This topic was closed on 03/07/19. If you have a problem which is similar to the issues raised in this topic, then please start a new thread and you will get help and support there. If you would like to post up some information which is relevant to this particular topic then please flag the issue up to the site team and the thread will be reopened. - Consumer Action Group

This topic was closed on 03/07/19. If you have a problem which is similar to the issues raised in this topic, then please start a new thread and you will get help and support there. If you would like to post up some information which is relevant to this particular topic then please flag the issue up to the site team and the thread will be reopened. - Consumer Action Group

This topic was closed on 03/07/19. If you have a problem which is similar to the issues raised in this topic, then please start a new thread and you will get help and support there. If you would like to post up some information which is relevant to this particular topic then please flag the issue up to the site team and the thread will be reopened. - Consumer Action Group

This topic was closed on 03/06/19. If you have a problem which is similar to the issues raised in this topic, then please start a new thread and you will get help and support there. If you would like to post up some information which is relevant to this particular topic then please flag the issue up to the site team and the thread will be reopened. - Consumer Action Group

I have tried various methods to stop smoking over the years and managed to stop for six years once before being stupid enough to have a cigar in Cuba thinking it would be ok! How wrong. I have since used patches and inhalers, and then Zyban via my doctor. This made me very ill and I had to take time off work. I then started smoking again. 14 weeks ago I bought two copies of Alan Carrs Easy Way to Stop Smoking. It arrived on the Saturday morning and my partner and I both sat and read it from start to finish. We didn't intend to read it in one sitting, but we just did! The book says that you must continue to smoke all the way through which is excellent! We both finished the book at around 3pm, and were told to have our last cigarette. I lit up, had one puff, stubbed it out and haven't smoked since. And the good news is I know I will never smoke again. Nor will my partner! There are no scare tactics (you know the dangers already). If it can work for me it can work for you. I was sceptical but it works. You've nothing to lose! Go and read the reviews on Amazon. It's the book with the red dot on the cover.

Jackie That's great, thank you. Both of us can access the account so it shouldn't be a problem. Regards Richard

I have a account with my partner, does anyone know if I need to take the bank to court in joint names, or whether I can do this on my own on behalf of both of us?

If you are not using broadband to connect to the internet, ie you are using dialup, you could have unknowingly installed a 'roque-dialler' which work in various ways. One trick is to change your internet dialup number to a premium rate number which still gives you access (so you are unaware of a problem) but connects you at a premium rate. If you do have broadband make sure you have disconnected any old dial-up modem from your PC. Check out > for more info.

I have just received a letter from Barclays saying that they will supply copy statements "without charge on this occasion" despite the fact that I used the DPA route. My £10 cheque was returned. Additionally, they asked what I meant by "manual Intervention", "could you please explain what you mean by this term and in consequence which records you believe may be of interest to you."

Would it be an idea to split the Bank of Scotland and Royal Bank of Scotland threads as they are not linked, putting the BoS under Halifax, or Halifax under BoS as appropriate?

Just a quickie A friend of mine had trouble cashing in an Amazon voucher I sent her. As we are good friends she told me. She was worried that it was her fault that the voucher code didn't work. Bankfodder - please let the sender know if there are any problems as we don't like to think that our hard earned cash is going missing! Best of luck £30 sent

Rob Read the FAQ section. It's all there.

£285 claimed in bank charges and paid out. History below. I hope this will help you all: ----------------------------------------------------------- My Address My Address My Address My Address My Address 3rd March 2006 Barclays Bank PLC Address Address Address Address Request for repayment of charges Dear Sir/Madam, ACCOUNT NUMBER: nn-nn-nn nnnnnnn My request I am writing to ask you to refund to me the charges which you have levied from my account over the last four years I now understand that the regime of “fees” which you have been applying to my account in relation to direct debit refusals, exceeding overdraft limits and so forth are unlawful at Common Law, Statute and recent Consumer regulations. Your responsibilites I would draw your attention to the terms of the contract which you agreed to at the time that I opened my account. It is an implied term of that contract that you would conduct yourselves lawfully and in a manner which complies with UK law. I am frankly shocked that you have operated my account in this way as I had always reposed confidence in your integrity and expertise as my fiduciary. What I require I calculate that you have taken £285. I have also added interest at a rate 0f 8% APR as allowed by the County Courts Act (1984) This amounts to a total of £339.96 as per the enclosed spreadsheet. My targets to resolve this matter I hope that you will enter into a sincere dialogue with me about this matter and I am writing this letter to you on the assumption that you will prefer to do this than merely respond with standard letters and leaflets. I will give you 14 days to reply to me accepting unconditionally my request in principle and letting me know a date by which I will receive payment. If you do not respond or you do not respond positively within this time period, I shall send you a letter before action giving you a further 14 days in which to reflect. I believe that these targets are more than sufficient for a large company such as yours with dedicated staff and departments. After that will be no further communication from me and I shall issue a claim at the expiry of the second deadline. Yours faithfully, Me ---------------------------------------------------------- No reply after 3 weeks (I wanted to leave 21 days as this how much time I have traditionally allowed). Second letter sent: My Address My Address My Address My Address My Address 25th March 2006 The Manager Barclays Bank PLC Address Address Address Address LETTER BEFORE ACTION Dear Sir/Madam, ACCOUNT NUMBER: nn-nn-nn nnnnnnnn I am disappointed that I have not received a reply from my letter of 5th March 2006 despite my request for a reply within 14 days. It is now three weeks since I wrote to you. I now understand that the regime of 'fees' which you have been applying to my account in relation to direct debit refusals, exceeding overdraft limits and so forth are unlawful at Common Law, Statute and recent Consumer regulations. I would draw your attention to the terms of the contract which you agreed to at the time that I opened my account. It is an implied term of that contract that you would conduct yourselves lawfully and in a manner which complies with UK law. I am frankly shocked that you have operated my account in this way as I had always reposed confidence in your integrity and expertise as my fiduciary. I calculate that you have taken to be at least £285.00 in charges. I have also added £81.96 in interest at 8% APR as allowed by the County Courts Act (1984) for the sum which you have taken. Total £339.96. A breakdown of these charges was included in my previous letter. I require repayment in full of this money. If you do not comply fully within 14 days then I shall begin a claim against you for the full amount plus interest plus my costs and without further notice. Yours faithfully, Me --------------------------------------------------------------- Reply received yesterday 28th March 2006: Freepost RLTA-CSUE-TCHC Head Office Customer Relations London E14 5HP 0800 282 390 (Freephone) Fax 020 7116 7563 [My Address] Our Reference: xxxxxxx 27 March 2006 Dear xxx I refer to your letter of 3rd March. I am sorry that you feel the Bank Charges you have incurred are unfair and represent a penalty. I note that you are claiming a refund of £285.00 for the past four years. In your correspondence you have made reference to Common & Statute law and recent Consumer Regulations, which you say supports your view. Needless to say, Barclays is aware of all the information you have drawn to our attention. I must inform you however, that we disagree with your legal analysis. When an account is opened with us, our customer is provided with a copy o fteh Terms and Conditions relating to the use of their account including details of our charges. This information clearly explains our obligations to our customers, as well as their obligations to us. I few make any changes to the Terms and Conditions we provide details of these to our customers in line with the Banking Code. Details of our Terms and Conditions and charging tariff can be obtained from any of our branches, or via our internet site, http://www.barclays.co.uk. Putting the above to one side, on this occasion and as a gesture of goodwill, I confirm I am willing to refund your charges totalling £285.00 I have arranged fro this sum to be credited direct to your Current Account, number nnnnnnnn. If you wish to discuss this letter, or fell that there are further issues I need to consider, please contact me on my direct telephone number 020 7116 3061. If you are dissatisfied with my proposal for resolving your complaint you may ultimately be eligible to refer to the Financial Ombudsman Service. The leaflet sent with our letter dated 8 March explains our complaints process and provides details regarding the Financial Ombudsman Service. In accordance with our standard practice unless I hear from you to the contrary within eight weeks from the date of this letter, I shall assume that your complaint is resolved and close my file. Yours sincerely David Chapman Customer Relations Manager ------------------------------------------------ Some of my own comments. I am not going to pursue for the interest charges as the money was not the issue in this case. Since writing my first letter I have discovered that the forum does not recommend claiming the 8% in the first letter. This should be for when (if) it ever gets to court. I sent all my letters 'signed for'. I'm not sure if the bank recived my second letter before responding. Unlikely as all correspondance was sent to my local branch and the reply was from the head office in Canary Wharf. I likes the line in the reply that says "I am willing to refund YOUR charges" I have started a process before when complaining to Barclays intending to take it to the Banking Ombudsman, but have always given up in the past because it is so tedious. I'm pleased that Mr Chapman appears to agree. "If you are dissatisfied with my proposal for resolving your complaint you MAY ULTIMATELY be eligible to refer to the Financial Ombudsman Service" Finally - thanks to Bankfodder and Dave for all they are doing. I'm pleased the site has been expanded to other areas to help consumers generally. As soon as I see some money I'll be sending the BAG an Amazon Voucher for £30.00 as a gesture (of goodwill)! Good luck to the rest of you.

Reading this site, I was reminded of some Payment Protection that was on my Egg loan. The following letter that I sent to them last year is self explanatory: Customer Relations Office Egg plc Riverside Road Pride Park Derby DE99 3GG Dear Sir I have just extended a loan with you and returned the signed documentation today. During my conversation with your sales advisor I was concerned to discover that I have being paying for Payment Protection on both of the loans that I hold with you. As a matter of course, I do not take payment protection insurance, nor extended warranties so I am surprised that I did not pick up on this at the time. I have checked my agreements but unfortunately I cannot find the one for this particular loan. There is nothing on your internet service Account service pages that advises your customers that they are paying for payment protection, and worse there is a misleading statement that says: “Insurance Options: Accident, Sickness, Unemployment and Life” This implies that I haven’t taken these options but they are available to me. Additionally the APR quoted is 6.7%, which does not include the additional cost of the payment protection, so I could not have seen that I had been paying for this. I would be grateful if you could send me a copy of the agreement that I signed for my records. Can you also, with immediate effect, cancel the payment protection on this account, and confirm when this has been done? Yours faithfully

Natasha I also received exactly the same response from Sheena Small, also dated 13th March. Have you received a reply from the Compaints Dept. yet? I have not had a response as yet and have posted a letter ('signed for') today as follows: [My address] 25th March 2006 Sheena Small Abbey National PLC Data Protection Team Regulatory Compliance Abbey House 201 Grafton Gate East Milton Keynes MK9 1AN Data Protection Act (1998) disclosure request Your Ref: SS/ACK Account Number 09-01-26 nnnnnn Dear Ms Small Further to your letter dated 13th March 2006, I have received neither an acknowledgement letter nor any information from your Complaints Department as promised. I would be grateful if you would update me on progress. Yours sincerely [Me]

I also sent off my DPA letter on Saturday. Didn't use registered post though (regretting it now as I read that Abbey are particularily bad (good?) as losing letters!) so I'd like to here as soon as you get a response. I'll start my own thread as soon as I have something to report. Good luck

I had a debit card cloned a few years ago and my bank closed my account and opened a new one. If I request statement information quoting both account numbers can this be done under one (GBP10) claim? I.e. is the bank obliged to give me all information relating to me that they hold, or just that relating to the account numbers that I quote?