No no no no no! Don't close the account if you can help it - even though I agree (as a LloydsTSB customer) that these changes are to replace the profit they're having to repay us. Keeping an account open costs the bank money, and these costs are not reduced with a small balance. So leave it open with the minimum (usually £1) and they will have to pay to send you statements, letters explaining changes, etc etc etc. Isn't it worth a pound for the cost to them? Ian

Greetings I would be very grateful if people could help me with a question that occured to me; replies to me here, or PM, or email me at ianhorsewell@hotmail.com The basis of our objection tot he bank charges is that they are unfair, *penalty* charges - this means that they do not represent the actual costs incurred by the bank when a cheque bounces, we go overdran etc. Yes? While checking my figures, (claim is in process) I found that the 'overdraft excess fee' charged by LloydsTSB has increased from £20 (charged in August 2005, I think) to £30 (August 2006). A 50% increase *in their actual costs* seems very unlikely, especially as the letters are sent by computer, without even a human signature. And inflation can hardly account for it! It just seems that if we can show how each of these charges, for each bank, has increased over time, and challenge them to prove that their actual costs have increased in that way, then it would help us to prove these are penalty, rather than service charges. My gut feeling is that they have realised their time is running out, and are simply making as much profit as they can, while they can. Thoughts, ideas, comments? And hard numbers of price increases would be helpful - am emailing them to ask but expect little joy. Ian

Chez06 There's another forum, the Library. There's all the info you need there. I think the one to start with is an 'initial request for repayment', or something like that. But have the next few ready to go; my bank told me to get lost within the fortnight! Ian

Greetings I'm in the process of claiming back money from LloydsTSB and surely cannot be the first to notice that many of these carges have gone *up* recently. For example, the overdraft excess fee (basically an unarranged borrowing fee) has increased from £20 to £30 in just over a year. A 50% annual increase! How can this possibly reflect an increase in actual costs - therefore this is more evidence that this is a penalty charge, not a service cost. The letter is printed and sent by computer, without even a human signature, and I would have thought that because of tech improvements, the 'cost' of the computer's time would have dropped over the last few years, not increased. My suspicion is that they're charging all they can, while they can. Does anyone have records going back say, ten years, to see how they've increased and their reasons for it? I suspect the graph would be interesting. And do all the banks stay 'in step' with this? Ian

Greetings all I've successfully reclaimed money from Natwest already, but am now helping my other half with her and our accounts. Two of the charges are for a joint account we share, the others are her own current account. Total is just over £400. They have responded to her/our first letter (pretty much the standard one from here!) with a 'final position' letter refusing to pay up, and giving info about the Financial Ombudsman. Should I now go straight to the small claims court? I'm going to be online for a bit checking the info here on the site, hoping to find out. I must be honest, I didn't expect them to give a flat 'no' - random waffling and delays seemed more likely! Thanks to any and everyone here... Ian (PS found the group through Martin Lewis bloke's email)