Yep, 1 letter, 1 £10 fee. Mention both accounts.

Look at the banner at the top of the page £407,000 paid out to 507 people!

Good feeling isn't it?

His reply is crystal clear:'We're not giving you a bean' Stick to your timetable and file a claim. They all change their tune in the end. Stick with it and good luck.

You don't need the spreadsheet tiil you make a claim. Read further down the step by step. Its a good idea to print these out. Then you can refer to them any time.

Ignore it, they're just stalling and trying to throw you off track. Stick to your timetable not theirs and file the calim.

Why only 6 months Go for the whole 6 years. You really need to look at the FAQs and the Library and spend 2 or three days taking it all in. Yes I know its a pain, confusing and intimidating, but its the best way. Then start your own thread and use that as adiary and to ask any questions.

The only way costs would not be refunded is if you lost and for that to happen you first have to go to court and so far no bank has.

Thank you to everyone involved in this site, administrators, moderators and members for your advice and encouragement. Good luck to anyone still in pursuit of natural justice. And to any of you waverers, it's your money, go get it! I actually feel slightly deflated. This site has become slightly addictive and already I'm having withdrawal symptoms! I'm sure I'll be back now and again and there's always my daughters student loans ! Lastly, I am saddened that the donate button hasn't been an unqualified success in raising the necessary funds to keep the site going. For God's sake, people, you'll be sorry if it closes, we'll only have ourselves to blame and the banks will have won yet again!. Please, please don't let that happen Another tenner on its way, via my Goldfish card (and I'm still £58 quid in front!)

I have had a Goldfish card since 1999, which has always been paid by cheque in full each month. Goldfish have charged me late payment charges totalling £78 on 4 occasions. It certainly hasn't cost them anything, since they don't send any letters, but merely add the charge and interest to the next months statement. And any detection of late payment and applying a penalty charge is almost certainly automated. If there is any manual intervention, then it can only be in the form of a single press of a keyboard button. Time taken: 5 seconds. Cost to bank: 2p @ £15 p/h. Who needs to print money when you've got this nice little earner. So, here's what happened. 19th April: Sent the preliminary letter 28th April: Reply dated 26th April,. Charges not unfair nor penalty etc, value their continuing relationship with me etc.. Offered £30, being difference between OFT guidance of £12 and the actual penalties charged. 28th April: Sent them the LBA declining offer, 4th May: Reply dated 2nd May,. Making further investigations and will write again within 5 working days 4th May: Write back. Disappointed they need further time. However, as promised, I will still allow them the 14 days, specifically until 5pm on 15th May. 4th May: Make payment as soon as I spot the donation button. Wouldn't have had the knowledge or the bottle to do anything without this site. Best money I've ever spent! 12th May: Offer of £78.00 in full and final settlement. Accept offer, but reserve the right to challenge and pursue similar unlawful charges in the future. Fill in CAG survey.

Personally I wouldn't sign in its present form. Either edit as you suggest or add something like 'However I reserve the right to challenge and pursue future unlawful charges' They could withdraw the offer, but its unlikely since the alternative is court.

Every instance. Just watch those £35s add up!

Don#t worry. This may or may not be some cunning ploy etc by the banks, but it won't make any difference unless they don't enter a defence and you need to enter a judgement by default. In which case you can download the N225 from http://www.hmcourts-service.gov.uk/ and they will settle in full before that stage.

Excellent, well done! Now screw them on their credit card

Good for you. Shame you didn't hold out for the full amount, but it has to be your decision and £120 is a lot better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick!

Why wait? He's made it very clear he's rejected your claim. It's hardly likely their suddenly going to change their mind and offer full settlement. Put the claim in now! It's your money, go get it!

Click on the changing banner headline, top of the home page or follow this link http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/buddy.php

Perfect. What you're really saying is: ' I know what I'm talking about and I'm not going away till I get my money. So stop messing about and just give to me now.'

They will almost inevitably say they have no record. But the main reason for asking whether there has been any manual intervention, is to ensure that should they be stupid enough to step into court, they can't use this as justification for their charges, since they should have disclosed this before

Firstly you can only go back 6 years. Write and ask for the remaining 5 years, tell them you're reporting them to the Information Commissioner for failing to comply within 40 days, and that since they have refused to supply the information you will base your demand for refund on the charges they've levied in the last 12 months, ie times 6, or more if you think that is too low. In order to disprove that, they'll have to produce the statements.

Strikes me they're just using this as a delaying tactic. After all Mint and the Co-op have agreed to supply the data without any arguement. You could fill in the form if you want to, but I'd just write back and remind them that they've acknowledged your request and cashed your cheque, and that you expect them to supply the information within 40 days from 4th May or you'll report them to the Information Commissioner.

You need an address in England for the Small Claims Court and this is their HO. I wrote there initially and although replies and settlement offer came from Glasgow, they asked me to send acceptance to Cabot Square.

Goldfish is based in Glasgow, but Morgan Stanley's Head Office is: Morgan Stanley International Bank Ltd, 25,Cabot Square, London, E14 4QA

Good article in todays ST, although misses the point about people actually claiming all their money back. Nevertheless useful point from Credit Suisse reads "The banks boast that they offer everything free if customers stay in credit, but they penalise customers who make the slightest slip. These penalty fees generate big profits for the banks. Investment bank Credit Suisse has estimated that UK high-street banks generate about £1 billion of annual profits from penalty charges across bank accounts and credit cards" Didn't the banks claim thier charges are merely to cover thier costs? Yeah, right! www.timesonline.co.uk/newspaper/0,,176-2168097,00.html

Definitely a donate button. What have you got to lose. Ambivilant about affiliates. No problem, as long as they're not intrusive (especially no pop-ups). I'm reasonably solvent and am only claiming £90, so for me it's just a good bit of sport and if (no,when) I get the money I will certainly be donating. I'm sure that anybody who is in a position to donate will do so willingly. Make it happen and just watch the money roll in! Keep up the good work.