FOR many years, one woman was shackled by a nightmare overdraft.
But she decided to fight back against her bank – and her persistence just scored her a massive £1,749 refund.
A mum received a £1.7k refund from HSBC on my debt[/caption]
It’s the ultimate debt-slashing victory for her and her partner.
For so many of us, the weight of debt can feel like a heavy cloak, and for TikToker ‘thatgirlindebt‘, that burden was a relentless HSBC overdraft.
It was a hole she couldn’t climb out of, and at one terrifying point, it ballooned to £2,600 – more than her entire monthly salary.
In a video that racked up an incredible 742K views, she shared her inspiring, year-long battle that ended in a stunning win: a refund of £1,749 worth of interest and charges.
Her bank, it turns out, had been lending to her “unsustainably.”
The decision to fight began in August 2024.
Finally fed up with the relentless cycle, she wrote a formal email of complaint to HSBC.
The core of her argument? Overdrafts are meant for short-term borrowing, not for being stuck in for over a decade.
But the bank’s initial response was dismissive.
Less than two months later, they rejected her claim outright, maintaining that the overdraft was perfectly “affordable.”
“I’m so glad I persevered with the complaint,” she shared in her video.
Her next move was the game-changer: escalating the complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS), the free, independent body that settles disputes between customers and financial firms.
After a full year of waiting – the final decision was reached in August 2025 – the Ombudsman agreed with her.
They ruled that the borrowing was unaffordable.
This forced HSBC to accept the findings, and they agreed to refund her six years of interest and charges, totalling the brilliant sum of £1,749.
The comments section of her video flooded with support, with one impressed user writing: “Wow I’ve never known the FO to award in the complainants favour. Well done!”
Another added a crucial point: “The bank wouldn’t have refunded you if they didn’t accept they’d done something wrong!!”
How to cut the cost of your debt
IF you’re in large amounts of debt it can be really worrying. Here are some tips from Citizens Advice on how you can take action.
Check your bank balance on a regular basis – knowing your spending patterns is the first step to managing your money
Work out your budget – by writing down your income and taking away your essential bills such as food and transport
If you have money left over, plan in advance what else you’ll spend or save. If you don’t, look at ways to cut your costs
Pay off more than the minimum – If you’ve got credit card debts aim to pay off more than the minimum amount on your credit card each month to bring down your bill quicker
Pay your most expensive credit card sooner – If you have more than one credit card and can’t pay them off in full each month, prioritise the most expensive card (the one with the highest interest rate)
Prioritise your debts – If you’ve got several debts and you can’t afford to pay them all it’s important to prioritise them
Your rent, mortgage, council tax and energy bills should be paid first because the consequences can be more serious if you don’t pay
Get advice – If you’re struggling to pay your debts month after month it’s important you get advice as soon as possible, before they build up even further
Groups like Citizens Advice and National Debtline can help you prioritise and negotiate with your creditors to offer you more affordable repayment plans.
HSBC paid her 5 days after she ‘won’ her complaint[/caption]
The £1,749 refund wasn’t just cash; it was rocket fuel for her debt-free journey.
She rounded the figure up to £1,750 and immediately funnelled it into her Monzo “debt payments” pot. From there, she made two massive transfers.
First, £875 went straight onto her last credit card, instantly dropping the balance from £1,500 to a manageable £625.
“I’m now down to one credit card,” she exclaimed, a huge milestone after starting her journey in June 2024 with four cards, that nightmare overdraft, and a jaw-dropping £22,500 of total debt.
The other £875 was sent to her partner, who is tackling his own debt. He began with £16,888 and is now left with only £1,400 to clear.
Between them, this powerhouse couple has now cleared more than £37,000 of debt in just 15 months.
The HSBC refund took her own debt into the sweet spot of three figures.
“I’m so ready for our family to finally send/save/enjoy our money rather than use it to pay off debt every month,” she said.
Now, they’re planning to make their final payments together so they can properly celebrate the freedom they’ve earned.
How to shift your credit card debt quickly
By James Flanders, Consumer Reporter
UK Finance reports that we spend a whopping £2 billion a month using our credit cards.
While that little strip of plastic makes everyday spending easy peasy, it comes at a huge cost.
According to The Money Charity, the average credit card debt sits at £2,485 per household or £1,312 per adult.
And if you’re stuck on a credit card with a high APR and only making the minimum repayments, you could be forking out hundreds of pounds extra in interest charges.
For example, if you owe £1,312 on your credit card and are charged 24.8% APR.
If you don’t make any more transactions and pay £100 a month in repayments, you will pay off the card by September 2025 but at £207 in interest.
However, by hunting around for a better deal elsewhere and switching to a balance transfer credit card with a lengthy interest-free period, you can save yourself £162.
If the same person was accepted for a 28-month-long zero-interest credit card with a 3.4% balance transfer fee and made the same £100 repayments each month.
They would pay off the debt sooner, in July 2025, and only fork out £45 towards the 3.4% balance transfer fee.
Before taking out a new credit card or increasing the amount you borrow, it’s vital to consider the consequences.
You should only borrow money if you can afford to pay it back.
It’s always vital to ask yourself if you need to borrow before committing to a new credit card, personal loan or overdraft.
If you use a credit card, I’d recommend that you always pay off your balance in full at the end of each statement period.
Lenders have a responsibility to help customers who are in debt.
If you’re in a debt crisis, your first point of call should be your lender.
They might help you out by offering you a reduced interest rate or a temporary payment holiday – so check in with your lender if you’re struggling.
