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[MSE Martin]

After the huge number of successes reported, this thread has become so long that it hardly opens, so I've started a new one!

Bank Charges Success Stories II

The aim is to show others that it is possible and it works.

Please report your successes here, if possible in the format

Bank:
Amount Reclaimed:
Amount they paid:
The story:
(just a few sentences, please include how far you went did you a. just write a letter, b. threaten to go to court or c. actually go to court )

• Read the article
  How to Reclaim Unfair Bank Charges

• Discuss the issues
  Discussion on reclaiming charges
  Discuss the impact on bankings future

Please don't use this thread for general discussion on reclaiming bank charges.

[Dammam]

Bank: Lloyds
Amount Reclaimed: £4980
Amount they paid: £4980
The story: Took a little persistance and patience, but finally managed to claw back all the money that left me on the brink of bankruptcy and losing my home after redundancy. Whilst life is still a bit of a struggle, I'm now debt free apart from the mortgage! Lots of great help from the consumer action group.

[macymoo]

First Direct
£1350 claimed
£1350 paid
Easy peasy, got to online claim stage, paid up after one day !!

Halifax
£860 claimed
£1350 paid (they read the wrong amount ) haha them !!
Halifax were so silly they couldn't even read the claim papers properly, again got to online claim stage, took 3 weeks to respond.

[matildarosepink]

Bank: HSBC
Amount Claimed for: £949
Amount Refunded: £850 within 3 weeks of the first letter being sent

I know I'm advised to push for the whole lot, but I do think banks deserve to be refunded for what it's cost them to deal with my account (and believe me I've been terrible it at managing it myself) so I believe this is a fair split for having the account 5 years.. I paid it straight off my credit card. Incidentally, for anyone looking at claiming from Natwest, I've a friend who works in the complaints department for them, and he says they're paying up once they receive a summons. I also think if the law was on their side, they would have resisted this process by now.

[JMio]

#1
Bank: Bank of Scotland
Claimed: £490
Refunded: £490

#2
Bank: Bank of Scotland
Claimed: £627.27
Refunded: £627.27

#3
Bank: MBNA
Claimed: £90.00
Refunded: £90.00

MORE TO COME

[AndrewSmith]

For My Partner Kim

Bank: HSBC
Amount Claimed £1095
Amount Refunded :£1250

I argued the point for her with the bank (after her giving the written authority for me to speak on her behalf) that they were still adding charges to the account as a result of them not refunding the charges initially. It was agreed that they would pay not only the amount claimed to the date of the first letter, but also all charges up to date also.

My tip is do not be intimidated, and don't be afraid to mention taking them to court. It certainly spurred HSBC into action for her.

Also negotiated out of the letter the clause about not making future claims.

[Ajax18]

Bank: NatWest
Amount claimed: 237,00
Amount refunded: 237,00

It went to the first stage of the Online Money Claim order. NatWest paid up within a month of my initial letter sent to the bank...

[andyace]

Bank: Citicards - Creditcard
Claimed: £650
Paid: £650

Repayment letter sent and partial payment offered, then LBA sent and full refund credited to account.Balance now £0 so this will be closed.
Many thanks to the BAG forum for their help.

[Atman]

Bank - Halifax
Claimed - £30
Paid - £30

I know this is a small amount but I wanted to try and be nice to them first. I explained that it was a one off & asked them to exercise discretion as we were good customers, well funded account, etc. etc. They agreed to refund the amount - no problem. So people PLEASE before you get medieval on their !!! try to appeal to their better nature. Even banks must have one! By the way, no I don't work for a bank!!!

[grey_lady]

Bank: MBNA - Creditcard
Claimed: £620
Paid: £877 (inc £50 costs and £207 interest)

MBNA offered me half (and in fact credited it to clear my outstanding balance) and then told me categorically over the phone a couple of times that they wouldnt give me any more than that. The same guy rang me up and offered to send me a cheque for the rest + interests and costs if id drop the case against them, which i course did.

Now claiming £110 of Natwest

[moxie]

Bank: Nationwide
Amount claimed £949.54
Paid: £949.54 plus £120 fees repaid

You will win, but beware that Nationwide are closing accounts once they've paid up. I guess they don't want to have to deal with stroppy customers! Use the Bank Action Group forum at this link: http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk

[icefall]

Bank - Barclays Bank

Amount reclaimed £2950

Story
Wrote the 2 standard letters requesting charges back got standard letter back offering me half.
Issued claim on Moneyclaim website, in late March, the bank waited till the last possible minute to go through system.

Received another letter from my local court giving me hearing date of July 06. Received an offer out of the blue from bank that was £950 short of claimed amount. (THESE ARRIVED ON THE SAME DAY!)
Wrote letter back to bank, requesting full amount, 10 days after that received letter offering me full amount, ... nearly 2 weeks later they finally transferred the money into my account, very very close to hearing date.

It took around 5 months! I did it with the help of the CONSUMERACTIONGROUP FORUM (letters and advice).

I started thinking about taking action after reading a thread about illegal charges on this site just before Christmas, it was gradually getting longer and longer and more and more fascinating, I'd have a look every week at that thread, as it was like a story, but with real people and real results!

THANK YOU MARTIN FOR YOUR WONDERFUL ALTRUISTIC CONSUMER SITE

[bakerag]

Bank - Alliance and Leicester
Amount - £75 charges + £35 for online claim

Although it was only £75 I still had to go as far as issuing a claim through
the website www.moneyclaim.gov.uk.

It was worth it in the end I got my charges and the costs paid back.
I've since been told that I was entitled to claim £5 for each letter I had to write.
Is there anyone out there who can verify this, it would be useful for anyone else wanting to claim.

[inmypocketnottheirs]

Co-Op Bank
Amount Claimed £1331.50
Amount Paid £1331.50

Wrote to the Co-op explaining their charges were punitive fees and therefore irrecoverable and not recognised in court.

Paid up in full, took about 3 weeks.

[MandaMango]

Success after three letters!

1st Letter - as template in library claiming £529
Result - £100.00 'Goodwill Gesture'
2nd Letter - (after keeping the goodwill gesture in my account long enough to get a tiny bit of interest from it) Bit more personal asking them to remove the 'Goodwill Gesture' and asking again for my charges to be refunded.
Result - A letter with no offer in it (they didn't remove the money from my account)
3rd Letter - similar to the 1st letter
Result - a £450 refund after I have signed the letter stating that I have no other claim against the bank regarding my current account charges and they still haven't removed the £100 'Goodwill gesture!) so hopefully a total of £550.00 refunded

Next on the list - my credit card I've had for six years from being 18!

My advice is to keep to your guns and sit tight!!!
Many thanks to everyone on this forum!

[ruthiejane]

Bank: First Direct
Amount Reclaimed: £2785
Amount they paid: £2785 + 120 court fees
The story: Lots of great help from the consumer action group. Wrote and asked for the money back, wrote and told them I would go to court if I didn't get the money back, issued claim through www.moneyclaim.co.uk(?), was offered half back, refused, offered full refund.

[bookworm1363]

I am posting this on behalf of Seminole, Moderator on the ConsumerActionGroup:

£ 10.235

from Abbey.


.

[camkick]

Alliance & Leicester Bank
£2848.62 inc court Charges
full amount paid

Received cheque yesterday for charges had to file claim in Count Court
Thanks Martin for putting me onto this xxxx

Hope I've posted this in the right place

[Frugal Fox]

Bank: Lloyds TSB
Amount Reclaimed: £2082
Amount they paid: £2082
The story: Sent letters as per Consumer Action Group, filed claim with MoneyClaim - received notice of intent to defend, and Court Allocation Questionaire - paid additional Court Allocation fee (£100) then received letter from banks solicitors offering to settle out of court for claim and court costs.

[southernscouser]

Can I suggest that this is posted in the Debt Free Wannabee board aswell (if poss) as we have/had loads of people claiming unfair charges?