# Overdraft application declined - seeking reconsideration - advice required



## wp86 (24 Sep 2013)

Hello,

I have two accounts with Ulsterbank: 

(1) A Current Account on which I pay €4.00 monthly charges. 
(2) A UFirst Gold Account on which I pay €14.00 monthly charges.

I was unemployed until October 2012, at which I point I began working full time, receiving a monthly salary into the UFirst Gold Account, and I am still in that full time employment and still receiving that monthly salary.

In the past year, my UFirst Gold account has had a Debit balance on six occasions:

10/5/2013: -€14.00
15/5/2013: -€43.09
16/5/2013: -€47.53

25/6/2013: -€19.42

23/7/2013: -€0.48
24/7/2013: -€4.92

The reason for these Debit balances being that I was using both Current and U-First Gold account at the same time, with funds in both at any one time, and I was withdrawing from both accounts randomly without much consideration, not really thinking about one of the accounts going into minus figures and how it may affect my future with the bank. At the time of those debit balances listed above in the UFirst Gold account, my Current account was absolutely in Credit.

I have had a full time monthly salary going in to the U First Gold Account since October 2012.


I rang Ulster Bank customer services today, and within seconds they told me that, because of these debit balances listed above on the UFirst Gold account, an application for an overdraft will be declined.


Is it possible to have an overdraft application reviewed and re-considered, such as this, and if so might they take all the other circumstances I've mentioned above into account when re-considering?

Thanks.


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## Bronte (24 Sep 2013)

Why are you running two accounts, you don't seem to be able to manage them very well based on what you've posted. It's not Ulster banks fault that you are mismanaging your accounts.

And I think you're very lucky to be declined for an overdraft, that's a rocky road that many on AAM have trodden into deeper water.  Stay away from overdrafts


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## wp86 (24 Sep 2013)

Bronte said:


> Why are you running two accounts, you don't seem to be able to manage them very well based on what you've posted. It's not Ulster banks fault that you are mismanaging your accounts.
> 
> And I think you're very lucky to be declined for an overdraft, that's a rocky road that many on AAM have trodden into deeper water.  Stay away from overdrafts



Bronte, if you see fit to give me unrequested financial advice, please feel completely free to do so via Private Message, instead of using this thread which is a specific question about overdraft applications.

I'm not seeking general financial advice. My question is specific: are overdrafts application decisions ever reconsidered? 

Thanks.

As an aside, Bronte, I would advise that you seek further information about a person's financial situation before coming to a general conclusion about their financial responsibility based on a very minute amount of information about their financial history.


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## wbbs (24 Sep 2013)

You could appeal it but UB especially is very much a 'computer says no' bank. Everything is run through the systems and if it says no it is practically impossible to get a human to reverse the decision.  There are no real decision makers left in the banks who will go outside the guidelines whatever the circumstances.


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## wp86 (24 Sep 2013)

wbbs said:


> You could appeal it but UB especially is very much a 'computer says no' bank. Everything is run through the systems and if it says no it is practically impossible to get a human to reverse the decision.  There are no real decision makers left in the banks who will go outside the guidelines whatever the circumstances.



Really? 

Interesting. Thanks for the info. I may ring my branch and see what they have to say.


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## demoivre (24 Sep 2013)

wp86 said:


> Really?
> 
> Interesting. Thanks for the info. I may ring my branch and see what they have to say.



+1 . Take your business elsewhere if they won't play ball.


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## wp86 (24 Sep 2013)

demoivre said:


> +1 . Take your business elsewhere if they won't play ball.



Thanks, I will be doing that, yep. Not out of passive-aggression, just because nobody likes to feel unappreciated as a customer and I think that the fact that I'm paying €18/month (as well as lodging a monthly full time salary) should be enough to have the circumstances _at least looked at_ by a human being instead of a computer. That's all I want.

I have requested a callback from my branch and they are due to call me within 3 hours.


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## dereko1969 (24 Sep 2013)

wp86 said:


> Bronte, if you see fit to give me unrequested financial advice, please feel completely free to do so via Private Message, instead of using this thread which is a specific question about overdraft applications.
> 
> I'm not seeking general financial advice. My question is specific: are overdrafts application decisions ever reconsidered?
> 
> ...


 
Wow! What an ignorant response from someone new to the site, to someone who has given lots of good advice over the years on here.

Do you not think that UB might be asking the same question that Bronte did? And that therefore it is an appropriate question to ask?

There was a thread on here a few days ago from someone who had started off going overdraft on her accounts, then not meeting her monthly credit card bills and things spiralling so that a few years later she was in deep trouble. Perhaps' Bronte's question might get you to question why you feel the need to have two accounts and why you're going over-drawn on them because shooting the messenger isn't going to solve your problem.

EDIT: I also see from your postings that you never bother giving advice yourself, only asking for it. A site such as this is built on people contributing by asking and answering questions, it's not a one-way street. Maybe you should just head over to Boards?


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## Billo (24 Sep 2013)

I also thought that the reply from Wp86 to Bronte was way over the top and unwarranted.


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## Crea (30 Sep 2013)

I think it's valid not to want a lecture when looking for advice. It doesn't come across as helpful, it comes across as preachy and holier than thou.

OP - the fees on an OD on one account can be over €50 regardless of the OD limit so given your requirement it might be cheaper for you if you don't get one.


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## Gerry Canning (30 Sep 2013)

We all have different approaches to answering queries : even if Brontes advice comes accross as preachy ,it is freely given , we can choose to accept or ignore it. 
In general we dont give our names and hence we avoid confrontation.

Advice from me is; At present do not expect to receive good customer service, do expect to be treated as a number.


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## millieforbes (1 Oct 2013)

Billo said:


> I also thought that the reply from Wp86 to Bronte was way over the top and unwarranted.



+ 1, there was a lot of sense in Bronte's comments


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## Bronte (1 Oct 2013)

Just to be clear, I did not intend to be preachy or holier than thou. I actually believe in what I've stated. I think it's quite shocking that someone can go into unauthorised overdraft 6 times in 3 months and myseriously blame it on a totally unrelated red herring, towit having two accounts were the cause of the overdrafts. 

From my own family I have seen what overdrafts can do, not to mention the many many posters on AAM who started off down the rocky road of overdrafts, swiftly followed by the first credit card, the credit limit increase without permission, the credit card cheques to spend spend spend, followed by the second and third card, then the small loan to consolidate etc etc etc. 

Overdrafts can work for some people, and are probably essential to people in business. But they should not be looked upon as a right, or a good thing. My advice to young people during the boom fell on deaf ears in many cases, sure what would someone like me know about having many new cars, multiple holidays and to die for white goods and the sense of entitlement one noticed during the boom. 

And the latest wheeze is the 'pay day loans'. They should be banned. Not sure if they are in Ireland yet.  But they are only the latest in ways to take your money.  And those that take your money are ever inventive.  They trick people, as banks do.  And then we end up with people in one right financial mess because they don't want to listen to anybody who might, just might, question what they are at.  Financially.  And isn't that the core value of AAM.  Giving advice, based on experience of the pitfalls to be avoided.  

I didn't react to the OP's crossness at me, and thanks to those who defended me.  But we've had people at the end of their thether on here, and suicidal ones too, so if my posts prevent someone going down a rocky road, financially, well the barbs willl be well worth it.


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## mark1 (1 Oct 2013)

I had thought that you had an automatic overdraft limit on your ufirstgold ac or at least that is the way they try to sell it to you.the branch i visit on a weekly basis was trying to sell me this ac for weeks in the early part of the year as they were introducing banking charges. If i were you i would combine both acs,maybe forget about the one with the 14.00 charge and tighten up on a few items, you may not need it then. Having paid off nearly 25k in personal debt over the last 5 yrs between loan ac, credit card and overdrafts my advice would be to watch the pennies a bit closer and forget about the credit facilities and maybe review your needs in 6 or 12 months.


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## newirishman (1 Oct 2013)

mark1 said:


> I had thought that you had an automatic overdraft limit on your ufirstgold ac or at least that is the way they try to sell it to you.the branch i visit on a weekly basis was trying to sell me this ac for weeks in the early part of the year as they were introducing banking charges. If i were you i would combine both acs,maybe forget about the one with the 14.00 charge and tighten up on a few items, you may not need it then. Having paid off nearly 25k in personal debt over the last 5 yrs between loan ac, credit card and overdrafts my advice would be to watch the pennies a bit closer and forget about the credit facilities and maybe review your needs in 6 or 12 months.



You can have an overdraft facility with the ufirst account. However, you are not forced to take it. When switching to a ufirst account I was offered / told that I can have an overdraft facility, but the bank did not have any issue with me asking to not provide it.


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## Curlysue76 (1 Oct 2013)

Bronte said:


> Just to be clear, I did not intend to be preachy or holier than thou. I actually believe in what I've stated. I think it's quite shocking that someone can go into unauthorised overdraft 6 times in 3 months and myseriously blame it on a totally unrelated red herring, towit having two accounts were the cause of the overdrafts.
> 
> From my own family I have seen what overdrafts can do, not to mention the many many posters on AAM who started off down the rocky road of overdrafts, swiftly followed by the first credit card, the credit limit increase without permission, the credit card cheques to spend spend spend, followed by the second and third card, then the small loan to consolidate etc etc etc.
> 
> ...



Well said, totally agree.


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