results of your challenge to BoI.  Best of luck.

And not a smiley in sight.


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## Z100 (25 Jan 2007)

CCOVICH said:


> Yes.


 
Apart from "please keep your comments civil"? Are you exempt from that one?



CCOVICH said:


> I look forward to hearing the results of your challenge to BoI. Best of luck.


 
Tut tut, surely the guidelines recommend that users read a thread before actually commenting on it? See Dreamerb's helpful and informative contribution.



CCOVICH said:


> And not a smiley in sight.


 
Bet there isn't a _*smile*_ in sight either,  Cheer up.


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## CCOVICH (25 Jan 2007)

Bushfire said:


> Apart from "please keep your comments civil"? Are you exempt from that one?



No.  If you feel I was attcking you by saying 'deal with-by either paying it or moving bank' then I'm afraid you've taken it the wrong way.  Whatever.




			
				Bushfire said:
			
		

> Tut tut, surely the guidelines recommend that users read a thread before actually commenting on it? See Dreamerb's helpful and informative contribution.



Indeed-and so I am interested to see what BoI say-bearing in mind that _sun_sparks _has said otherwise above and the BoI's own Terms and Conditions say:

_The overdraft facility fee will be appiled annually thereafter at the anniversary of the last such charge for so long as the overdraft facility or other overdraft arrangment is required and provided by the Bank_

(I guess 'required and provided' is open to interpretation)




			
				Bushfire said:
			
		

> Bet there isn't a _*smile*_ in sight either,  Cheer up.



All is well here-I wouldn't let something like this bother me.  How times change so quickly.....


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## Z100 (25 Jan 2007)

CCOVICH said:


> No. If you feel I attcking you by say 'deal with-by either paying it or moving bank' then I'm afraid you've taken it the wrong way. Whatever.
> 
> Indeed-and so I am interested to see what BoI say-bearing in mind that _sun_sparks _has said otherwise above and the BoI's own Terms and Conditions say:
> 
> ...


 
Honest, my last comment on this, we already 'agreed' to differ on the Donegal thread - presume that's what this is about??!!

You missed my point when I referred to Dreamerb's information - he clarified that once the OD facility is used you _are_ liable to pay the E25, and I _have_ used the OD facility. So there's no challenge! But you underestimate BOI's willingness to refund fees, even when they're legitimate, once you challenge them (eg using the line 'but I've been an excellent customer for 20+ years') - worked for me before and many others. Try it with your bank some time.

Finally..........I wouldn't categorise "deal with it" as an attack on me, I'm not that sensitive, it was just catty and unhelpful to say the least. If a post irritates you so why not just ignore it and leave those willing to be helpful to do the job? If I ever have to ring the Samaritans I hope they don't tell me to "DEAL WITH IT"...smiley alert:   

That's me done, if I was a grown-up AAM moderator I'd apply the lock now.....unless you'd like the final word.


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