Claim back any unfair bank charges! Article Discussion Area

dinghy_2

dinghy wrote:

Many thanks to all on this board and indeed to Martin for all his hard work on this website in general.

Have requested information from Egg, Cahoot and First Direct so far. Egg seem to be behaving and have told me they will be providing the requested information within the next 4-5 days on the basis of a couple of secure-messages through their website.
Cahoot are playing silly games at the moment and "as a gesture of good will" will provide the information for £180 instead of £360 ! (£5 / statement for 6 years.) Informed them that they have a statutory obligation to provide said information for £10 and now a "Team co-ordinator" has taken "full ownership" of my "concerns" ! Will let you all know how they respond in future !
My reason for posting on here is primarily the response I have recieved from FirstDirect. They have said that they can only provide information for the past 3 years. I am sure that they must hold information for longer than this. Anyone got any suggestions / reasons for this ? Or any basis for me to insist that they must hold this information somewhere ?

Thanks in advance for any assistance anyone can give.

Small update... True to his word the Cahoot 'team co-ordinator' has now come back to me with a list of charges free of charge

Will let you know how I get on when I ask for these to be repaid !!!

Still waiting on FirstDirect and the printouts from Egg...

mjanet

michelefauk wrote:

Hi
Forgive me if this is in the wrong place as am very new to this!
Firstly, would like to say what a fantastic site, have recommended it to lots of people!
After having read and reread most of the info on claiming back charges, I have taken the plunge and decided to go for it. I reckon in the past year alone the Halifax have had at least a few hundred pounds off me. Hand delivered my letter asking for 6 years info on both accounts I hold with them (cardcash and current accounts) on Saturday 15th April along with cheque.
I have also registerd with the Bank Action Group site, but am unable to login, keeps bouncing me out, not sure what that is all about!
Anyway, wish me luck, am very very nervous about this (especially as i used to work for the Halifax albeit the estate Agents dept and know all the girls in the branch!)
Thanks again for a top site!
michele

At the bottom of the main page there is a ' contact us ' if you use that to let them know what problems you are having it will be sorted for you.If for any reason you can't access that form can you PM me your user name in there and I will look into it for you.

Sarahsaver

mjanet wrote:

You don't actually need to close or change accounts , you just open another account as a parachute account.

I don't really want to stay with them as they have messed me around so much, and the A&L has an interest free o/d for the 1st year which should be long enough to pay it off;)

dinghy_2

dinghy wrote:

Small update... True to his word the Cahoot 'team co-ordinator' has now come back to me with a list of charges free of charge

Will let you know how I get on when I ask for these to be repaid !!!

We do not accept that the cases that you mention apply in this situation or that cahoot's charges are unfair under the Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts Regulations 1999. The object of these Regulations was not price control nor were they intended to interfere with people's freedom to agree the terms of their contracts.

It is well known that banks make charges and cahoot's charges are in line with those of other banks. The terms and conditions of the account and the charges that apply are clear and fair and were provided to you at the time you opened it. You freely agreed to the terms and conditions and the charges when you opened the account. You were not under any obligation to do so and could have gone to another bank if you did not agree to the charges. Equally, you are free to move your account to another bank at any time if you do not agree with the charges.

In any event, we do not agree that the charges are disproportionate. The charges are reasonable and proportionate to the administrative costs incurred by cahoot.

Therefore, I will not be refunding any charges to your cahoot credit card account.

If you require any further assistance please do not hesitate to contact me.

Your sincerely

Spose at least they have been prompt !

Do you guys ('n' gals) think this is worth pursuing for £150 ???

bobsa1

Hope someone can help me with this. I issued a first notice detailing charges and asking for money back within 14 days (from the Bank action group site)

The 14 days have now expired and I need to send the next letter (letter before action)

I've been on the site and the letters seem to have changed. Am I going mad, just stupid or have they been updated?

If they have changed can I still send the letter before action(as per bank action website) even though my first letter was different to the one shown.

Sorry for the long post but really need help on this.

mjanet

bobsa1 wrote:

Hope someone can help me with this. I issued a first notice detailing charges and asking for money back within 14 days (from the Bank action group site)

The 14 days have now expired and I need to send the next letter (letter before action)

I've been on the site and the letters seem to have changed. Am I going mad, just stupid or have they been updated?

If they have changed can I still send the letter before action(as per bank action website) even though my first letter was different to the one shown.

Sorry for the long post but really need help on this.

Yes you can still send it .. it's just letters like that have to be updated when and where .So if something is identified then they will change the templates accordingly.

BooshBaby

Hi

I am very excited by all of this advice and can't wait to try and claim my money back from Assey National!!

They once charged me £20 for going £0.43 over my agreed overdraft limit and then had the cheek to charge me £20 the following month - because their charge took me over the agreed overdraft limit! They agreed to reverse one of the charges and put £20 straight back into my account - but lo and behold they've taken £20 again this month because the charge they agreed to waiver took me over! :mad:

I've given up talking to them so I can't wait to put this advice to use.

I have downloaded the template letter (stage one) - at which point do fill in the spreadsheet which calculates interest? I am correct in thinking that I only request the charge fees and not any interest incurred by the charges?

Has anybody gone as far as court and lost?

Kerry x

chipmunk

I originally posted this under its own thread on Budgeting and Current Accounts but I seem to have offended the "you shouldn't be so incompetent as to incur charges" brigade so I've re-posted it here ..... hope this is OK Mods.

I've not yet filed my claim with Abbey for a refund of charges because I'm still waiting for some copy statements.

However, I have just checked my account on line and I have been charged £30 for a rejected DD and £20 for an unauthorised overdraft (of £1.10!).

Anyway, I rang our friends in the call centre in Bangalore (or wherever) and requested that they refund these charges pronto as, I am sure they are aware, the charges are unfair and not enforceable in law. I was asked to hold a short while and Bingo ! - £50 quid back in my account in the blink of an eye (already showing on my online statement as well). :j

Got a little pep talk from her about making sure that my account is conducted in a manner so as to avoid further bank charges and that this refund was a goodwill gesture :rotfl:

Can't wait till I get all my info together re. past charges and then I'm really gonna whoop their !!!!!!


Chipmunk

mark_steps

Well the Bank Of Scotland has until Saturday to send me a letter accepting the charges i am due back, failing that its a letter before action.... I am getting worried now as what if i end up in court or something....eeek
x

miss_angie1

miss_angie v lloydsTSB
I have just received my letter stating Lloyds intend to defend my claim. They now have 28 days from 13.04.06 to file a defence!!! Watch this space.....