SMILE - £10 charge for each old statement page????

jaype

Hi - just doing my accounts as am self employed and my accountant would like to see the year's bank statements. My former accountant never asked for this but it makes sense in order to be thorough and not get a nasty surprise later from the IR! However, I'm with smile - apparently they only keep a year of statements online and then you have to request any other ones. But get this - they want £10 a PAGE!!!!:eek: I'm glad I only need 3 pages - but my oh is in the same boat, so it's a big chunk.

Can they really do this, and how can I get this reduced to a reasonable figure? Thanks :beer:

jonesMUFCforever

I think they can only charge you £10 for the lot.

skyrider007

outrageous fee! I bank with HSBC and they have never charged me for duplicate copy of statement.

System

jaype wrote: »

Hi - just doing my accounts as am self employed and my accountant would like to see the year's bank statements. My former accountant never asked for this but it makes sense in order to be thorough and not get a nasty surprise later from the IR! However, I'm with smile - apparently they only keep a year of statements online and then you have to request any other ones. But get this - they want £10 a PAGE!!!!:eek: I'm glad I only need 3 pages - but my oh is in the same boat, so it's a big chunk.

Can they really do this, and how can I get this reduced to a reasonable figure? Thanks :beer:

Try and put in a request under the Data Protection Act (DPA).

Now they don't have to supply the information to you in statement form but have to supply you all the details they hold about you, on request, in 'an intelligible form' - so it's just easier for them to supply statements, and they usually do.

A DPA request will cost you £10 for the lot, rather than per page. This is the maximum statutory fee they are allowed to charge.

Look at the Charges Reclaim thread for template letters adjusting the text where necessary.

Regards
UNDERGROUND

jaype

Thanks all - I remembered this morning that when I reclaimed my bank charges (only about £50 over five years - damn me for being so careful, I was looking forward to a windfall!) they provided years of statements for £10 in total. Cheeky so and sos. Just because they can't charge £25 when I go a penny overdrawn now, they think they can get away with robbery...

Paul_Herring

jaype wrote: »

Just because they can't charge £25 when I go a penny overdrawn now, they think they can get away with robbery...

Charging for statements per-page is not a new thing. When I had a Natwest account over 15 years ago I seem to recall they used to charge per page back then (only something I noticed, I never availed myself of this somewhat dubious service.)

jaype

Lloyds used to charge a max of £5 for computer print outs of old ones (this is circa 1998, long time since I severed links with them and my graduate account), but £30 is taking the mickey!

St8_2

Alliance and leicester tried it on with a friend, quoting over £350 at £5 per page for all bank statements since opening the account. Until they were told about the £10 DPA limit. I hope no one ever pays the first quote amount!

laurliemonkey

Unfortunately a lot of people do instantly fall for it when they ask for money per sheet, and the banks know that unless one frames it as a subject access request, they can get away with it. It makes me grrrr!

The_Affs

Maybe they're just trying to make you save paper.

Paul_Herring

The_Affs wrote: »

Maybe they're just trying to make you save paper.

This is banks we're talking about.