Yeah Been trying to do a little research for you, see if I could dig anything up but so far have come up with exactly the same as you.

Many thanks Photoman-will have good read. Have put question on own thread. Hence why I apologised to Sparkie. But also wanted to do my own investigation into my post to him earlier. Hate giving half advice or suggestions without being able to back it up if poss.

Many thanks saintly. As you may have guessed, do have some kinda brain, but when it comes to finding my way around forums etc like this then I'm in totally new area to me! I'm worried about what I dare post, don't know how to PM anyone, don't want to be pain in bot either. Find it difficult enough to find my way back to my own thread!

Photoman or anyone really. Where are you getting your info re Acts, Statues etc? Obviously, there must be people who work in the legal area and have everyday access to the reading material. But are there others here that are getting the material from other sources like the internet or library or something? Used to have access but now not working there I find it really frustrating! Have tried to access case law etc for my daughter's employment claim too, but b*****ed if I can find anything much on the net and local libraries don't have that kind of material. Sorry for jumping into your thread with this question Sparkie.

Photoman Just had chance to read your post completely. Concur with legal argument. Had to laugh at request for sneaky look and PM! Curisosity killed the cat you know. Only joking! Would love to know what it is too. But think Sparkie should keep that very very private until the right time.

Thank you photoman you just answered my own query on SOL and got in before I posted. Was trying to think and type and being harrassed by son at same time!

Hummmm. Only personal thought, don't know how helpful if at all. Surely, somewhere there must be a ruling/standard/requirement that states exactly how long the banks have to keep records? With the Information Commission or Data Protection People perhaps? A definitive answer!?!?!? Who knows if this isn't the case then perhaps you might be the one to create a precedent on this! Haven't finished your whole thread yet, but was I right in reading somewhere you have action in High Court? May be wrong was early hrs of morning and was getting tired. Also, and this is just very much my own personal opinion/simple logic. If ultimately you get difinitive answer to this question about how long they have kept records of bank statement etc (cos guess they and other banks could come back with the argument that it was 'lucky' they missed destroying one or more of your account details rather than the norm-which unfortunately opens another can of worms:( ), or indeed that they DO NOT have records beyond a certain date - wonder could you then produce your own business accounts prior to the last date you do have records from the bank and do calculations as to the 'assumed' amount they have taken unlawfully? Whether this would be enough as evidence to stand up in court I really don't know? Perhaps someone with litigation experience could advise on this? And anyway that is a kinda last ditch attempt suggestion. IMO the fact that you have only just or are within the 6 year period of discovery (think that's the time limit anyway my basic memory on this is a bit shakey and from what I can remember it is different timescale for different areas of the law) stands alone and apart from this 6 year keeping of records problem. hope this is helpful and not just complicating things.

Also trucker what do you mean by 'bump this up'? Understand bump to bring attention to post you made earlier in thread but not sure on what this one means.

LOL Trucker-sorry:o Do have what you could call inquisitive/curious mind. Quite bright but inclined to blond moments too. Not too good finding my way around website though! Have spend last hour trying to find info and also the thread about legalities re bank charges. Found it once at beginning but can't find now.

Personal Opinion Only! Which may well be biased after working in job I did for so many years-but here goes. (a) Yes MP's don't give a hoot or just too busy to give full attention (especially if it doesn't particularly have any affect on their personal lives); and/or (b) wheels within wheels (know its fictious TV drama-can't think of name-Martin Shaw in it), but (careful now....) IMO that kind of thing does/may happen in the corporate/political/legal world. Maybe I'm getting old and cynical, veering toward a bit of a conspiracy wonderer in many cases. But seen/heard too much in my life not to have that edge of doubt! Sorry Mods I hope I'm not saying or implying anything here that shouldn't be said on the forum. It is purely my opinion derived from certain experiences.

Okay, sorry if I'm being pain here, but I've become a prolific reader of this site and in my readings came across the thread Is the bank taking your benefits. Thought this might be helpful for my dad who is a pensioner and from time to time does get the odd charge. However, in post 34 JonChris states: This made me think! I have NEVER had an overdraft facility on my account (personal preference due to fact I know it would be too easy to get outside my comfort zone). Therefore, if what JonChris is saying is true and a fact in law. Please could someone confirm or deny this? Does that mean that my claim against barclays/Woolwich is not only for the unlawful penalty charges under common law, but ALSO for the unauthorised lending. Further, if this is the case. What is the Legal Act, and where in that Act does this illegality come from and how does it come into force? Know lots of questions-sorry for that. But there must be others like me who don't have an overdraft facility for one reason or another. Also, and I'm sorry if this question has already been addressed in other threads and I've missed it, but how would this fact stand up for I guess a lot of people still who have gone over their authorised overdraft limit purely because of the penalty charges that have been placed on their account? Sorry if I'm wrong or missing something here by applying a form of too simplist logic to this. I probably am! So I would be most grateful if someone could advise me on the law, statues, acts or whatever that do apply or conversely nullify each other out. Would be extremely interested either way.

Just one word of caution/advice/hopefully help-and I think it has probably been given before in this thread. Please, please make certain you cross every T and dot every I. Don't in your spirit of enthusiasm and own knowledge that you ARE indeed right, slip up, give them any amunition to be able to find the smallest crack to slip through.They will be looking for it and trying to manufacture it all the way. Seen it done. That's probably why I'm being to some a bit of a woss and to some a little bit over cautious with my own claim (which is in honesty just a straight forward one). However, justice can and does prevail sometimes, including, just very very occasionally, common sense and moral justice in the blatent face of the exact written letter of the law! So go for it, rock on, keep on trucking etc etc just be careful and take that step back everytime to think it through. Well, IMO anyway! :o

Sparkie I second Midge's upmost respect to you. I am so glad you have a little atom bomb up your sleeve! As young naive woman I had respect for the banks-since that instance and there have been many many more throughout the years, I have absolutely no respect or trust of them. Further, my job was in the City and it just went totally against my morals. It too, a lot of the time, was about screwing the man in the street in order to line the pockets of the 'fat cats' further. When I left it was like a breath of fresh air and a weight of conscience has been lifted. Unfortunately, in this life money does talk and if they have the weight to 'adjust' things to their benefit and to intimidate the man on the street they do! Having said that, it seems a lot of the time because of their shear arrogance etc they don't always use their brain-and so make errors. It is only with guts and determination that the man on the street can win against them. It is, as yours has been, a long and difficult journey. But, it is only people like you who have the mental and moral strength, and more things too, that really ever stand a chance of beating them. 'One small step for man, one giant leap for.....' comes to mind for some reason! It is the ordinary man on the street who is prepared to stand up for truth and justice that makes the difference for everyone else. Not just with this banking thing either, but in all sorts of areas that kind of thing surrounds us. It is so refreshing to know that whatever it is that sets us apart still lives on and can help and inspire others. Good on you, I suspect you will not give up and by goodness I hope you win and justice and truth prevail in the end. Rooting for you all the way!

Hi Sparkie Started reading your thread late last night. Only got to page 12 and fell asleep with laptop still going! Will read some more tonight-its totally riveting! Totally digusting on RBS's et al's behalf! Typical banks. When I was very young and in my first job I banked with Nat West. Was very dilligent with my a/c and wrote every last detail of income and outcome on my chq stubs so knew down to last penny exactly how much was in my a/c at any given time (not a lot by end of mth admitted but never overdrawn). One day got call whilst in the office (in front of colleagues) from Nat West to say my a/c was OD and that they were going to take serious action about it due to the fact it was a newish a/c and I had no overdraft facility. Scarred the living daylights out of me! Was in tears and panicing stupid. Tried to explain I couldn't possibly be, double checked all my maths on chq stubs, rang them back said they must have made a mistake somewhere. NO we don't make mistakes was the reply. In end my boss asked if he could help, he checked my maths etc, rang the bank on my behalf and told them they were wrong. Still they insisted they weren't. Boss told them he was insisting they double checked (firm had big account at same branch-so he had a bit of weight!) Many hours later I had another phone call from bank. No sorry! Just a yes there does appear to have been a mistake. Another customer has been given the same account number as myself and her cheques had been debited to my account! As I say there was no sorry whatsoever. In fact the bank finished the call with 'this time you are not overdrawn, however I would like to remind you that you do not have an overdraft facility and if you do go overdrawn in the future we will close your a/c immediately. ?Talk about scare tactics on a relatively young female who had done absolutely nothing wrong other than to have only had the a/c for about 3 mths! If I had been older and wiser, the fact they had made such an enormous blunder and caused me such stress, I think I would've been having fried bankers whatsits for my dinner!

Oh probably silly question. I presume I make the cheque out to HSBC PLC- is that correct?

Many thanks pinkdutchess. SAR now typed and ready for daughter's signature when she gets home! In post tomorrow by recorded delivery.

Hi Am currently pursuing claim against Woolwich/Barclays for myself. Which I'll admit I made a bit of a dogs ear with in the beginning because I only came to this site half way through. However, after now reading many many threads on this site I feel far more confident and am now up for tackling HSBC on behalf of my daughter. Also if I make a mistake on mind now I will have learnt and not make the same mistakes on hers as hers will be several weeks behind mine all the way! Well hopefully! To this end I want to do it right from the beginning and due to the fact my daughter's account with HSBC has been closed for a couple of years I expect the best place to send all my correspondence would be their Head Office. Please could someone give me this address, or if I am wrong the correct address to write to for closed HSBC a/c in the South East region. Many thanks. And good luck to everyone here.

Okay have downloaded template LBA. Have amended it slightly due to the fact my previous letters were from Martin's site and that the last two letters I sent ( (1) I can't accept your offer of X but would accept Y; and (2) I am prepared to accept your offer of X, but only in part settlement and will pursue the balance through the court without further notice if I do not hear from you within 7 days) were marked 'without prejudice'. I hope I am following forum protocol here, by not copying the whole letter into my post, but rather 'blanking out' the template and just putting in the additions/changes I have made. Hope you can understand what I have written in full! Any comments/advice/amendments would be gratefully received. Or if you need sight of any of my previous letters for comparison or completeness just let me know. Just don't want to fill space with lots of unnecessaries. Many thanks.

Wow-yipee! I have finally negotiated, got round, worked out and DONE the spreadsheet! It is now nicely saved on my computer and now I'm going to turn my attention to sending them a letter (out of courtesy of course ) telling them that figure has gone up since I first contacted them and that due to their non response I am going ahead with filing a claim against them. Those of you who have read the earlier part of my thread will know I wrote first letters from Martin's website and I also did silly thing by sending last couple of letter without prejudice. So I would be most grateful if you have any ideas/advice etc on my next letter before I send it off. I will put it on the thread so you can have a good pick at it first! It's just as a couple of others have said on different threads they started on Martin's site and whilst his site is helpful, it has no comparison to this one for being totally on the ball and giving that polished 'I know exactly what I'm doing' approach. Also, as I'm sure a lot of us feel, I don't want to be able to give them any loophole in my procedure or something I have done or may do to get out of this on a legal technicality. Many thanks.

Hey even better I could give my mother Barclay's free phone number and get her to call them! They'd throw our money back at us, with interest and probably gives us extra on top just to keep her away!

I've just started another new business! Rent a Vengence Demon Very good rates...mother guaranteed to make your victim sob with remorse and plead forgiveness!

Saintly- think my life was less hetic when I worked 15hr days in London! At least I was allowed to get on with what I was doing!

Lol Trucker! Honest? I'd rather deal with 20 teenagers and their problems than my ruddy mother!

LOL! Oneofakind - think I blame the parents too! Eldest and second daughter good girls really. Their problems are not intentional-everyone makes mistakes and guess really I feel proud they trust me to come to me to help sort their problems. Just why do they all have to have problems at once!?!?!?!? And my son has just got to grow throught that horrible semi-adult/teenage stage! No excuse for my mother however! Now I could write a novel about her-it would be a horror! Even the man who reads the gas/electricity meters sighs with relief when he leaves! No mother-in law jokes could ever do her justice! Sorry about earlier post :o But must admit did feel better after!

Many thanks Trucker-also Dar£n. Think I'm just having a very long blonde moment! Don't think it helps I have mother on the phone every other minute of the day to talk about vegetables-yes that's right she has nothing better to talk about and drives everyone insane! Well you have to laugh or she'd send you off the nearest bridge! Added to that my daughter keeps texting me to sort out her Capital One a/c. They have put over the limited charges on her a/c cos she thought by paying by DD that couldn't happen. Have spoken to the FSO and they agree it was not on, charges should be refunded, but Capital One have only refunded 2 (I think-would help if daughter were more organised and I actually had statements in front of me!). Thing is if they had refunded 1st charge x 2 as they promised they would she would not have gotten third charge. Darned annoying but can be sorted out no doubt. However, daughter panicking cos she's read letter wrong and thinks she has only 6 weeks to sort it out when in actual fact it's 6 mths. Ruddy teenagers, who'd have them? They're doing my head in. They all want attention NOW! Their problem is the most important and don't give me 5 mins peace. Think son is worst-he's just made big issue (whilst I'm typing this) of 'sister had his trousers in her room ergo she's been wearing them so they need washing before he can wear them again! Oooooh! He's 6ft plus and muscles everywhere-she's size 6 so don't think she'd want to wear his trousers! But son has to be right and make big issue of it. Eldest daughter on other hand has some big worries-bless her not of her making. Old employees wouldn't pay her her commission when she left for new job, she took my advice and went to Employment Tribunal and now old Employees are using threats and bullying tactics to try to get her to drop the case, on top of that she left her boyfriend (amicably just felt relationship wasn't quite right) now he's living in the house they bought, she's still paying half the mortgage (which if she doesn't he's trying to say she can't have half the profit when it's sold) and she's living out of suitcases elsewhere. She want's to rent or buy elsewhere but house not selling and ex boyfriend sticking his heals in re renting their place so she can free her money up to rent pro tem. Sorry! :o I'm going on. But sure this is why I feel so woolly headed or that head has been shoved in the spin dryer at times and end up doing things where it does need concentration so late at night and result is end up totally tired out next day. Think it's my fault, can be a bit of a soft touch at times and hate upsetting people. IF I every get around to sorting spreadsheet out and eventually winning this claim think I will do something totally unprecedented in my life, be totally selfish and go on holiday on my own-just for some peace! Let them fend for themselves for a week or so! Anyway, having got all that off my chest! Many many thanks to all of you who are being so patient with my totally blonde and woolly ways. I really appreciate your kindness and help.