Claiming Bank Charges - Fresh Thread!!!

[Flamesparrow]

Letter Templates Here

My statements for 2 out of my 3 Barclays accounts arrived today... time for happy highlighting!

SUPERB SC!!!!!

Our second letter is off now.

Bummer - have gone through the VISA statements and I have only got £290 to claim - I was certain it would be in the £1500 region !

Suppose I can just about summon up the enthusiasm to ask for £290 back !!!

pmsl I was like that too - its odd to be upset that you haven't lost as much money over the years as you thought!

I kinda hoped I would have heard something from my bank by now.

I know I only sent it on the 7th but hey ho thought they may have their fingers out their butts

Just tracked my letter and they signed for it on 13th December so really that aint that long ago

Hi scatterbrain, I am about to send First Direct my letter asking for £830 back. Did your offer from them include any interest you'd calculated? I 'm not sure if it's worth working it out (though that is a bit lazy) and did they say you had to close your account? They sent copies of my statements by courier (at 7 am one morning!) really quickly, very impressed!Thanks for any advice

Hiya ska, No they excluded (and ignored) the interest that I had asked for - and have not mentioned closing any of our accounts - actually they just agreed a personal loan so I don't think they intend to. I hope not anyway as we have been with them since they started up - must be 13 or 14 yrs now !

thanks, that's so helpful!

About to draft the letter now. Wish me luck, feel very nervous. We've been with them for about 12 years too.

Hey, nice to see word is spreading across the net for this.

I'm a site helper on consumer action group, so if anyone would like some advice, feel free to shout.

I'm happy to help on here, but you will get better help and advice if you post on the site itself. It is free to register and use.

Good luck to you all

can i ask a questin which may have been asked and i jsut cant find it?

does this mean we can claim back from credit cards? such as egg or virgin?

i have pais so may fees to egg which i didnt realise as they were taking money out direct debit and i didnt have money in that account until i had a final warning appear?

any body can answer???

Yes absolutely - it all started with the credit card companies and I think the only actual ruling applies to them - although the banks can obviously see it coming so are also paying up !

Go for it !!

Message withdrawn

you see im worrying that egg were charging £20 a time, but i have read that they can only charge £12. so is it the £20 as it was a bounced direct debit?

im lost now [blush}

im trying to figure it out on money saving expert also.

Anything over £12 is an unlawful charge ! So you claim back the whole £20 in that case !

also has anybody got a student/graduate account with barclays that they have been able to claim money from?

has anyone else used the letters from the Which? site???

letter 2 asking for the refund says " i ahve always managed my account well" did you include that bit even if you haven't???

i have 2 accounts - on one letter i put this but on the other i added the word FAIRLY as in managed it fairly well - which is a gross overstatement.

but i haven't taken them to the post office yet!

i cant even get onto the letter to send to the bank to claim. Can anyone cut & paste it? sorry

here is the letter asking for 6 years worth of statements

Letter One
This letter asks your bank to send you a list of all the default charges (on unauthorised overdrafts and unpaid direct debits) applied to your account in the last six years.
You only need send this if you want your money back and have not kept bank statements.
You can ignore this letter and go straight to Letter Two if you already have details of all the default charges you have paid.
The bank must supply this information under the Data Protection Act 1998. If your bank makes a charge for this information, the charge cannot be more than £10.
Check through carefully and insert your personal information where indicated in red.
Remember to delete this box before you print out your letter for the bank.

date

address

HALIFAX BUILDING SOCIETY
[INSERT THE ADDRESS OF BANK]

Re: Account number [INSERT YOUR ACCOUNT NUMBER]
Dear Sir/Madam,
I request that [INSERT THE NAME OF YOUR BANK] provides me with details of all default charges for unauthorised overdrafts and unpaid direct debits and standing orders I have paid in the last six years.
I understand that [INSERT THE NAME OF YOUR BANK] is obliged to provide this information under the Data Protection Act 1998.
I look forward to hearing from you within 40 days.
Yours faithfully

letter 2 - asking for the dosh!

Letter Two
This letter politely tells your bank that you are a loyal customer and you want to be paid back default charges (on unauthorised overdrafts and unpaid direct debits) applied to your account in the last six years.
Check through carefully and insert your personal information where indicated in red.
If the bank refuses, a stronger letter is the next step (see Letter Three).
Remember to delete this box before you print out your letter for the bank.

[INSERT TODAY?S DATE]

[INSERT YOUR HOME ADDRESS]

[INSERT THE NAME OF YOUR BANK]
[INSERT THE ADDRESS OF BANK]
Re: Default charges on account number [INSERT YOUR ACCOUNT NUMBER]
Dear Sir/Madam,
I refer to default charges which have been applied to my account by [INSERT THE NAME OF YOUR BANK], amounting to [INSERT THE FULL AMOUNT OF THE BANK CHARGES].
I have been a loyal customer of [INSERT THE NAME OF YOUR BANK] for [INSERT THE AMOUNT OF TIME YOU HAVE BEEN A CUSTOMER WITH YOUR BANK]. I have always maintained my account well and believe that the charges applied to my account do not reflect the cost to the bank of my account going into unauthorised overdraft.
I therefore ask that you repay the amount of all these charges, [INSERT THE FULL AMOUNT OF THE BANK CHARGES].
I am happy for you to contact me on [INSERT YOUR TELEPHONE NUMBER] to discuss the matter.
Yours faithfully

[SIGN YOUR NAME]
[TYPE YOUR NAME]

letter 3 - if they don't deal the dosh

Letter Three
This letter tells your bank that you are unhappy with default charges (on unauthorised overdrafts and unpaid direct debits) you have paid in the last six years and you will go to the small claims court if they do not give your money back.
You only need to send this letter if you have already written to the bank explaining that you are a loyal customer (Letter Two), and that letter did not get a result.
Check through carefully and insert your personal information where indicated in red.
The fourth paragraph (beginning ?I am only prepared??) is very important. It protects your position in the instance of you losing at the small claims court, and shows that you are acting reasonably.
If your bank still refuses to pay back your money, the small claims court is the next step (see the factsheet on our website).
Remember to delete this box before you print out your letter for the bank.

[INSERT TODAY?S DATE]

[INSERT YOUR HOME ADDRESS]
[INSERT THE NAME OF YOUR BANK]
[INSERT THE ADDRESS OF BANK]
Re: Default charges on account number [INSERT YOUR ACCOUNT NUMBER]
Dear Sir/Madam,
I refer to default charges relating to unauthorised overdrafts which have been applied to my account by [INSERT THE NAME OF YOUR BANK], amounting to [INSERT THE FULL AMOUNT OF THE BANK CHARGES].
I wrote to you on [INSERT THE DATE OF YOUR LAST LETTER TO THE BANK] asking that you repay these charges as a gesture of goodwill to a loyal customer. Since you have not done so, I intend to take the matter further and claim the amount of [INSERT THE FULL AMOUNT OF THE BANK CHARGES] through the small claims court.
The basis for this request is that under the Unfair Terms in Consumer Contract Regulations and/or the law of penalties, the small claims court could declare such charges unfair and therefore unenforceable.
I am only prepared to pay the charges on the condition that the bank agrees to repay me the full amount if the small claims court finds in my favour and declares the charges unenforceable.
I look forward to receiving your response within seven days of the date of this letter or I will issue proceedings in the small claims court to reclaim the full amount of charges, plus interest and costs.
I am happy for you to contact me on [INSERT YOUR TELEPHONE NUMBER] to discuss the matter.
Yours faithfully

[SIGN YOUR NAME]
[TYPE YOUR NAME]

thanks

HSBC have actually opened a dedicated depatment to deal with this!

I just had a thought!!!!

I sent my 1st letter - which my bank received on 13 december 2006 but didnt send a cheque for a tenner DOH!!!

Will they disregard my letter do you think or send the statements and bill me???

How stupid am I- never read the whole thing and after reading here only realised that they will want a tenner damn!!

letter to the bank has gone off

glad to see this am trying to sort my mums mortgage out at min, she got it 10 years ago, grnadad(who jointly bought house) died) her husband left..she has been in arrears ever since, we are now getting her x's name off so she can sell but in ten years despte us ringing and going in to let them know of her circumstances and arranging an agrred amount she could pay, she still gets letters and charges for being in arrears...would this system work on the same principle?..could she get these charges back?(its the halifax)