advice needed please guys!

big_jeffstar

hey everyone!, please bear with me with this story, it goes back many years, and i'll try to keep it as brief as possible ,
basically i'm wondering if i have a case for bank charges to take forward to the ombudsman,
Around 13 years ago (at the tender age of 18... oh what i'd give to go back haha) i fell into a very turbulent situation with my bank (HSBC) I was using my card to buy basic daily things, unaware that everytime i was doing so i was then being charged ridiculous amounts, for example i remember once being charged £35 for buying a £2.00 packet of cigarettes! my situation got worse and worse as i lost my job around the same time, but i was still able to use my card, I ended up being called into my local branch to talk about how i intended on paying back the charges, i was around £1500 in the minus at the time and i was advised that they would offer me a lifeline by taking out a loan to clear my account back to zero, then pay the bank back (plus interest of course) .. i was so scared of being declared bankrupt at 18 that i just took whatever option they gave me.
then the whole bank charges thing became a huge thing, and i heard stories of people being able to claim them all back!..excited at the prospect of finally being able to claim back the unfair charges, i started preparing a case, requested all of my charges and ended up with a huge file of statements highlighting over £2000 of charges over the two year period. Then just as i was about to submit my case (this was long before money saving expert made it so easy) the courts ruled in favour of the banks and my bank told me they weren't accepting anymore cases,

It's stuck with me for years, i can't believe how i let a bank push me into such a terrible financial situation, then convince me to take a loan out to put the situation right.. it's something i would never have stood for if i'd have the knowledge i do now of course, and unfortunately i was too ashamed to tell my parents at the time, but i'm not sure whether i still have a case to now put forward to the ombudsman, or was this all too long ago to worry about now? i just can't help but think it's something i should pursue..

any advice would be greatly appreciated

-taff

Firstly, you put yourself in that situation because you didn't look at your statements, or stop spending money and you were afraid of being bankrupt so you borrowed more money.

Secondly, the only thing you can do now, is complain about the PPI attached to the loan if there was any, because in all likliehood, it was single premium.

Thirdly, well done on having a more responsible attitude to money now.


Fourthly, the ombudsman can do nothing about your spending habits 13 years ago.