and FSA principal number 7, A firm must pay due regard to the information needs of its clients, and communicate information to them in a way which is clear, fair and not misleading. this covers notice of charges, fair is not 2 or 3 days

so after they send their letter (probably 2nd class) they gave you, what two three days to cover the charges, Naughty naughty bank!!

Yes FSA regulations...they do!

£39 ouch!!!

pmhread - good luck getting your charges back, and for the record I would've refunded your charges at first contact! Well this has been fun everyone, best of luck to everyone in a similar position, I have learnt alot from you guys. Hope you can see where I am coming from. Never know I maybe writing to some of you soon and probably have written to some of you already!! I will keep my eyes and ears open and if I hear anything that maybe of interest I will let you know. If any of you have any questions I wil try help out.

So bookworm sells oxygen?;-)

So ur loved by all!! Regrettably, yes!!

if you read my last note thats exactly what i said!! and as for dispraportionate charges again if you read my comments you'll see that I dont agree people should get charged for a dd returned at £2.49, tinkerbelle r u sure you have read my comments?? Don't assume just because I work for a bank that I'm heartless!! Yes Lueeze I do agree (to a degree!) I'd be interested to know what everyone else does for a living????!!????

Tinkerbelle - Combine basic acc with bare minimum facilities (that cant be exploited such as gauranteeing cheques) and pay your bills by bill payment.... hey presto no charges!! Joneshousehold - I probably have been softer as it goes on didn't want you all to think I'm a complete banker!! Work was busy, funny enough I chatted about charges some more. Jonni2bad - thank u being told "I maybe even quite a decent lass!" with me working for a bank on this site, I take as a compliment.... if your bank was only willing to increase your overdraft that clearly isn't they answer and they deserve all they get. Knobby1 - as with Jonni2bad when a bank offers to increse overdrafts that clearly isn't the answer its just adding to the problem, and again your bank deserve a swift lesson on responsible lending!! Alison - Yes I do understand the difference and Banks also provide a service (sometimes not a great one, I know) its not as simple as not authorising payments, people guarantee cheques and shops have floor limits so the payments have to be made.

Kotum - ur a right charmer!! Lueeze - thank u! I have changed my opinion a bit talking to all of u and reading what people have said but I still see things from "the other side" alot needs to be done to make charges "fair" and maybe to make info more available or more accurate (just for you that - Dave!) and then customers can be sure they use whats in their accounts. Would help if shops got rid of floorlimits, cheques couldn't be guaranteed, and customers pay by diff mandates they have more control of Dave - I would like to think had you approached the bank with the first set of hefty charges they could've given them back and prevented further charges - thats what I woud have done for a customer in a similar position People do have a choice they could open a Basic account and not get the facilities to go overdrawn or maintain payments themselves from a current account

lueeze - yes I do agree they are too much, or can be depending on the transaction (and whether it is cleared or returned) and whether someone is exploiting the system Kotun -OUCH!! if you read the whole thread you will see where I am coming from!! Dave - I enjoy it too, I'm either brave or stupid I'm still trying to work that out (most people who read this thread would probably answer that for me!!) .I really can see where most people are coming from, trust me if you saw some of the stuff I see you would probably understand me some more...... Yes the banks need to be more responsible a certain bank faced with a black horse has shown that with numerous cases of irresponsible lending, but lets say they take an attitude of well you dont earn 30k plus lets give u an account with no facilities so you cant abuse it... then there'd be uproar. I can getpeople being hacked off because they get charges hundreds a year and the banks make a hefty profit, but thats business. If you were a shareholder you'd be happy!! Tesco make how much profit yet we still but fruit and veg there rather than grow it ourselves, because athough its costly its covenient and someone else does the work!

see your point with the TV howveer if I had said to the landlord if I owe u rent the you can charge me or take my TV, then he can watch eastenders on me I can understand the bank should be responsible but when does the customers responsibiltiy kick in, if the system allows customers to exploit it for example gauranteeing cheques when is the bank wrong for giving the facility or the customer wrong for exploitoing it?? Dont hate me.. pls I do have a heart, just see things from the otherside too

Don't be too sure!! they didn't know this was coming Banks are scared to go to court, I know they are But its not so simple, there's no agreement between a burglar and the owner Yeah if you tried checking yoru balance and they couldn't give you it right and you spened a few extra quid, then any charges you get as a result should be returned, however if you knew you had somehwre in the region of £20 and youwent and done 6 VP's for £30 then thats different

Banks say its down to their discression, I do agree make it plain and simple then people know where they stand and have you met my manager then??

This is more like it... I can so I will!! I have been to work today and helped alot of customers out with charges, because they genuinly needed help and it felt good to give money back to people who are going through a tough time, but really when I see a standard letter with "I feel my charges are unlawful and I want them back for the last six years" it gets a standard response, if customers write with circumstances or simply oops I messed up, then they get help... I know this has not been the experience of some of you but thats how I work and how it should be Alison 82 - I dont judge people because i can see their accounts, whether I could or not is irrelivant, people do spend money they donthave,ifthey didn't they wouldn't have charges - simple! as for saying bank staff need more training, depends who you speak to, personally I know our T&C's inside out but yes not everyone does a good job as with all industrues. As you can see throughout I do feel that HARDWORKING people trying to earn a living not living out of their means do deserve a break

can see ur point with the robber, however had i signed a contract to say if I leave my door and windows open help yourself and I done that then hey keep the TV i shouldn't have been irresponsible! From what I can see alot of peoples arguments is not thata contract has been breached its that they are dispraportionate, surely parking fines come into that, and just cos they goverment are involved doesn't mean they are above the "law"

the reason you are asked is because to supply statements takes alot less effort than a subject access request (DPA request)

joneshousehold - Yeah I do have the bank opinion drummed into me but doesn't mean I agree with all of it..... (but i do some of it, sorry) Spiceskull - I get it, however people have been charged, whether error, negligence or playing the bank system to spend what they dont have, they want them back just because they can??? overdrawn -as per spiceskull's post, Bank charges are not legally enforcable if they are penalties. Penalty clauses in contracts in English (and Scottish) law for breach of contract are not legal if the penalty exceeds the actual cost of the breach of either party...... so all penalties should be in line with cost, hence my reference to parking penalty notice's Don - Quioxte - 1, unfair but avoidable 2, people live their lives how they wanna almost everything comes with consequences, if u sign up eyes open then take it on the chin 3, OFT report... I'm still to pass judgement, I'm sure they will have alot more to say!! 4, I'm sorry I am still of two minds... (sometimes slightly swaying!) 5, erm ?!? Kaznelson - Sorry keeping the bank underwraps.... I'm not saying all banks are helpful but they should be if u need it and if not stick it to em!! Dave - fair play, they shouldn't make an offer and then take it back

Natasha - People do have a choice they can spend money they have, or manage their own money (I hear keepin it under a matress keeps it nice and crisp!) Spiceskul - I'd feel a bit of a cheat if I asked for my charges back, but really I do wish the best of luck to people who claim them back if its not through gross negligence that they got charged in the first place Joneshousehold - if u have approached ur bank for help and they haven't then ur with the wrong bank and they deserve everything they get (I hope its not the bank I work for!) Vampiress - when someone has £10 in their account and goes on a shopping spree - they know they don't have the money, if its obviously a genuine mistake I do think it should be given back

Obviously its not gonna cost 30 - 35 to bounce a dd, but it is what customers sign up to, i should think if people maintained their own payments e.g get ur gas bill then got o the post office to pay it... if u add up ur man hours it would probably work out that a bank account is good value for money and if u make sure u have money to cover payments then its free I got a parking ticket and it really hacked me off but I took it on the chin I knew I shouldn't have parked there so my fault, I paid it and wont park there again

It kinda concerns me that if charges are deemed illegal where do we draw the line, are speeding ticket, parking fines, the cost if a loaf of bread illegal - after all they are all dispraportionate to the cost where do I start a thread for this chat??

I am not speaking as a bank worker or on behalf of any bank - I am speaking as me and my opinion... and I want the £35 back that I paid a plumber last month, he can keep the odd 64p for the washer

thanks Tinkerbelle

I do agree that charges are excessive, but what isn't??? everything is designed to make profit, its the way of the world.... The fact that by twisting past cases it can be "viewed as illegal" is convenient! Like I said if people genuinely need help then banks should help but if people are irresponsible maybe they should get a basic account with no facilities so they can't spend money they do not have

ddn't realise I needed permission from an admin