Yeah, you really are getting the cold shoulder treatment, aren't you? I think there must be a lot of thought going into this now - exactly how to manage the process to discourage as many people as possible and to limit what they pay when they are forced to. No doubt they've had a look at my account and reasoned that I wouldn't mind being handed a grand ASAP! Cheers, Calum

Interesting - I've just got my first letter from BoS (actually, from Halifax, in Leeds) after a full month. No piddly offers for me, bang in there with a full and final offer of £1085, being six month charges (doesn't say which six months). They also threaten to close my account if I do not manage it correctly, and even include a form and a prepaid reply letter. How thoughtful. I've been rather busy recently, so I haven't had time to submit a small claims form, but I will do as soon as. I've just found out that, despite having a sherriff court some hundred yards from my doorstep, the sherrif court's clerk is almost fifty miles away! Oh well. Cheers, Calum

No, I have no intentions of opening another account unless my hand is forced. If they close the current account, I do have a savings account that I have used in the past for a couple of standing orders and direct debits that will do to have my wages paid into. Many thanks for the link, Lucy - interesting reading. Davie: it is a blatant fob off attempt. At one stage last year, when I was in serious difficulty, receiving repayment notices, etc, whenever I phoned up, I gave them my name and address and with no further ado they would happily tell me what was in each of my accounts, what was due and when, and how much I needed to give them *right now*. The information is all in front of them as soon as they care to punch in a few details; this hanging around is simply an attempt to cause as many customers as possible to lose interest, and I'll guarantee that it is working for them to some extent: for every person that posts on here, I'll bet there are more that have received one nasty sounding letter and given up. Cheers, Calum

Oh, and while I remember: was speaking to a BoS frontline employee acquaintance of six or seven years standing a couple of days ago and asked her if she knew anything about refunding bank charges. She told me confidently I'd get them back if I complained really loudly. Then she asked how much...when I told her she fell off her chair and said 'eh, you'll not get all that back, I was thinking you meant a couple of direct debits or something'. And she was quite genuine - didn't know anything about it.

Hmm...has anyone else had zero response whatsoever from BoS? I've sent an request for payment, requesting a reply in seven days, and gave them two weeks then sent an LBA, requesting again a reply within seven days. Time's up today, and not a peep from them. It was all sent to the Mound. I'm rather snowed under at the moment, so they won't get taken to court until Monday anyway, but the silence is rather unnerving. Cheers, Calum

Not Ian Duncan the piper by any chance? I'm no expert, feeling my way through all this myself, but my understanding is that the first amount is as you describe. The second one is only the interest that has been charged because the charge made you overdrawn - so if you were charged, say, £100, and this made you overdrawn by £200 for two weeks, your interest claim is for interest on £100 for two weeks. Yes, it's rather complicated to work out Cheers, Calum

By the way, I have been looking for but can't find a page of advice regarding account closures by the bank. My credit rating is such (partly, at least, due to the charges) that I will struggle to open a full current account elsewhere, so if I can be well armed when they threaten or actually try to close my account, that would be a great help. Does anyone have any pointers? Cheers, Calum

Well, it's now Tuesday the 5th and no reply received...will dispatch an LBA tomorrow. Cheers, Calum

I'm curious about this. BoS's merger (not a takeover) has resulted in a Byzantine ownership and business structure (I assume due to BoS's legal foundation in an Act of Parliament rather than just incorporating like anybody else). As far as I'm concerned I'm a BoS customer, always have been, but who actually provides my account and services now, I have no idea. As my claim is > £1500, it would be a lot easier if I could file via Moneyclaim. Anyone have any wisdom on this? Cheers, Calum

Well, from the 22nd to Monday the 4th is 13 days, you would think they were getting used to answering these letters by now I used GLC's letter, which says seven days, rather than CAG's fourteen. While I don't wish to appear ungracious in my dealings with BoS, I also don't want to let them drag their feet for as long as they can get away with. How long have other BoS claimants had to wait after a first letter? Cheers, Calum

Greetings all...just one more induhvidual trying to recaim £1818 of charges (and I thought it was just me that managed to rack up these totals) First letter sent recorded delivery 21st Aug, confirmed received on 22nd, asked for response within seven days, now the 2nd of September and nowt received yet! Will give them till first post on Monday and then send a slightly stiffer second letter and start putting my small court claims together... Cheers, Calum