Claim back any unfair bank charges! Article Discussion Area

jackiebrown_2

Hello all,

First many many thanks for posting the guide on how to reclaim bank charges. LlloydsTSB have caused me a lot of misery with my student account over the past 8 years and to get back at them in some way even if fails - feels good. After reading your guide, I went as far back as possible with my statements on the LloydsTSB site (July 2002) and compiled a list of my bank charges which totalled £1100 in charges. My query is: Are all the following bank charge types fair game for me to try to reclaim them?(lifted straight from my statements):

CHG! O/DRAFT INTEREST!
CHG! O/DRAFT EXCESS FEE!
CHG! UNPAID D/D!




Thanks !

MrJuggles

With 871 replies in this thread I'm probably going to ask a question that's already been asked, so forgive me.
I'm thinking of pursuing my bank for overdraft charges. Currently though I am £355 over drawn with them. To get a full statement it will cost me £5 (resonable) but the bank told me I need to get my account back to below my "approved" over draft limit, which is £300. So that means I'm going to have to find about £65 before I can go ahead with the rest of this claim.
However, my wife thinks that me paying this £65 will look bad againts the payplan we are just in the process of setting up, that it will look like we have more money than we declared, which we really really don't. But I think that to pay this £65 to get what must be at least £2000 is a bablance I want to take.
Any thoughts on this? The bank says they won't accept any other payment methods except straight from my account.
Also, someone suggested that these fees can be applied to credit card late fees too, would that apply to store cards as well? Would I be able to apply the same process to my Ikea card that keeps charging me £20 everytime a fee is late.
Any thoughts would be appreciated.

taz811

I'm hoping someone can give me some advice as I don't know what to do next. I have some fairly hefty debts but had never had a problem with my bank until recently, they always paid everything out and just charged me (a lot of) bank charges every month. A few weeks ago I decided I ought to try and stop the snowballing bank charges, so they agreed to extend my overdraft temporarily but (in hindsight) wanted it repaying far too quickly. Of course I was unable to keep within the limits and they have been returning all my direct debits and charging me £37.50 every time, which obviously is compounding all my problems. I would like to try and reclaim all my bank charges for the last few years but they are already threatening to close my account, and I have a hefty loan with them. Has anyone any advice please? I'm at my wits end, I wish I had never tried to be 'sensible', how can they justify what they are doing?

oldwiring

Aren't there at least two issue here, taz811? the charges where you may have a right to be aggrieved, and the conduct of your financial affairs including those cwith your bank, where the babk is clearly regretting the accomodations it has given you, because of your behaviour. I, for one, would be very interested how you arrived at the sate you are now in, but have difficulty in believing it is all down to charges made.

I'll leave aside advice on the charges matter, but of the threat to close your account I make this observation, Just as you may choose who to deal with, so may the bank. Just as you may try whatever means are available to you, so may the bank. You talk of wishing you had never tried to be sensible, but perhaps if you had been sensible long before now, your situation would be much better.Sorry if it offends, chum, but thre is my opinion.

You talk of wishing you had never tried to be sensible, but perhaps if you had been sensible long before now, your situation would be much better.

Although I will seem rather harsh, I do hope that eventually you will recover from your predicament, both dor your sake and your partner.

stopthespends

i made an online purchase in sept 05 for £238 on my gold hsbc card...immediately i was called and they said they had put a stop to the ttransaction as it was unusual spending.... i asked if i need to reorder and they said yes as the order had been stopped.


however when i checked statement both oreders had gone through and i only recieved 1 lot of goods.

numerous calls to hsbc and letters later i recieved the cash back into my current account but that was in APRIL this year!!!!

ive tried to call them re compensation (thanks to this site!) but the women ii get have very very pooor english...


do you think i have ground for compensation? whats the best way to do it?

i presume i can claim back interest for the 7months at 14% and also i want money for the calls and inconvienience!

please help!!!

bookworm1363

taz811 wrote:

I'm hoping someone can give me some advice as I don't know what to do next. I have some fairly hefty debts but had never had a problem with my bank until recently, they always paid everything out and just charged me (a lot of) bank charges every month. A few weeks ago I decided I ought to try and stop the snowballing bank charges, so they agreed to extend my overdraft temporarily but (in hindsight) wanted it repaying far too quickly. Of course I was unable to keep within the limits and they have been returning all my direct debits and charging me £37.50 every time, which obviously is compounding all my problems. I would like to try and reclaim all my bank charges for the last few years but they are already threatening to close my account, and I have a hefty loan with them. Has anyone any advice please? I'm at my wits end, I wish I had never tried to be 'sensible', how can they justify what they are doing?

Well, I'll do the opposite of previous poster, as I don't feel that it is my place, or anyone else's for that matter, to criticise how you run your account, none of my business, really.

If they are threatening to close your account, I suggest you write to them VERY QUICKLY to get the ball rolling and get your charges back, making it very clear that any amounts you owe are as of now in dispute. They can't default you or close you down while the amounts are in dispute. At the end of this road, when you get your money back, it is likely AND advisable to get the money paid into your account where it will immediately absorb a part (most? who knows?) of your debt. My advice is then to immediately get the bank to reduce your o/d limit accordingly.

The loan is a separate financial arrangement, and as long as you keep up with the repayments, there is no reason why they should call you on it.

Click on my sig, register there, we have free templates and 37 000 people going through the same kind of issues.

bookworm1363

louley wrote:

i made an online purchase in sept 05 for £238 on my gold hsbc card...immediately i was called and they said they had put a stop to the ttransaction as it was unusual spending.... i asked if i need to reorder and they said yes as the order had been stopped.


however when i checked statement both oreders had gone through and i only recieved 1 lot of goods.

numerous calls to hsbc and letters later i recieved the cash back into my current account but that was in APRIL this year!!!!

ive tried to call them re compensation (thanks to this site!) but the women ii get have very very pooor english...


do you think i have ground for compensation? whats the best way to do it?

i presume i can claim back interest for the 7months at 14% and also i want money for the calls and inconvienience!

please help!!!

TBH, I think you're in the wrong thread... This one is for reclaiming unlawful bank charges. I think you'd be better off starting a separate thread, you'll get more exposure, as I think most people who look on this one are not the ones who will be able to help with your problem.

bookworm1363

MrJuggles wrote:

I'm thinking of pursuing my bank for overdraft charges. Currently though I am £355 over drawn with them. To get a full statement it will cost me £5 (resonable) but the bank told me I need to get my account back to below my "approved" over draft limit, which is £300. So that means I'm going to have to find about £65 before I can go ahead with the rest of this claim.
However, my wife thinks that me paying this £65 will look bad againts the payplan we are just in the process of setting up, that it will look like we have more money than we declared, which we really really don't. But I think that to pay this £65 to get what must be at least £2000 is a bablance I want to take.
Any thoughts on this? The bank says they won't accept any other payment methods except straight from my account.
Also, someone suggested that these fees can be applied to credit card late fees too, would that apply to store cards as well? Would I be able to apply the same process to my Ikea card that keeps charging me £20 everytime a fee is late.
Any thoughts would be appreciated.

The bank (which bank?) can not dictate where you pay them from, and this stinks of trying to put you off.
Click on my sig, register there, we have templates for SARs under the DPA, and a step-by-step, but I'll explain briefly: If you make a request under the DPA, and enclose the £5 (can be up to £10, but they've said £5, so £5 it is) payment -not cash!-, they can NOT refuse it, and the 40 days given them by law to provide them with the info starts from receipt of payment.

Credit cards as well, yes. And as an advance warning, do no let them tell offer you the difference betwen £12 and whatever it is they've charged you, which is the latest cost damage limitation they are trying out. Oh, and store cards too. I got money back from Ikea.

stopthespends

ok thanks for the quick reply...i'll look elsewhere... thanks again

bookworm1363

jackiebrown wrote:

CHG! O/DRAFT INTEREST!
CHG! O/DRAFT EXCESS FEE!
CHG! UNPAID D/D!

excess fee - yes.
unpaid d/d - yes.
o/d interest - not sure. It deopends if it is UNAUTHORISED o/d or AUTHORISED. The former, you can reclaim, the latter, you can't. Well, the part of it which arose from the charges, you could, but it is very difficult to work out which is which and tbh, I don't bother.