pfffft...bank charges

[cesare]

ever had to pay one or two or many have a look at this

http://www.bankcharges.info/

[Blazing Sporrans]

This looks superb, however I saw that chap Martin Lewis (?) do an article on this on LK Today a few weeks ago. Yes I know!! The TV was on and I happened to be in the same room at the time. Anyway. Martin Lewis gave one piece of sage advice in relation to this, which is to be prepared and open an alternative account with a different bank first, as if you do achieve the objective of getting a refund on your charges, your bank might turn around and say, "We've closed your account - cheerio". So be prepared and have another account to fall back on if you're trying this tactic.

Please God it works for everyone. The banks got so much from me when I was a student that my pet stone bled to death...

[katarina]

Saw that program too. It doesn't really affect me personally, but I know a man it does...

[Kirstin]

I was going to refer people to Martin Lewis' website when I saw this thread. It is really useful: http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/

[rockchick]

Here an oldie-but-goodie from the Web:

My dear Bank Manager,
I am writing to thank you for bouncing the check with which I endeavored to pay my plumber last month. By my calculations some three nanoseconds must have elapsed between his presenting the check, and the arrival in my account of the funds needed to honor it. I refer, of course, to the automatic monthly deposit of my entire salary, an arrangement which, I admit, has only been in place for eight years.

You are to be commended for seizing that brief window of opportunity, and also for debiting my account by way of penalty for the inconvenience I caused your bank. My thankfulness springs from the manner in which this incident has caused me to rethink my errant financial ways. You have set me on the path of fiscal righteousness.

No more will our relationship be blighted by these unpleasant incidents, for I am restructuring my affairs in 1999, taking as my model the procedures, attitudes and conduct of your very own bank. I can think of no greater compliment, and I know you will be excited and proud to hear it.
To this end, please be advised about the following changes.

First, I have noticed that whereas I personally attend to your telephone calls and letters, when I try to contact you I am confronted by the impersonal, ever-changing, prerecorded, faceless entity which your bank has become. From now on I, like you, chose only to deal with a flesh and blood person.
My mortgage and loan repayments will, therefore and hereafter, no longer be automatic, but will arrive at your bank by personal check, addressed personally and confidentially to an employee of your branch, whom you must nominate. You will be aware that it is an offense under the Postal Act for any other person to open such an envelope. Please find attached an Application for Contact Status which I require your chosen employee to complete. I am sorry it runs to eight pages, but in order that I know as much about him or her as your bank knows about me, there is no alternative.

Please note that all copies of his/her medical history must be countersigned by a Justice of the Peace, and that the mandatory details of his/her financial situation (income, debts, assets and liabilities) must be accompanied by documented proof. In due course I will issue your employee with a PIN number which he/she must quote in all dealings with me. I regret that it cannot be shorter than 28 digits but, again, I have modeled it on the number of button presses required to access my account balance on your phonebank service. As they say, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.

Let me level the playing field even further by introducing you to my new telephone system, which you will notice, is very much like yours. My Authorized Contact at your bank, the only person with whom I will have any dealings, may call me at any time and be answered by an automated voice. By pressing the buttons on the phone, he/she will be guided through an extensive set of menus: 1) to make an appointment to see me 2) to query a missing repayment, 3) to make a general complaint or inquiry, and so on.
The contact will then be put on hold, pending the attention of my automated answering service. While this may on occasion involve a lengthy wait, uplifting music will play for the duration. This month I have chosen the refrain from The Best of Woody Guthrie: "Oh the banks are made of marble With a guard at every door And the vaults are filled with silver That the miners sweated for!" After twenty minutes of that, our mutual contact will probably know it by heart.

On a more serious note, we come to the matter of cost. As your bank has often pointed out, the ongoing drive for greater efficiency comes at a cost -- a cost which you have always been quick to pass on to me. Let me repay your kindness by passing some costs back. First, there is the matter of advertising material you send me. This I will read for a fee of $20 per page. Inquiries from your nominated contact will be billed at $5 per minute of my time spent in response. Any debits to my account, as, for example, in the matter of the penalty for the dishonored check, will be passed back to you. My new phone number service runs at 75 cents per minute (even Woody Guthrie doesn't come free), so keep your inquiries brief and to the point.
Regrettably, but again following your example, I must also levy an establishment fee to cover the setting up of this new arrangement.

May I wish you a happy, if ever-so-slightly less prosperous, New Year.

Your humble client.

[Gross]

www.penaltycharges.co.uk also good.

[sjwahwah]

I've used this letter from Govan Law Centre once for myself and once for my hubby at the Bank of Scotland. It works a treat.

But, Bank of Scotland ARE the biggest ripoff artists of all time! I started a thread here a few weeks ago about fraudulent balance transfers/identity theft.

I had a BOS VISA card for years.. like 4 maybe and hardly ever used it and did not have the "protection plan". I tried closing the account in June and cancelling the card.. didn't need it anymore. Phoned them up and they gave me a really hard time... wouldn't let me close it! Said I had to wait a month and phone back... when I hadn't used it even in months.

I went away to America a week later came back 2 weeks later and there was my statement from them. A balance transfer for the ENTIRE limit! eh? I phoned them up... noised them up.. and mentioned how very suspicious the circumstances were. they fixed the problem immediately. But, they sent me a letter and Fraud form to fill out.

On the letter they have the cheek to say this RARELY happens when everybody knows these kind of crimes are skyrocketing and they also ask if I would speak to police about it... I say yes.. I would love to speak to the police about it. They also have the cheek to say that they are not obligated to tell me the outcome of the fraud investigation.

So, you can imagine the letter I sent them. I've not heard a thing. In the meantime, I've closed EVERY account with them as I can assure you this is not the only problems I've had with them.. but, this took the cake. My husbands business account, his current account, my business account, my current account, my daughters account and my international currency account and credit card are no longer with the BOS!

I have NO DOUBT in my mind that THEY put the fraudulent balance transfer on my credit card account because they were not going to do anything about it until I mentioned how very funny these circumstances were & I told them I would be speaking to my solicitor if they thought they would get one penny out of me for it... and of course they are NOT obligated to tell you the outcome of the investigation. How very convenient! BEWARE folks!