Heartland

This is going to look like a spam post...

...but has anyone tried reclaiming bank charges? Is it worth it? Did you get any money back? Can you do it on credit cards too?

<Baldric> I have a cunning plan my Lord </Baldric>

I've had to do it quite a few times thanks to the fact that I bank with NatWest. (I only still bank with them because to say sorry for the years of crap service they increased my o/draft limit by a ridiculous amount)

I never had any problems reclaiming anyway.

If its something that's slightly your fault just make up a sob story.

markfiend wrote:This is going to look like a spam post...

...but has anyone tried reclaiming bank charges? Is it worth it? Did you get any money back? Can you do it on credit cards too?

<Baldric> I have a cunning plan my Lord </Baldric>

haha, I think we have an expert for your questions round these parts.

Purple Light wrote:I've had to do it quite a few times thanks to the fact that I bank with NatWest. (I only still bank with them because to say sorry for the years of crap service they increased my o/draft limit by a ridiculous amount)

I never had any problems reclaiming anyway.

If its something that's slightly your fault just make up a sob story.

i too bank with Nat Worst and also have an unfeasibly large overdraft but now and then i go over the limit and they whack me with a £30 charge so sometimes i bother my hole and argue with them and they do indeed SOMETIMES credit it back!
i found being polite and firm usually helps, or the sob story is also a good one but remember, they have access to your financial records so dont say
'oh i had to bury my dad and it cost thousands' only for them to check your a/c to see it all went over the bar at 'The Whippit Inn'

markfiend wrote:This is going to look like a spam post...

...but has anyone tried reclaiming bank charges? Is it worth it? Did you get any money back? Can you do it on credit cards too?

<Baldric> I have a cunning plan my Lord </Baldric>

It's easy - just send them a generic letter saying you wanted refunded for their 'unfair/illegal' charges or you'll take them to court - they'll huff and puff and generally take as long as possible to respond to you, but they'll always cave in rather go to court as it would cost them more to defend than to pay you off. (A small claims court action would cost you between 9 & 39 pounds and you don't need to pay for a solictor). I done this successfully but it took around 3 months just because they were so slow to respond.

All info is here:

http://www.bankcharges.info/

Bryan

Mish wrote:

markfiend wrote:This is going to look like a spam post...

...but has anyone tried reclaiming bank charges? Is it worth it? Did you get any money back? Can you do it on credit cards too?

<Baldric> I have a cunning plan my Lord </Baldric>

It's easy - just send them a generic letter saying you wanted refunded for their 'unfair/illegal' charges or you'll take them to court - they'll huff and puff and generally take as long as possible to respond to you, but they'll always cave in rather go to court as it would cost them more to defend than to pay you off. (A small claims court action would cost you between 9 & 39 pounds and you don't need to pay for a solictor). I done this successfully but it took around 3 months just because they were so slow to respond.

All info is here:

http://www.bankcharges.info/

Bryan

if you dont mind sir, ill keep that one on file ready!

canon docre wrote:

markfiend wrote:This is going to look like a spam post...

...but has anyone tried reclaiming bank charges? Is it worth it? Did you get any money back? Can you do it on credit cards too?

<Baldric> I have a cunning plan my Lord </Baldric>

haha, I think we have an expert for your questions round these parts.

Guilty as charged.

PM me if you want, fiendish one, if you need an insider perspective...

smiscandlon wrote:

canon docre wrote:

markfiend wrote:This is going to look like a spam post...

...but has anyone tried reclaiming bank charges? Is it worth it? Did you get any money back? Can you do it on credit cards too?

<Baldric> I have a cunning plan my Lord </Baldric>

haha, I think we have an expert for your questions round these parts.

Guilty as charged.

PM me if you want, fiendish one, if you need an insider perspective...

why, are you a merchant banker?
im soooooooooo sorry i couldnt help myself/the big voices in my little head said to do it!

yeah yeah i know a richt guid stabbin etc etc
god, ill never be able to go back to Glasga at this rate!

markfiend wrote:This is going to look like a spam post...

...but has anyone tried reclaiming bank charges? Is it worth it? Did you get any money back? Can you do it on credit cards too?

<Baldric> I have a cunning plan my Lord </Baldric>

Im in the process of doing all 3 of my accounts, with Abbey.

Theres a hell of a lot of info you got to take in, And its a very long winded process, but its worth it in the end......i hope

bushman*pm wrote:why, are you a merchant banker?

I've been called worse...

But yeah, I'm supervisor of a bank's complaint department, so I've seen my share of bank charge challenges.

I found the gubbins on this site and thought it might be worth a go.

First letter (asking for a detailed breakdown of all charges in the last 6 years) printed...

markfiend wrote:I found the gubbins on this site and thought it might be worth a go.

First letter (asking for a detailed breakdown of all charges in the last 6 years) printed...

Thats the one im using too, also try

www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk

Loads on there to help you with.

I read somewhere that the main reason the banks always settle up in the end, is that they dont want to go to court and risk getting a ruling that the charges are illegal - that would open up a whole can of worms!

If they never go to court, the charges will never be 'ruled' illegal and all their paymennts back to customers are just 'goodwill' gestures.

I am about to write to HSBC..to try and get £350 back for 2 charges of going over my overdraft. The only reason I went overdrawn the second time was becasue they took money for the first time out of my account right at the end of the month...which took me over my limit again
(and a £175 a time seems a tad excessive....)

markfiend wrote:I found the gubbins on this site and thought it might be worth a go.

First letter (asking for a detailed breakdown of all charges in the last 6 years) printed...

My workmate used this site and got £800 back, I've got all my statements for the last 6 years so will have a look at them this weekend....

SomeKindOfStranger wrote:I read somewhere that the main reason the banks always settle up in the end, is that they dont want to go to court and risk getting a ruling that the charges are illegal - that would open up a whole can of worms!

If they never go to court, the charges will never be 'ruled' illegal and all their paymennts back to customers are just 'goodwill' gestures.

I am about to write to HSBC..to try and get £350 back for 2 charges of going over my overdraft. The only reason I went overdrawn the second time was becasue they took money for the first time out of my account right at the end of the month...which took me over my limit again
(and a £175 a time seems a tad excessive....)

£350 FCUKIN QUID??????!!!!!!!!!
JEEEE-ZUZZZZZZ, im gonna change my moniker of Nat Worst to Nat Best!!!

My flatmate did it last year and the Halifax kindly refunded his £1000 overdraft

Dont mention banks to me. Just had to have my account frozen due to 3 transactions on my statement I cant account for. 3 x £100 spent on some online casino in Cyprus Fraud being investigated but I aint got my money back yet

DerekR wrote:Dont mention banks to me. Just had to have my account frozen due to 3 transactions on my statement I cant account for. 3 x £100 spent on some online casino in Cyprus Fraud being investigated but I aint got my money back yet

I feel your pain. Last year some f**ker in China treated themselves to four DVD boxsets of 'Smallville' courtesy of my Barclaycard...

not charges, the opposite, the bank that begins with B. not maximising our 'interest' in our best interests by phasing out accounts without telling the client. we found a hole in the system and they still haven't plugged it

as far as we can see there are thousands and thousands of people who could legitimately claim the same as we have

We've done it.

Banks slow everything down so it's up to you to keep it going. They faxed the court and agreed to a settlement right at the end.

wow

i have no idea what i would get back if i tried this... are we talking just a few quid, or quite a few quid?

and how much effort on my part is involved?

Quiff Boy wrote:wow

i have no idea what i would get back if i tried this... are we talking just a few quid, or quite a few quid?

and how much effort on my part is involved?

get enough and im thinking fenderless '32 with a flattie V8 thru cherry bombs!
Deansgate wont know what hit it!

bushman*pm wrote:

Quiff Boy wrote:wow

i have no idea what i would get back if i tried this... are we talking just a few quid, or quite a few quid?

and how much effort on my part is involved?

get enough and im thinking fenderless '32 with a flattie V8 thru cherry bombs!
Deansgate wont know what hit it!

prrrrr

Quiff Boy wrote:are we talking just a few quid, or quite a few quid?

Every charge for a bounced cheque, over-limit fees, etc. etc. for the last 6 years. In my case I'm guesstimating a few hundred quids.

to be honest, i rarely experienced those kinds of things, and when i did it was usually the bank's fault so i complained... and more often than not they refunded my the charge there and then

still, might give it a whirl anyway, just to see what happens...