Reclaiming bank charges, Should i do it?

kainzow

Hi, I recently put a complaint to the bank about a packaged account. i am currently waiting on a final decision in regards to this...
I am also considering making a complaint to the bank about unfair over draft charges and other charges.
I have gone through all my statements and basically just added up all my charges over the last 7 years (when i opened account)
Below is a copy past from my calculator of my last 7 years charges


5 + 1.34 + 5 + 4.07 + 3.78 + 5 + 4.04 + 5 + 3.93 + 5 + 3.6 + 5 + 3.9 + 5 + 3.82 + 15 + 5 + 2.15 + 2.31 + 20 + 5 + 3.25 + 80 + 6 + 3.59 + 15 + 20 + 6 + 3.4 + 20 + 6 + 2.92 + 40 + 10 + 6 + 3.47 + 20 + 6 + 2.92 + 40 + 10 + 6 + 2.27 + 25 + 10 + 6 + 2.73 + 70 + 10 + 6 + 2.97 + 80 + 26 + 3.11 + 80 + 26 + 2.04 + 10 + 26 + 4.01 + 106 + 5.09 + 10 + 0.35 + 2.45 + 71 + 3.91 + 70 + 66 + 5.2 + 40 + 20 + 10 + 6 + 4.72 + 80 + 20 + 6 + 4.02 + 80 + 20 + 20 + 6 + 354 + 86 + 4.01 + 76 + 364 + 80 + 30 + 6 + 2.45 + 70 + 10 + 6 + 3.48 + 106 + 2.16 + 6 + 2.57 + 56 + 2.81 + 106 + 2.87 + 106 + 3.5 + 26 + 4.46 + 20 + 6 + 4.67 + 86 + 4.43 + 86 + 5.89 + 80 + 20 + 10 + 6 + 6.78 + 96 + 50.67 + 1.8 + 11 + 29.19 + 18.05 + 16 + 70.5 + 38.38 + 36 + 3.72 + 15 + 30 + 6 + 61.05 + 1.37 + 6 + 6 + 7.53 + 7.53 + 1.83 + 21 + 1.47 + 6 + 7.14 + 6 + 7.57 + 6 + 6.64 + 60 + 6 + 6 + 12.77 + 46 + 5.87 + 22.1 + 11 + 66 + 7.44 + 0.92 + 0.29 + 0.29 + 0.26 + 0.83 + 0.86 + 0.91 + 0.82 + 0.91 + 0.92 + 0.92 + 0.92 + 0.92 + 0.53 + 0.53 + 1.7 + 0.78 + 0.81 + 0.06 + 0.49 + 0.73 + 0.88 + 1.87 + 6 + 0.82 + 0.77 + 0.77 + 0.32 + 0.47 + 0.52 + 0.62 + 0.66 + 0.32 - 0.43 + 0.65 + 0.78 + 0.91 + 0.68 + 0.68 + 0.69 + 0.69 + 0.26 + 0.46 + 0.3 + 0.43 + 0.57 + 0.6 + 0.63 + 1.84 + 0.92 + 0.59 + 0.68 + 0.68 + 0.78 + 0.8 + 0.2 + 0.46 + 0.34 + 0.67 + 0.73 + 0.83 + 1.81 + 0.62 + 0.64 + 0.67 + 0.91 + 0.92 + 0.88 + 0.9 + 0.62 + 1.26 + 0.73 + 0.87 + 0.88 + 0.9 + 1.42 + 0.78 + 0.87 + 0.92 + 0.91 + 0.92 + 1.84 + 0.61 + 0.65 + 0.77 + 0.84 + 0.81 + 0.92
TOTAL £4214.77 (Around £50 a month when averaged out)

Im not sure if i would qualify to claim or not.
i have been in my overdraft for 78 out of the 84 months
i have been over planned over draft at least 48 times
it was often charges from previous months that would put me over my planned over draft limit causing charges.


I would also like to know if it would be better to wait to pursue a complaint until the Packaged account complaint is settled?
Any help or input would be greatly appreciated

dunstonh

I am also considering making a complaint to the bank about unfair over draft charges and other charges.

Dont waste your time. The minute you say "unfair" they will reject it stating the 2009 court case that ruled in their favour. You are 9 years out of date.

The only time banks consider bank charges is where you are in current financial hardship. However, even then, refunding some of the last few months charges is just one of the options open to them. Other things such as suspending charges for the next 3 months or putting you into a debt management plan are things they can use.

You have wasted your time finding out your past charges. Banks dont need to be told this.

[Deleted User]

kainzow wrote: »

5 + 1.34 + 5 + 4.07 + 3.78 + 5 + 4.04 + 5 + 3.93 + 5 + 3.6 + 5 + 3.9 + 5 + 3.82 + 15 + 5 + 2.15 + 2.31 + 20 + 5 + 3.25 + 80 + 6 + 3.59 + 15 + 20 + 6 + 3.4 + 20 + 6 + 2.92 + 40 + 10 + 6 + 3.47 + 20 + 6 + 2.92 + 40 + 10 + 6 + 2.27 + 25 + 10 + 6 + 2.73 + 70 + 10 + 6 + 2.97 + 80 + 26 + 3.11 + 80 + 26 + 2.04 + 10 + 26 + 4.01 + 106 + 5.09 + 10 + 0.35 + 2.45 + 71 + 3.91 + 70 + 66 + 5.2 + 40 + 20 + 10 + 6 + 4.72 + 80 + 20 + 6 + 4.02 + 80 + 20 + 20 + 6 + 354 + 86 + 4.01 + 76 + 364 + 80 + 30 + 6 + 2.45 + 70 + 10 + 6 + 3.48 + 106 + 2.16 + 6 + 2.57 + 56 + 2.81 + 106 + 2.87 + 106 + 3.5 + 26 + 4.46 + 20 + 6 + 4.67 + 86 + 4.43 + 86 + 5.89 + 80 + 20 + 10 + 6 + 6.78 + 96 + 50.67 + 1.8 + 11 + 29.19 + 18.05 + 16 + 70.5 + 38.38 + 36 + 3.72 + 15 + 30 + 6 + 61.05 + 1.37 + 6 + 6 + 7.53 + 7.53 + 1.83 + 21 + 1.47 + 6 + 7.14 + 6 + 7.57 + 6 + 6.64 + 60 + 6 + 6 + 12.77 + 46 + 5.87 + 22.1 + 11 + 66 + 7.44 + 0.92 + 0.29 + 0.29 + 0.26 + 0.83 + 0.86 + 0.91 + 0.82 + 0.91 + 0.92 + 0.92 + 0.92 + 0.92 + 0.53 + 0.53 + 1.7 + 0.78 + 0.81 + 0.06 + 0.49 + 0.73 + 0.88 + 1.87 + 6 + 0.82 + 0.77 + 0.77 + 0.32 + 0.47 + 0.52 + 0.62 + 0.66 + 0.32 - 0.43 + 0.65 + 0.78 + 0.91 + 0.68 + 0.68 + 0.69 + 0.69 + 0.26 + 0.46 + 0.3 + 0.43 + 0.57 + 0.6 + 0.63 + 1.84 + 0.92 + 0.59 + 0.68 + 0.68 + 0.78 + 0.8 + 0.2 + 0.46 + 0.34 + 0.67 + 0.73 + 0.83 + 1.81 + 0.62 + 0.64 + 0.67 + 0.91 + 0.92 + 0.88 + 0.9 + 0.62 + 1.26 + 0.73 + 0.87 + 0.88 + 0.9 + 1.42 + 0.78 + 0.87 + 0.92 + 0.91 + 0.92 + 1.84 + 0.61 + 0.65 + 0.77 + 0.84 + 0.81 + 0.92
TOTAL £4214.77

A very imaginative post. I hope you didn't send that to the bank.:eek:

As stated in the earlier response, you aren't entitled to even one penny of that back I'm afraid.The banks won their court case on Bank Charges in 2009.

In fact, I would expect the Bank to want you to go onto a debt management plan in response to any complaint you might make about these charges.

If you are continually living in your overdraft, you might be wise to post your Statement Of Affairs (SOA) over on the DebtFreeWannabe section of this forum. There are people there who can help you budget far more effectively;
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/forumdisplay.php?f=76

kainzow

well i did the totaling for my peace of mind. and to see on paper how much overdraft was costing me. turns out that its a 50% APR loan if you don't go over the planned overdraft.
the bank has actually sent me an unexplained large cheque last year (about £1400). it only just stated that they had reviewed my account and found that I had been treated unfairly. so the premise has already been set by my bank in my opinion, especially as my bank have not put any restrictions on complaining or claiming what ever you want to call it. but i wonder if i should wait until the other complaint is resolved?
i know either way i will just look like a complainer to my bank and i;m not really bothered about this. i don't plan to use them again

dunstonh

Its not what you look like but what you complain about.

After the banks won the court case in 2009, bank charge reclaims died a death. The FOS wont consider them either. The exception is financial hardship. The minute you say "unfair" to them, that gets the supreme court response.

kainzow

so in essence i would be trying to get refunded excessive charges during period / Periods of financial hardship. as apposed to trying to claim unfair charges. i think i understand.
I think i will wait till my other complaint has concluded , unless multiple complaints is common practice and they bundle this sort of stuff together.

[Deleted User]

kainzow wrote: »

so in essence i would be trying to get refunded excessive charges during period / Periods of financial hardship. as apposed to trying to claim unfair charges. i think i understand.

No.

No.

No.

The criteria is CURRENT Financial Hardship, not "periods" of it from the past. Read again the responses you have received so far.

Any "unexplained" refund you may have received recently does not set any kind of precedent.
If you didn't understand the reason behind said refund, why don't you ask the bank to explain it in more detail?

By all means wait for the uncertain result of your packaged account complaint, but if you then make a complaint about actual charges that are not causing current Financial Hardship you can be sure it will be rejected.

kainzow

So, 2 days after complaining about my packaged bank they have refunded me 1600 pounds! directly into my account.
i will continue to pursue in regards to overdraft charges, but i am less hopeful after your words about that.

dunstonh

PBA is the easy part. If you get a refund on unfair bank charges, you would have a lot of media interest around you as there have only been two known cases since 2009. Both involved the courts and had unusual circumstances (including a lady being locked in the bank interview room).