How are the banks treating you at the moment ?
How are the banks treating you at the moment ?
Author
Discussion

Qcarchoo

Original Poster:

471 posts

224 months

Wednesday 12th November 2008
quotequote all
My construction business has an unsecured overdraft which is regularly used.
As the construction industry has apparently become 'high risk' over the past few months my bank have decided that they will not renew the facility and want us to take out a 10 year loan at 9.9%.
With interest rates as they are, I've tried to renegotiate but they won't budge. It looks as though they've got me over a barrel.
Is anyone else experiencing the same thing?

Olf

11,978 posts

249 months

Wednesday 12th November 2008
quotequote all
Qcarchoo said:
My construction business has an unsecured overdraft which is regularly used.
As the construction industry has apparently become 'high risk' over the past few months my bank have decided that they will not renew the facility and want us to take out a 10 year loan at 9.9%.
With interest rates as they are, I've tried to renegotiate but they won't budge. It looks as though they've got me over a barrel.
Is anyone else experiencing the same thing?
which bank is it?

Qcarchoo

Original Poster:

471 posts

224 months

Wednesday 12th November 2008
quotequote all
Nat West

Olf

11,978 posts

249 months

Wednesday 12th November 2008
quotequote all
Qcarchoo said:
Nat West
I'd suggest taking some advice then. The banks that have been bailed out (including Nat West) have been told that they should be supporting small businesses.

Try Federation of Small Business http://www.fsb.org.uk/default.asp?reference=209062... and/or British Chamber of Commerce http://www.britishchambers.org.uk/ and see if they can help.

Qcarchoo

Original Poster:

471 posts

224 months

Wednesday 12th November 2008
quotequote all
Thanks for the advice. What gets me is the fact that a few years ago they were pestering me to increase the overdraft when I didn't need to.I guess that's banking.

Brown and Boris

11,838 posts

266 months

Thursday 13th November 2008
quotequote all
Qcarchoo said:
Thanks for the advice. What gets me is the fact that a few years ago they were pestering me to increase the overdraft when I didn't need to.I guess that's banking.
is it amy wonder banking has become the paedophile of the business world in terms of public hatred? At the other end I hope people remember those who helped and those who played their own game.

richardxjr

7,561 posts

241 months

Thursday 13th November 2008
quotequote all
Lloyds are actually treating us better!



anonymous-user

85 months

Thursday 13th November 2008
quotequote all
richardxjr said:
Lloyds are actually treating us better!

Snap, been treated like a god since July this year smile

henna777

173 posts

236 months

Thursday 13th November 2008
quotequote all
richardxjr said:
Lloyds are actually treating us better!

I have been with Lloyds for more than 30 years whilst having other accounts with RBS, good way to check service and rates, Lloyds just lowered their credit interest rates on current accounts to 0.01% and their savings, business rates, are awful now. Best rate offered 2.68% on treasury deposit sterling so switch to RBS as they offered 3.57% and on eurozone similar, given that euro base is higher than UK now I think we are treated pretty poorly. One of my friends in NL has a deposit rate of 4.3% on his euro account!

I agree with the post that they, the banks, have been bailed out to help businesses but are being very picky to say the least

anonymous-user

85 months

Thursday 13th November 2008
quotequote all
henna777 said:
richardxjr said:
Lloyds are actually treating us better!

I have been with Lloyds for more than 30 years whilst having other accounts with RBS, good way to check service and rates, Lloyds just lowered their credit interest rates on current accounts to 0.01% and their savings, business rates, are awful now. Best rate offered 2.68% on treasury deposit sterling so switch to RBS as they offered 3.57% and on eurozone similar, given that euro base is higher than UK now I think we are treated pretty poorly. One of my friends in NL has a deposit rate of 4.3% on his euro account!

I agree with the post that they, the banks, have been bailed out to help businesses but are being very picky to say the least
Yeah the interst has really tailed off- i checked online yesterday what we were earning in interest earlier this year, it's scary how it has fallen to next to nothing. Still, it was money for nothing!

m4tt

591 posts

229 months

Thursday 13th November 2008
quotequote all
coyft said:
They only have you over a barrel, if your assets exceed your liabilities.
If you own a Limited Company and the overdraft is greater than the assets
of the company, then it is you, that have your bank over a barrel.
Haha thats a good point. Ultimately as you are all probably aware an Overdraft is a repayable on demand facility. And Whereas in boom times banks were a bit more liberal with people who were late payers or were operating hardcore overdrafts (ones that never return to credit). However credit control is tightening dramatically so if you aren't crediting your account with funds, missing payments or are operating a hardcore overdraft the banks are much more likely to get heavy. Much more so than 18 months ago.

The reference to Natwest is particularly poignant. They seem to offer large overdrafts, steadily increase them, then when people have used them try and persuade them to take a loan to pay it off. Which isn't necissarily bad advice but the whole situation could have been avoided.

jacobyte

4,768 posts

273 months

Friday 14th November 2008
quotequote all
We're with Bank of Scotland, and whilst they are understandably nervous about everything, they are still treating us well.

Edited by jacobyte on Friday 14th November 17:27

sa_20v

4,114 posts

262 months

Friday 14th November 2008
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Our relationship with both Barclays and HSBC have improved during this period. smile

Golfman

5,638 posts

277 months

Friday 14th November 2008
quotequote all
Currently in the process of changing from BOS to RBS...

Olf

11,978 posts

249 months

Friday 14th November 2008
quotequote all
Golfman said:
Currently in the process of changing from BOS to RBS...
Out of the pan and into the fire.

henna777

173 posts

236 months

Friday 14th November 2008
quotequote all
Olf said:
Golfman said:
Currently in the process of changing from BOS to RBS...
Out of the pan and into the fire.
well into a bank 63% owned by us!

Rockatansky

1,830 posts

218 months

Friday 14th November 2008
quotequote all
I'm currently in the process of moving from RBS to the Co-op FSB account in order to take advantage of free banking.

RBS had no interest in negotiating fees, which they did with us last year.