Claim back any unfair bank charges! Article Discussion Area

Jim_Rob wrote:

I've gone after Smile for just over £100 charges levied against me for going £200 over an agreed overdraft limit when I had about £10K sat in other accounts with them. Customer services were useless and only offered half of the daily charges back, and no refund of the initial fee.

I'm delighted to say that all of the money has now been refunded to me, and they have had a rather terse reply from me regarding the whole matter. Unsurprisingly, they have lost all of my future business, which is pretty stupid really, assuming that they want to make money.

Good luck to everybody else who is claiming back unfair charges.

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Getting a bit confused about whether or not I can claim back bank charges - can I have some help please?

I have a current account with HSBC and an overdraft . I sometimes go over the overdraft and get fined for it. If I go over by £13, I get charged £13. If I go over by £100 or more, they will fine me £100 (max).

So - they are not charging me more than my account is overdrawn, but I still think it's unfair. Do I have grounds to claim these charges back?

Yours overdrawn, Julie.

I'd say they've been doing this for a few years now, but however much you overdraw by the maximum they will charge is £100.

You get a statement sent to your home. Is it really too much trouble to turn it over and continue to add your transactions until the next statement arrives, thereby keeping a running balance?

Firstly, it was the late arrival of a standing order that put us over our overdraft limit. Not our fault but the fault of the bank. It should have gone through on the first but still hasn't arrived.

Secondly, I don't wish to use internet banking. I signed up for a branch account with a cashpoint card to check the balance (A balance which incidentally is 3 days old) and that's what I should get.

Thirdly, I don't want to bank via the telephone. It's not the account I signed up for and anyways they can only give you a balance that's three days old. In addition they keep you hanging on the line for 20 minutes on a semi premiun rate number and that costs money!

The three days that it takes to update the balance can be critical if (As in our case) a standing order arrives late.

How am I supposed to know that a standing order hasn't been processed when the bank will only provide me with three day old information?

kareng1978 wrote:

I am in the process of trying to claim back bank charges and have gone ahead with court proceedings. However, I have had a letter from a solicitor representing my bank who claim that the bank is well within their rights and that I should now contact my back within the next 7 days to arrange an account review!!??

Has anyone else experienced this?

Not sure what to do now!!!

How far in court proceedigns are you? Have they acknowledged?

Write back to the solicitor thanking him for his views, stating that you disagree with his opinion and that you're looking forward to him presenting his client's argument, no, DEFENSE, in front of the judge, and that, as far as you're aware, the judge was the one who would decide if the banks are within their rights or not.
State that it is highly inappropriate, in your opinion, for the defendant to try and arrange an account review after you have initiated court proceedings, and that any communication betwen you should be made in writing until the claim has been resolved, and that THEN and only then will you be pleased to arrange an account review.

Should just about cover it all, methinks.