For the bank workers.......

[surreyscouse]

If somebody asks for the last six years statements, do you automatically assume that they want them to get charges refunded ? And why do you ask why a customer wants them ? (as if you can say no anyway)

Just wondered as I requested statements the other day (which turned up today) and was asked why I wanted them. Erm........ as if he was going to go the extra mile and sort it all out there and then ! I don't think so !

Also, have you seen one of these letters come in to your office requesting charges are refunded and what was or is the reaction from staff ?

[Andy999]

Originally Posted by surreyscouse

If somebody asks for the last six years statements, do you automatically assume that they want them to get charges refunded ? And why do you ask why a customer wants them ? (as if you can say no anyway)

I left the bank before people started re-claiming charges, but I did used to ask why people wanted copy statments. The reason I asked was sometimes, the information they wanted was available elsewhere. If so, they may be able to get their answer quicker. Also some customers asked for copy statments to use as proof of previous address when applying, for example, to rent a house. Our copy statments don't show the address, so by asking why the customer wanted them, I could 1) save the customer £5 and 2) save them waiting a few days for somthing that would be useless to them when it arrived.

[aidenr]

Same as Andy999 really,
when i worked at Nationwide, it was before the whole charges thing. i often asked why, just beause they were available online. we didnt charge, but it just meant that it would save a whole lot of time and stop the customer coming back stating they hadnt arrived

I know that if a customer at the time was not registered online, the branch form did have a box asking if there was a reason (from what i can remember)

Aiden

[thegoodsamaritan]

Until I found this site, no I wouldn't have thought anything of it. Nowadays I would suspect that they were probably wanting their charges back (and maybe wish them good luck!). Since Data Protection Act came in I've only seen 1 DPA request (and no-one had a clue what to do!)

[Andy999]

I never saw a Data Protection Act request. I had a couple of people say they wanted certain information and quote the DPA, but it wasn't necessery for them to actually make a DPA request as the information they wanted was available to them anyway.

That's another reason we ask why people want things - why pay £10 and wait 40 days to find somthing that you can find out for free?

[2 minds]

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

[Ewan]

Also the (library) Data Protection Act request asks for any note for manual intervention, as this is part of the basis for the large charge. No one would charge £35 for a compter clock cycle so obviously theres been manual intervention... hasnt there? You can back that up can't you? No...? aha!

etc etc.

[whistleblowing fairy]

we used to ask because you might have been looking for a specific puchase and rather than send you loads we can look for it and send just the statement it's on.

Now though I just assume it's the charges and send them all. At my bank, you don't need to Data Protection Act request this info.

And yes I've seen the letters, I reply to them (don't all boo and hiss) I'm only allowed to offer so much at a time, although the powers that be are changing this to offering out right to reduce all the fees to £12, based on the fact the OFT says £12 is legal (and then auto have to put we disagree)

but don't think i'm some high up manager, the person who signs the letter is usually isn't the person who writes it.

[mahala]

Originally Posted by whistleblowing fairy

And yes I've seen the letters, I reply to them (don't all boo and hiss) I'm only allowed to offer so much at a time, although the powers that be are changing this to offering out right to reduce all the fees to £12, based on the fact the OFT says £12 is legal (and then auto have to put we disagree)
.

ummm ... not sure that is what the OFT said. From their April 5 statement:

...in order to encourage a swift change in market practice we have decided to include in the statement a simple monetary threshold for
intervention by OFT on default charges. The threshold is £12...

...We will regard default charges set below the threshold as either not unfair or insufficiently detrimental to the economic interests of consumers in all the circumstances to warrant regulatory intervention at this time. This does not affect in any way the statutory rights of individual consumers, or groups of such consumers, to challenge the level of default charges, either above or below this
threshold.

1.11 The setting of the threshold is a provisional practical measure to move the whole market towards compliance. We are not proposing that default fees should be equivalent to the threshold, and a court will certainly not consider that a default fee is fair just because it is below the threshold.

It quite clearly states that £12 is a figure they've put on for practical reasons, and is not a figure that they claim if fair or lawful. It is an interim measure to bring the market into compliance.

[Karnevil]

As mahala has nicely bumped this up the forum, its relevant now as I have seen a few people who've had the letters saying you can have back the difference between the original fee and the £12....

I thought maybe there would be some bank workers who have 'inside' knowledge of how the microfiche system works in reality ?

Although whether they'd want to post it up here is a different matter.