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Leebcoward

Hey guys..Check out page 39 of the Mirror today! Im famous!

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/money/mirrormoney/tm_method=full&objectid=19401752&siteid=89520-name_page.html

MIRROR MONEY

SHOWDOWN

BANKS CAVE IN ON RIP-OFF OVERDRAFT CHARGES RATHER THAN FACE COURT

04/07/2007

• More Mirror Money

BANKS are caving in and dishing out refunds worth thousands of pounds to avoid risky court showdowns over rip-off charges.
And today could be another big day in the battle against unauthorised overdraft charges.
A judge at Hull County Court is due to hear more than 40 claims from customers hit by excessive charges when they dipped in to the red. <NOSCRIPT></NOSCRIPT>

A top barrister, backed by the campaigning Consumer Action Group, will be on hand to represent anyone whose case makes it to court.
However, some of these claims have already been dropped after banks paid out to avoid going to court.
Last week in Leeds more than 250 cases were due to be heard in the mercantile court. But hours before they were due to start the majority were called off.
Operations manager Lee Coward, from Leeds, won back £2,700 from Yorkshire Bank. In a frantic last 24 hours lawyers for the bank raced to reach a settlement.
Lee, 32, spent the day swapping faxes as he haggled for compensation on top of his claim.
"I could see that they were desperate not to go to court," said Lee. "They had wasted my time and the court's time so on top of what I was owed I claimed a self-litigation fee.
"They paid it. I never got the feeling they planned to go to court. They were just seeing if I had the courage to take them on."
Like many Lee does not object to paying a small price when he slips in to the red. But Lee, who has two Yorkshire accounts, was astonshed to be hit with £80 charges after accidentally taking money from the wrong one.
The bank wrote to him and said he was being charged £8 a day, plus £35 in charges. Lee, who lives with his wife Melanie and daughter Elise, immediately put money in the account. But a further £8 charge for that day took him overdrawn again.
He pleaded with the bank that he had acted responsibly. But they still docked more than £100 from his account. Lee said: "I was frustrated. No one would talk to me.
"It was because they treated me so badly I decided to claim back every charge they had given me over the last six years.
"I was happy paying charges, but then when I looked in to it I realised it was all a bit of a con.
"They were picking my pocket for years and I was letting it happen."
Lee's situation is not unique. Others scheduled to go to court on Thursday also had dramatic last-minute payouts.
Many were with Lloyds TSB, others included Nationwide building society and Halifax.
Most won back all their charges, plus interest of eight per cent.
Many had also claimed a self-litigation fee of around £230.
Courts have been flooded with complaints since the battle to reclaim unfair charges gained momentum. Judges have so many cases that they are trying to deal with dozens on the same day.
Money Claim, the website of the small claims court, is being upgraded to cope with the flood of cases. It has put up a message advising those hoping to reclaim charges to first try the Financial Ombudsman Service. It is receiving 3,500 complaints a week.
So far the Ombudsman has not had to rule on any cases because, just like in the courts, banks are backing down before a decision has to be made.
If you take your bank to court you will have to pay a fee. The more money you claim back, the higher the fee. But you will get this back if you win or the case is settled.
With the Ombudsman you pay nothing. It also has the power to award compensation if you can prove you have suffered distress or inconvenience. "The message is don't be put off by their bullying," says Marc Gander from the Consumer Action Group.
"Hold your nerve. The banks aren't making it easy to win back charges but most people are still successful."

LozBingley

Leebcoward wrote: »

"I could see that they were desperate not to go to court," said Lee. "They had wasted my time and the court's time so on top of what I was owed I claimed a self-litigation fee."

"They paid it. I never got the feeling they planned to go to court. They were just seeing if I had the courage to take them on."

Well done mate

Wiggynut

:T congratulations and well done!!! :T

But what does this mean - 'Many had also claimed a self-litigation fee of around £230'.

BEAUCHAMP_3

What a great inspirational story.

Hopefully this will encourage more people to claim and to give those who are the confidence to go on.

I've got a feeling we will be hearing alot more about these self-litigation fees aswell.

Very well done!!!!!

SUGARSPICE

Leebcoward

Excellent!

teller38

well done fella made my claim even more important to me and my family

**it or bust is the way ahead!!!!!!

Leebcoward

I think self litigation fees are the way forward, the fact the bank left it until the death to settle means I spent nearly 30 hours on research and preperation for court. I charged them £9.25 per hour for this (max rate allowed) but if you have records you should try for paper, ink, the lot!! Good luck.

Should anyone require a template of my demand for these charges feel free to ask and I will sort you out YB paid within 1 hour of my fax!

badass1

phew....hi mate im just goin through prosess with yb was gettin worried cos none ov the fees paid back by banks were from yb???? wil stick to my guns and sucsess provails hopefully cheers

BWDSKi

Download HERE

princesskez26

Well done Lee !!!!