How to get your bank charges refunded.

[Naetha]

I know lots of people have paid significant amounts in bank charges over the last 6 years, but these can now be reclaimed from the banks.

There is a step by step guide to how to do it on this page here which I hope people find useful.

Another tool for beating mounting credit card debts is to look at 0% balance transfer cards. This site also has a great guide to how to do this properly here.


I hope this sort of stuff helps - I don't know how many people are in the same situation as me and Lee, but I currently owe more than £5k on my credit card, and he has about £2k's worth of bank charges to reclaim, so its always worth a try

 

[elisera]

I'm not trying to start an argument and before I say anything I will admit that every situation is different and yes in some cases, refunds are justifiable BUT...

In my opinion, and experience as I work for a bank, charges applied are fair and should only be waived if a) there was an error made by the bank which caused the situation incurring the charge or b) there were extenuating circumstances for example you were in hospital for months on end and could not service your account properly...

Other than that, pay the charge and learn not to do it again.

 

[eggy]

If you're with Natwest, sleep with Xroo and he'll refund them.

 

[Naetha]

If you read the article, you'll find the reasons why they'll make the refunds. Several thousand people have now been given full refunds, and only one case has gone as far as a small claims court, where the bank lost.

These refunds are being made due to the Office of Fair Trading saying that disproportionate fines (i.e. fines for £35 for missing a payment when the admin charge it costs them is only £1.50) are wrong, and that you are able to get any disproportionate charges you paid in the last 6 years repaid.

 

[elisera]

If you read the article, you'll find the reasons why they'll make the refunds. Several thousand people have now been given full refunds, and only one case has gone as far as a small claims court, where the bank lost.

These refunds are being made due to the Office of Fair Trading saying that disproportionate fines (i.e. fines for £35 for missing a payment when the admin charge it costs them is only £1.50) are wrong, and that you are able to get any disproportionate charges you paid in the last 6 years repaid.

Sorry Couldn't read the article as I'm in work and jumping in and out of other things to post. Also the problem of disproportionate charges isn't really an issue over here in NI so I wasn't thinking about that.

Feel free to ignore

 

[Naetha]

I know I'm bumping an old thread, but we've just received £997 from Halifax in returned bank charges that were considered unlawful.

I'd really recommend anyone do this if they've ever had significant bank charges, even if its only £200, its worth it

 

[Serbitar]

I know I'm bumping an old thread, but we've just received £997 from Halifax in returned bank charges that were considered unlawful.

spread the wealth, buy me a pizza \o/

 

[Gamah]

I know I'm bumping an old thread, but we've just received £997 from Halifax in returned bank charges that were considered unlawful.

I'd really recommend anyone do this if they've ever had significant bank charges, even if its only £200, its worth it

Thanks I have payed over £500 in bank charges due to someone tryingto take out a DD no less than 10 times whilst I was on holiday. I will be doing this today! I always thought it wasn't right that they could take £35 for a bounced DD.

 

[Roalith]

www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum

Managed to get over £2700 back from Lloyds Bank myself using the information provided by that forum.

Soon adds up over a few years, I was :eek2: when I realised how much I'd been charged.

 

[Case]

One very important point. Read the notes! Can't stress this enough, if you jump in all guns blazing with no reading of the background notes you will screw up and the bank will note down that your a n00b and can be fooled with.

 

[Outlander]

can someone explain this to me a bit more, im a simpleton

 

[Mey]

The court case you talk about only won because the bank failed to send a defence because they couldn't be bothered.

and only one case has gone as far as a small claims court, where the bank lost.

Personally i think what people are doing is disgusting, why should you be allowed to go overdrawn when you haven't agreed it with the bank for free? Do we give criminals there lives back after punishing them for doing wrong?

If you miss your payment then you deserve to be fined.

 

[Gamah]

The court case you talk about only won because the bank failed to send a defence because they couldn't be bothered.



Personally i think what people are doing is disgusting, why should you be allowed to go overdrawn when you haven't agreed it with the bank for free? Do we give criminals there lives back after punishing them for doing wrong?

If you miss your payment then you deserve to be fined.

How about you fuck off? comparing me to a criminal because a payment bounced..fucking twat.

 

[Ryuno]

Think some people are missing the ball here. Its not giving you the entitlment to go overdrawn for free, or get all your money back. Its the difference between a huge fine, and what is now considered a "fair" fine.

If you read the article, you'll find the reasons why they'll make the refunds. Several thousand people have now been given full refunds, and only one case has gone as far as a small claims court, where the bank lost.

These refunds are being made due to the Office of Fair Trading saying that disproportionate fines (i.e. fines for £35 for missing a payment when the admin charge it costs them is only £1.50) are wrong, and that you are able to get any disproportionate charges you paid in the last 6 years repaid.

I think what Naetha said there explains it pretty clearly.

 

[cHodAX]

My sister got £850 back from Barclays this morning for excess bank charges made over the last 3 years. They are now also looking into the charges from the 5 years previous to that as well so she might be in for another nice cheque soon.

 

[Darksword]

Do we give criminals there lives back after punishing them for doing wrong?

yes.

 

[Roalith]

If you miss your payment then you deserve to be charged a reasonable amount, not approximately 2000% markup over costs in contravention of civil law.

Corrected

 

[Midnightangel]

I'm not trying to start an argument and before I say anything I will admit that every situation is different and yes in some cases, refunds are justifiable BUT...

In my opinion, and experience as I work for a bank, charges applied are fair and should only be waived if a) there was an error made by the bank which caused the situation incurring the charge or b) there were extenuating circumstances for example you were in hospital for months on end and could not service your account properly...

Other than that, pay the charge and learn not to do it again.

Just wanted to point out that it does not actually cost the banks anything apart from the 50p it costs to send an automated letter to you, so charging £35 is rediculous, i didnt get paid properly this month and had 3 direct debits bounce and have now been sent a bill from my bank saying they will take £280 from my acc for the direct debits bouncing.

 

[Trallisx]

Sorry to bump an old-ish thread.

Thanks to the links posted I've begun to claim my bank charges back.

I sent off my Subject Access Request letter in August to get my bank statments so I can total what I'm owed.

I'm normally pretty good with meeting payments, I have all my Direct Debits coming out 2-3 days after I'm paid.

The last few months though have been tough, the company I work for has struggled and for 2 months I was being paid by installments every now and again.

I contacted my bank to arrange a temporary O/D just to cover my DD's, S/O's etc. I was told in a polite way to sod off and look for another job that pays on time!

Without any certain way of getting cash into my account, I had my DD's bouncing left right and centre, each one costing £35 a time.

Over the 2 months the bank charges totalled over £500 and my credit history and rating in ruins.

It all could have been avoided if they had been a little bit more understanding but it's obvious that they are just looking to make money from this type of scam.

I'd urge anyone who has any charges against their accounts to claim them back. Banks are not our friends like they want us to see them as, they are just out to make profit from us.

 

[Eeben]

I'd urge anyone who has any charges against their accounts to claim them back. Banks are not our friends like they want us to see them as, they are just out to make profit from us.

im sorry but i really dont agree with you on this one Im only 19 so i dont know that much but when i have had money problems i have been abel to just mail my
bank or call them an tell them whats up an they have always been helpfull
Maybe its banks are differnt from country to country

 

[Roalith]

Maybe its banks are differnt from country to country

Got it in a nutshell. UK banks enjoy gouging their customers.

I assume you're a Scandinavian Eeben? One relatively well known difference between Swedish (I believe it is) and UK banks is in terms of transfers from one account to another.

From what I understand (and what reports over here have stated), if you transfer money from one account to another in Sweden it's done within a few hours at most.

If you do the same over here, it takes at least 4 days - in some cases 5. During that time, the bank is investing the cash and making profit from your money.

I also understand that Swedish banks don't charge you something on the order of 2000% - 4000% over what it costs them to return a direct debit when you don't have enough cash.

Trallisx - I post as Reload over on the Consumer Action Group forums. I'm a Site Helper over there - if you need any advice or assistance drop me a PM and I'll see what I can do

 

[Alan]

Got it in a nutshell. UK banks enjoy gouging their customers.

Ive been fine with mine in the UK, but then my account has been within the agreed limits 99% of the time Apprently on a scale of 0-10 where 0 is there best customer and 10 is someone in the shit... im a 1.

Last time I went in for a chat they offered me another 6 months 0% on my card (but i was in the process of moving it to a 9 month)

Without batting an eyelid they up'd my overdraft to 2k when i moved house, and its been there for god knows how long now but I rarely go o/d


Have a buffer, keep in your accounts agreed limits - and the banks love you.

 

[Mey]

Gamah how about you learn not to go above your means, if you cannot afford to pay for something work harder and save for it. I work for a bank, in the last year I haven't gone once into my Overdraft, nor missed a direct debit payment. Why should I not get rewarded for that? I bet your one of the costumers that moan when you ask them for additional id, or ask them to sign the back of their cheque at the counter because they have pre-signed it.

This whole getting your charges back is almost as funny as the thing the sun printed not to long ago about Lloyds TSB grading their customers in terms of bands.

Sure 30 odd quid might be expensive but its there so that when you continually miss payments you learn not too..

The bank doesn’t have to loan you money nor allow your payments to go through if you do not have the sufficient balance to cover it.

 

[Roalith]

You know Mey, I agree with you completely. So much so that I'm going to write a cheque to Lloyds Bank for £2703.11 immediately and give them the money they unlawfully took from my account, in contravention of the Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts Regulations 1999. Para.8 and sch.2(1)(e), or if not then the Supply of Goods and Services Act 1982 s.15.

Ya, rly.

 

[Mey]

You signed the contract did you not?

 

[Roalith]

Yep, although the contract was (unbeknowst to me at the time) in contravention of UK civil law. Would you sign a contract if you knew the other party was breaking the law by making you sign?

 

[Mey]

Fee for an unauthorised classic account overdraft.

Our fee for unauthorised overdrafts (overdraft excess fee) is £30. You will be charged this fee when you go overdrawn by £10 or more above any agreed limit, or by £10 more without any agreed limit. You’ll be charged this fee again on each day we make a payment for you that increases your unauthorised overdraft by another £10 or more. The maximum number of charges in any one monthly charging period is 3, which is a maximum of £90.

Clearly written and stated in the terms and conditions of the contract that I signed when I opened/arranged for an overdraft on my classic account.

 

[Roalith]

Yeah, and they should add the phrase 'Oh, by the way, by including this clause we're breaking consumer law'.

 

[Mey]

Yep, although the contract was (unbeknowst to me at the time) in contravention of UK civil law. Would you sign a contract if you knew the other party was breaking the law by making you sign?

Thats the thing its not breaking the law, the law states that it has to be an unfair charge, when the charges were brought in they were not unfair (managers had to write the letters to inform you of the fee and why it had been incured and also look at your account to see if it was due to fault of our owns.) and still today are not.

If you go over your limit your a muppet. How about all the bank's stop changing Coins into notes, or providing free foreign currency.

 

[Eeben]

Got it in a nutshell. UK banks enjoy gouging their customers.

I assume you're a Scandinavian Eeben?

aye im danish if you transfer from 1 acc to a nother acc in same bank it takes a few hours if the bank is open.. Takes 1-2 days if you have to transfere to a nother bank.. so thats pretty nice

Banking in uk sounds really fuckt