Speeding up claim due to hardship?!

lilysgarden

Hi all,

After looking at Martin Lewis' info on how to claim back unfair bank charges, I believed I was classed as suffering financial hardship because of it. Basically, HSBC have charged me £600 since October last year and I've just realised the bank is going to charge me a further £75 (Haven't actually worked out what for yet!).

I used the template on the site to send a letter and sent it off, and thankfully received a reply within 14 days. Quite possibly THE ONLY bit of good service I've received from HSBC in the last 5 years, but anyway....

Sadly the response was the standard reply that they send out to everyone. So basically I could be waiting years along with everyone else for my claim to be even looked at. But I was under the impression that if I was charged over £500 in any 12 month period, it could be classed as hardship. Is this right? Also, at the time the charges started being applied, I was only working part time after graduating and soon after, I was out of work for about 2 months while waiting to start a new job. Even after explaining my situation to them countless times, they did nothing to help and continued charging either £50 or £25 for going over my overdraft limit etc.

Are they supposed to class this as a financial hardship case? And if so, how do I reply to the letter making this clear to them?

Thanks in advance, Nikki

Orford

But I was under the impression that if I was charged over £500 in any 12 month period, it could be classed as hardship.

No, it's just one point from the FSA waiver directions that the bank will take into account: in making an assessment of financial difficulty.

Generally unless you have priority debt arrears, they are unlikely to classify you as FH.