'One of Them'

[lickthewallfatboy]

perhaps you would care to justify how banks in Northern ireland(UK based) can charge £25 -£35 for stopped direct debits,cheques and sending out letters,while their sister companies in the Republic of Ireland,with presumably the same cost base can charge literally a fraction of what they charge us?

1 Euro = approx 65 pence

for example-

ULSTER BANK(PART OF RBOS GROUP)

unauthorised overdraft €4.44 (that's euro by the way)

cheque/direct debit returned €12.70

 

Ulster Bank Credit card-

If your payment is late: €8.50.

If you go over your credit limit: €8.50.

 

 

NORTHERN BANK (NATIONAL IRISH BANK)-FROM THEIR WEBSITE

“REFERRAL FEES(not applicable to accounts opened after 18th April 2006)

when cheques and debits collectively exceed the credit limits or cause an account to overdraw without permission a charge of 4 Euro (very roughly £2.70)per item presented will be applied,up to a maximum of 22.20 EURO PER DAY(roughly £15 MAXIMUM PER DAY)

 

UNPAID ITEMS OUT-APPLICABLE TO ALL ACCOUNTS-when an item is returned unpaid from your account a charge of 10 Euro(roughly £7) PER ITEM IS LEVIED.”

 

 

FIRST TRUST BANK(AIB GROUP)

Unpaid items

Cheques lodged to your account and returned unpaid €4.44

Cheque, direct debit or standing order presented

on your account and returned unpaid €6.35

 

Now you know why people are fully justified in sticking it to the banks-they've been sticking it to us for years.I know it's a cliche,but Dick Turpin wore a mask.........

[mutzi]

I'm sure even the dummies guide to law would tell you that the Freedom of Information act applies to public bodies only. It would also probably cover the Computer Misuse Act and that any unauthorised access to a computer system is a breach of it.

 

A banks internal complaints procedure is irrelevant. These are not complaints, they are requests for the refund of unlawfully taken charges. People are giving the banks an opportunity to do so within a reasonable time frame. Perhaps if they would comply with the first request, rather than dragging their heels, the 'customer relations' department would have a little less work to do.

 

You want your free banking to be paid for by the exploitation of the poorest? I expect the 'well you agreed to the terms and conditions when you opened the account' bit.

 

The government have pushed towards everyone having at least a basic account. If you work you need an account, most employers don't give you the choice of cash. If your on benefits you need an account. ALL accounts have these charges.

 

Take the example of the DSS deciding not to pay someone for a couple of weeks (this does happen, frequently.) The money they recieve covers the cost of living with very little left over. Charges are applied but theres nothing to left to pay them with, so more charges come in next week pushing the account further into the red.

 

And when this person explains to their bank whats happened.... 'Sorry, we only refund charges where there's been an error on our part.'

 

Admittedly there are some people who have the money but just don't manage it properly but then the charges are still extortionate. Solution: don't give them credit.

 

I think you'll find what the people here actually want is a 'fair and transparent' system of charges. People are claiming back 100% just now because the banks refuse to give out the information on the true costs, I suspect not because it's commercially sensitive information but because the actual figures are very very small in comparison to the current charges.

 

I doubt we'll see the end of free banking. There are monthly fee accounts on offer at the moment but the way things are in this country the first bank to start charging for a basic account will lose a lot of customers, fast.

 

I've never incurred a charge either, I'm here helping my sister with her accounts, one which is with hbos. Neither of us really care about your internal complaints procedures so could you please stop sending those leaflets?

[MARTIN3030]

Personally, i completley disagree with the whole thing, and the ruling on a whole. I'm a young lady, and i've never incurred a single bank charge (ironic really), but this entire thing is going to affect me and i'm not even claiming. I dont want to have to pay for a bank account in the future, or incur higher interest rates so the banks can recoup.

 

I ask this, other than natweststaffmember, have any of you actually worked for a bank, and know how internal process works, or are you again just quoting from the legal textbook for dummies a solicitor has provided you with to enact this David & Goliath quest where completley honourable, but totally bereft of any real redressing the balance, everyone just wants to 'stick it' to the banks.

 

If you have never incurred bank charges that doesnt make it right.Your views thankfully are not shared by the vast number of people with accounts.

If banks need to take huge charges to keep their profits high,then they should be properly investigated and brought to book.You say its unfair to other customers and you dont want to pay higher interest rates ?

The oft certainly did not think so and I would rather believe them than you.

The legal textbook for dummies you refere to has enabled 100s and 1000s to claim back money which is rightfully theirs in the first place.

 

The David and Golieth "quest" is an interesting equasion.......only in this case Goliath is the claimants that the banks are now bowing down to.

 

I hope that one day you ARE faced with charges which will then give you the right to give an informed opinion about it instead of trying to be supportive of the bank.

[surreyscouse]

natweststaffmember - I'll answer this for you, NO, oneofthem is quite clearly not here to help anybody.

 

oneofthem - Just my opinion, but you are a clown of the highest order, it really wouldn't bother me if you never came back to this website as you quite clearly are here just to wind people up. It is quite clear that you haven't had a GOOD luck around the site and seen some of the stories on here that make your heart bleed for other people. Quite frankly, I don't care if banking is not free soon, not sure others care as well. So what if a bank charges us £25 a year for an account, with the reduction in charges that have been made, people will actually save money. Not that it matters to you. By your own definition you are a young "lady", a student in fact who has never had a bank charge (that's a first). I can only presume that you were born with a nice silver spoon in your mouth and Daddy is putting you through Uni and that mixing with people who incur bank charges is well beneath you, which once again begs the question, what the hell are you doing on here !

 

despite what I say above, I do offer an apology for calling you a clown of the highest order. It was the best I could come up with without using swear words that get me banned from this FANBLOODYTASTIC website !

 

Don't feel you have to respond oneofthem, I couldn't care less what happens to you !

[dave]

Even if you give 14 days, you have no legal right to impose your own timescales on the procedure.

It's not our timescale - it's well documented in the Civil Procedure Rules that 28 days is sufficient notice of legal action.

 

If the bank chooses to treat a letter requesting that unlawful charges be returned to their rightful owner as a complaint, then that is it's own business.

 

Personally, I see the bank doing this as a pathetic way to further confuse people and stall the process.

 

The law is the law - and notice of impending legal action is 28 days. Look it up.

 

We advocate sending one letter, then 14 days later another giving 14 days notice. 14+14=28.

 

Much as the banks think they are, they ARE NOT above the law. It is their timescales that have no legal right being imposed.

 

I meant being banned from reading something on the internet, in public domain.

 

You are not banned - the reasons are obvious why we would want to know. If you are actually visiting this site from a bank, we know in any case, as the IPs are resolved in the background and logged in a database, using my 'banklurker' program.

 

everyone just wants to 'stick it' to the banks.

 

There is some truth in this. Perhaps the banks should ask themselves why this is the case. I don't hear people talking about Insurance Companies with the same venom (although they are also not high on the 'love' list for most people), or Garages, or Supermarkets etc.... Yet, mention a bank to someone, regardless of which bank it is, and the response is usually one of complete distain.

[Guest lobster]

hear hear to all who made points re "one of them" made my blood boil... who the hell is this person coming on here telling us what to do.. agree with u defo bin born with a fat silver spoon i her mouth.... jesus christ... i agree coudnt flipping care less if didnt come back here. what a wind up merchant... goood rid i say...

right gonna dig out for some more statments coz of that opinated lady.....errrrr

[MARTIN3030]

Lobster.........I take it you are a little miffed ?

 

Efforts by BWs to wind people up here are always overshadowed by the job in hand.

 

 

Dont let it get to you

 

[Guest lobster]

ok i wont .... will concentrate om my three claims two in fastrack yikes!!! and i small claim lol

[welly]

I think if anyone read this then it will only make them want to get back the UNLAWFUL charges even more so thank you Oneofthem and I hope more and more do.

 

And Dave said it all "THE BANKS ARE NOT ABOVE THE LAW" and that is why most of us are doing this and to get the government/OFT to pull its finger out and for once do something about this.

 

And I would never talk to the bank staff in a way that I would not like to be and for the fact It could be one of the VERY helpful current or EX bank staff we have on here (Natweststaffmember and others)

[Guest lobster]

so where are you now "ONE OF THEM" :D

 

thanks you have made me more determined to get my BANK CHARGES back.....

and do u know what...... i will get it all back.... :D

 

and i like thousands of others deserve it....so boo hoo to you....

 

so TALLY HO......(obviously your language!!!!) "ONE OF THEM"

 

and go back to the planet that obviously isnt this one.....

 

as to the rest of the great peeps here keep going on with the great fight... lol

[MARTIN3030]

Lobster please control yourself..............we dont want to encourage all this negative opportunism.

[ppauls150]

Just so some of you know, complaints are handled within the 12 week period set down by the FOS, FSA and standard complaints procedure. Even if you give 14 days, you have no legal right to impose your own timescales on the procedure. Cases are handled as fast as they can, and i can guarantee you, people are working their arses off to sort these out.

So you don't think that all the banks are running around making sure that they respond to these deadlines? I have very rarely seen someone who has not had a letter back from the bank within this timescale of 14 days and if they haven't i bet it was within a day or two of the deadline, maybe just due to the backlog of printing the automated responses out and not working saturdays and sundays.

 

And i think a lot of people will definaltely tell you that there is one deadline the banks will offer you a full refund no questions asked timeframe and that is before they have to walk into the court room to disclose their real costs for the unlawful charges.

 

So back to the answer i think that you find we do dictate the timescale of these claims not the banks, and the more and more people realise this by coming on here and reading that they should dictate to the banks and not let the banks dictate to them is another victory

 

P.S Anyone think this site needs to see about getting an emblem which people could look at getting on their shirts or tops so when you go into the bank you can show them off and also you could be walking down the town and see someone else with one and get chatting to them

[sohoscribbler]

Who would be the ideal designer and model for this t-shirt?

[ED1237]

I would guess, if you have never been charged you either have a staff account in which case it forms part of your contract not to incur charges, or you have had a very short adult life.

 

Secondly I bet if you were not working in the banking industry and had incurred charges, you would claiming with the rest of us.

 

It sounds like a statement from someone concerned about more about her own future employment than what is morally right to me! Saying that, If I were in the same position as you, I would have probably drawn the same tunnel visioned view.

[MARTIN3030]

I would guess, if you have never been charged you either have a staff account in which case it forms part of your contract not to incur charges, or you have had a very short adult life.

 

Secondly I bet if you were not working in the banking industry and had incurred charges, you would claiming with the rest of us.

 

It sounds like a statement from someone concerned about more about her own future employment than what is morally right to me! Saying that, If I were in the same position as you, I would have probably drawn the same tunnel visioned view.

 

I am not so sure.

There are BWs here who have told of going over and being disciplined.

Of course they are told not to manage their accounts in a way in which would incur charges,but many of their front line staff are in the same boat as most of us here.Their wages are not fantastic and like everyone else now and again the unexpected happens.

Its the attitudes of some that need to be questioned and I am not totally convinced that all bws are of the same frame of mind as "one of them "

[Guest lobster]

Lobster please control yourself..............we dont want to encourage all this negative opportunism.

 

sorry sorry sorry....promise wont do it again.... :oops:

 

lobster

[Guest lobster]

re martins 3030 post i agree with him not all bws are like ~one of them~ the tellers in my local branch of the woolwich are extremely helpful and freindly....are on rubbish pay...

 

they know im taking the woolwich to court and have said me to me go for it as has JANE BALLARD from head ofice...

[ED1237]

I agree with you Martin3030. I am a long time ago ex Nationwide staffer who constantly got butt whipped for going overdrawn. I also do not beleive that all bank staff have the same ridiculas view as oneofthem. Give her a few years, a couple of kids and a mortgage (ie life) and I am sure she will have an attitude adjustment and be claiming with the rest of us.

[One of Them]

Did someone just delete my last post? Thats a bit much if they did.

[surreyscouse]

I can't wait for this !

[binkhus]

i have 4 children and am struggeling to feed them because the banks keep taking charges off me ( many of these have occured because i fell behind from last months charges so the cycle continues) and i wouldnt mind so much if the charges were propotionate but its an automated system! no way does it cost the bank £35 to not pay a bill because im £1 short!

last month when the bank charged me twice for an account fee i rang up and sorted it out, they refunded it because it was a computer error but i couldnt charge them £35 for their mistake.

i makes me sick that the banks continue to levi these charges on sometimes the most vunerable members of society and if the banks want to offer free bank account they should maybe use some of the massive profits they make elsewhere.

[One of Them]

It was just saying that i dont have a staff account, i bank with HSBC, have done since i was a student, i think you're well within your rights to attempt to claim them back, i just think people should be a bit more, well, nice about it, we've started ringing people now to try and get quick resolutions to these complaints, however i've been called all manner of things under the sun and insulted to high heaven over the last week, when i'm simply trying to do my job and follow procedure.

 

With regards to your complaints, they're all on the computerised system and they're deal with on a claim by claim basis, we all work really hard to get them dealt with and we dont just sit here on our hands. I just wish i can go back to my old job because i dont think i can deal with being abused for no reason until someone makes some form of ruling or regulates these complaints.

 

Don't say 'i havent had to live and adult life'. I live an adult life. I was just brought up hard from an early age that if you live outside your means, theings get hairy.

[surreyscouse]

so why come on here and have a pop at the people claiming the charges back ? Why not voice your concerns with your employers who quite clearly do not care about resourcing their offices well enough to deal with these complaints.

 

Granted, you shouldn't have to accept insults from people over the phone, but as with any problem you need to get to the root of it and money is a very touchy subject.

 

My theory would be that people do not get the response they would appreciate. And I don't mean a yes we'll give refunds back. I mean a sympathetic response and a quick an timely resolution instead of further messing people around and causing even more stress. That's why people get angry.

 

That said, you're still out of order for what you have said previously. You'd have to do a fair bit to change peoples minds on that I reckon.

 

You say you've been ringing people to resolve matters quicker, but what resolution have you offered ? You (the banks) have been told in no uncertain terms that nothing less than a full refnd is acceptable, so why bother trying to offer somehint less. No wonder you are geting abuse as you quite clearly don't listen to your customers if that's the case. The response could be down to the kneejerk reaction of the banks to try and sort things out quicker and less effectively.

[Guest Niklowe]

I agree with you entirely that people should not be abusive to you, however you must understand that there are a lot of people out there that are at their wits end, sometimes through no fault of their own. My daughter went over her agreed overdraft limit and her bank defaulted her direct debits, which pushed her a further £230 further in the red due to penallty charges. She then incurred penallty charges on her credit cards! Then we were bombarded with telephone calls from the bank and a DCA. Sometimes 4 a day. It's no wonder tempers run short.

 

I do sympathise with you as my other daughter worked at the Abbey, and she used to bring back tales about some customers which was frankly horrifying.

[binkhus]

when the banks send letters out it nearly always a standard "no" letter so isnt it just a case of printing it off and posting it? i have not read of one single person who got a full refund after simply asking for it.

if you are looking into account ect which would take longer i agree what are you looking for? is there something that would appear on an account to make you (the banks) say yes you can have all the charges back?

abuse is never nice or acceptable but it goes both ways when i rang up yorkshire bank about one charge on my account which ment that i would have only £20 left to feed my 4 kids and myself for the week the man from customer services was very rude and pretty said i was "very silly" to get myself into this sort of mess.

some bank staff are just as rude as customers!

saying that the staff at my ltsb bank have always been very nice and as helpfull as they could be.