Card charges claimback

distant_smile

Hi all. I am trying to find out some information regarding unfair credit card charges. I used to have a credit card and ran into problems so I used a debt handling company to help. They resolved with my bank (Lloyds TSB) that I would pay a certain amount on a certain date.

I was paying £25 per month. But each month they hit me with £12 interest charges and a £12 late fee, even though I had a separate agreement for the pay date. Therefore only £1 was coming off my bill each month. I challenged my debt handling company and they told me it was out of their hands and to take it up with the bank.

I eventually paid the debt with a lump sum and closed the card down. I left it thinking I would challenge it, but life got in the way as it always seems to do. I decided recently to challenge it after an article I read of Martin's, but this happened within the last 10 years, and it states that the banks will go back 6 years.

I was wondering if anyone had been able to go back further, as this is not like a standard unfair charges case, I feel I was unfairly mistreated when at my most vulnerable.

Any help/opinions would be great

Regards
Ds

[Deleted User]

distant_smile wrote: »

Hi all. I am trying to find out some information regarding unfair credit card charges. I used to have a credit card and ran into problems so I used a debt handling company to help. They resolved with my bank (Lloyds TSB) that I would pay a certain amount on a certain date.

I was paying £25 per month. But each month they hit me with £12 interest charges and a £12 late fee, even though I had a separate agreement for the pay date. Therefore only £1 was coming off my bill each month. I challenged my debt handling company and they told me it was out of their hands and to take it up with the bank.

I eventually paid the debt with a lump sum and closed the card down. I left it thinking I would challenge it, but life got in the way as it always seems to do. I decided recently to challenge it after an article I read of Martin's, but this happened within the last 10 years, and it states that the banks will go back 6 years.

I was wondering if anyone had been able to go back further, as this is not like a standard unfair charges case, I feel I was unfairly mistreated when at my most vulnerable.

Any help/opinions would be great

Regards
Ds

As per your other thread, I have now advised you there is a board dedicated to reclaiming bank & credit card charges here:
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/forumdisplay.php?f=102

As per the MSE article, charges of £12 and less are not automatically classed as unfair, so you will almost certainly have to fight such a case in court.
However as it also says:

You can go back six years in England and Wales or five years in Scotland; these time periods are limited by law.

http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/reclaim/credit-card-charges

Not your day today is it? :cool:

distant_smile

Sorry I thought I had posted this in the other board . I just wondered if anyone had tried going back further and been successful? I think a £24 charge of a £25 payment is way beyond unfair, it just seems unfair that the banks can get away with it, I appreciate I have left it late, but I didn't really know my choices until I stumbled upon Martin's site.

I guess I can either try it and see whether anything happens or just write it off to another win for the big banks.

Regards,
Ds

[Deleted User]

distant_smile wrote: »

Sorry I thought I had posted this in the other board . I just wondered if anyone had tried going back further and been successful? I think a £24 charge of a £25 payment is way beyond unfair, it just seems unfair that the banks can get away with it, I appreciate I have left it late, but I didn't really know my choices until I stumbled upon Martin's site.

I guess I can either try it and see whether anything happens or just write it off to another win for the big banks.

Regards,
Ds

Sorry, I thought you said it was £12 late payment charge and £12 interest on the amount borrowed. As you were supposedly paying £25 a month, then it sounds like you owed a lot more than £25.

As I said, £12 late payment fees are not automatically considered unfair and so you would almost certainly have to prove such allegation in court. But as it was over 6 years ago, you're too late.