Open Letter To David Cameron - 25 AUG REPONSE NOW IN

Paddy_O'Moron

Well said, Martin.

I do feel that Cameron is jumping on a bandwagon, and that his sudden outburst of sympathy for millions of ripped-off bank customers is ill-timed and smacks slightly of opportunism. However, any support from the policitical end must be welcome.
Labour have sold us out to Big Business. Scarcely one aspect of our society is not controlled by massive multinational conglomerates. And these huge corporations are solely interested in profit. Lots and lots of profit. And when profit is the sole motive, customer service suffers. And in the case of the banks, these multinational conglomerates have profitted hugely, and the customers have suffered. It's no good Labour claiming they have instituted regulatory bodies to keep the banks on check. The FSA is toothless, and the banks ignore them, and the OFT. They are even getting close to being in contempt of the High Court. All they want is money. The easier the better.

Unless the banks get a good kicking, they will continue to find ways to prey on vulnerable targets in search of profit. Those vulnerable customers are the soft targets.

thejack1953

I am probably at odds with most of the posts here but I think it needs to be more balanced. Yes there are many cases of both unreasonable bank charges and selling of PPI. However there will also be many, many cases where individuals have knowingly miss used their bank accounts in full knowledge of the consequences. Also this may be the death knell of free banking which I for one have enjoyed for over 40 years. There may be a case of "throwing the baby out with the bath water” here? Have I paid bank charges over this period? Yes on occasions but I was aware of what I was doing and the consequences, surely there is an element of personal responsibility here? Also you paint a very black picture of PPI. What about recognising the many thousands of cases where this has genuinely helped? As I said not against the issue in principal, perhaps just a little more objectivity rather than jumping on the consumer bandwagon? And no I have no axe to grind, I am retired.

nhaslum

"Labour have sold us out to Big Business. Scarcely one aspect of our society is not controlled by massive multinational conglomerates."

sounds like something the Tories would approve of wholeheartedly.

WickedWend_2

Whilst I know the banks can be a bit heavy handed, everyone was aware that there were bank charges. If people spend money that they don't have then what do they expect, people need to take a bit of responsibility for what they do. If the banks have to repay this money we will all end up paying for it in one way or another whether it is reduced saving rates or increased borrowing rates. Why should I pay when I was responsible, didn't spend money I didn't have any hence did not incur charges?

There is a culture in this country that people think they are owed a living - you can only spend what you have or what you earn.

emma280981

Can someone advise? I have written my letters to reclaim my bank charges, what do i do now? Will the pay outs just start happening automatically or do i have to send another letter? Can anyone help?

Thanks Emma

Pat_Sparrow

Several people in this forum have expressed the attitude "People should be responsible - then they wouldn't get charges". Surely the real issue here is that the charges are hiked up to make it possible for the banks to offer 'free' banking. This of course means that the poorer sections of society with less of a financial safety net, who are likely to get 'caught' more often, are the ones supplementing the service for everyone else. The banks started doing this as a way of attracting new business, they all jumped on the bandwagon and we have and we now have gross injustice. The justification of these bank charges is that "it is in the contract", and the government and the FSA have let it happen. I am sure none of us mind paying a reasonable charge but penalty charges as they are surely cannot even remotely be justified! Why shouldn't we all pay for the service of banking - maybe if the 'responsible' section of society paid for their services 'they' would not have let the banks off so lightly.

Scotty501_2

Sorry Martin but saying to the above that his reply comes 3 years too late seems a bit of a silly comment from you. The government of this country has been in the hands of the LABOUR PARTY for the last 14 years

I dont see the point of the above post and I find it frustrating that people are complaining about Martin's letter to "Dave" Do you not think he know that labour have been in power for 14 years?

If this highlights what looks like to be an illegal practice then applaud him for doing so - I would not care if he approached the Church of England - if it highlights an unfair practice then you do what is needed.

As he said previously - Martin has tried and tried to bring this issue up with Gordon Brown with no success. The Tories are the opposition goverment and it's logical to approach them as such. More over, if the Tories do reach power - then the seed has been sewn.

If nothing else, if this forces the issue further into Polictical debate, as well as public debate - I shout Here! Here! Not.... "Why say this?" and crictize the attempt...

Widelats

WickedWend wrote: »

Whilst I know the banks can be a bit heavy handed, everyone was aware that there were bank charges. If people spend money that they don't have then what do they expect, people need to take a bit of responsibility for what they do. If the banks have to repay this money we will all end up paying for it in one way or another whether it is reduced saving rates or increased borrowing rates. Why should I pay when I was responsible, didn't spend money I didn't have any hence did not incur charges?

There is a culture in this country that people think they are owed a living - you can only spend what you have or what you earn.

People want the charge to reflect the own charge - being charged £39 for a £1 overdraw is a little bit criminal, ESPECIALLY WHEN THOSE ON BENEFITS ONLY GET AROUND £55 PER WEEK TO LIVE ON FOR ESSENTIAL ITEMS AND BILLS, what don't you understand about it? Or maybe you do understand and just being obtuse.

jarussell1966

WickedWend wrote: »

Whilst I know the banks can be a bit heavy handed, everyone was aware that there were bank charges. If people spend money that they don't have then what do they expect, people need to take a bit of responsibility for what they do. If the banks have to repay this money we will all end up paying for it in one way or another whether it is reduced saving rates or increased borrowing rates. Why should I pay when I was responsible, didn't spend money I didn't have any hence did not incur charges?

There is a culture in this country that people think they are owed a living - you can only spend what you have or what you earn.

Im in total agreement, but as has been well stated the charges have been set at an irresponsible large amount. This in turn started an ever increasing amount of charges debt owed. During the period im claiming for i was a part time student with a low paid job which i had to take in order to live which was hard enough, then going slightly into the red the 333 quid charges started to appear, i didnt have five pound to spare never mind £33 then multiples of £33. Ive worked for my living and have the scars to prove it.

prgraham

Never mind the politics for a moment. First of all I fundamentally agree with the tenet of Martin's letter and that a basic moral wrong has been perpertrated when our personal funds have been plundered without permission. Perhaps we could turn the letter into a national crusade; a campaign or popular revolt, if you like.

But, before that's considered, I have to say I'm heartily sick of all the whingeing, whining hyperbole from people criticising the government when, for years and years, the vast majority of folk in the UK have thoroughly enjoyed the unfettered borrowing, revelled in the easy growing debt, purchased more material goods than previous generations could have dreamed of and, yes, even had a bit of spare cash to splash. So, come on, stop being critical. We loved it. We enjoyed the "good" times and didn't give a hoot about the implications....until now that it's all gone downhill. We soon forget, don't we?