Morning sj Thanks for your message of support, I too had been on Martin Lewis' site first. I will see if I can find anything out for you using this fab site of course. I'm sure there'll be someone along soon who can definately put you in the right direct. Suze;)

Thank you for your advice on this, I have only asked for the unlawful charges of £1,202 in my prelim, but as the LBA mentions interest that is why I was querying. Would it be ok if I include the debit interest just for the months when I have been charged unlawfully - I will put it into the complex spreadsheet first as I assume this will work out the correct interest figure for me?? Suze

HI sj Welcome aboard, it's exciting and scary all at the same time. My LBA goes off on 8th May, how did you work out your interest. I've calculated 8% but this is at MCOL stage (which is 22 May for me! gulp!). Suze

I've received the standard response from the Halifax dated 26 April 2007, I posted by RD on 24th April so that's a pretty quick reponse. Thanks Sally, I have been onto the spreadsheet page and have inputted the charges and saved it. Now so guidance with the interest part please??? Do I include all the debit interest over the past 6 years or just the months when I have been charged by the Halifax? Hope it's not one of those silly questions - I have been looking but cannot find the answer as yet. I am trying to get organised for my LBA which will be posted 8th May which includes an interest figure - this is not the 8% figure? Any guidance needed and will be gratefully received, Suze ;)

Am now at the stage of checking the Royal Mail track and trace system on a twice daily basis. As I posted my LBA (1st class Tuesday 24 April 2007) but no confirmation of delivery from Royal Mail as yet) asking them to refund their unlawful charges of £1,202. I didn't mention interest in the Prelim, but did send a list of the charges with my letter. I have worked out the 8% interest based on the charges from www.monseysavingexpert.com interest calculator, but this is the interest on the charges that I claim when I take Halifax to Court, if I have read and digested correctly? So it' 8 days til I post my LBA! Our bank account has been overdrawn for many years (except for payday when we are have a credit balance for a few hours) and obviously some of the interest will be because of this. Could somebody point me in the right direction of calculating the interest portion for my LBA. On some of my statements I have credit interest (not very much!) and debit interest. Suze:-?

Hi again Tilly I had a look on Martin Lewis' website www.monseysavingexpert.com and he has an interest calculator on that. You just type in your charge and the date and it automatically works out the interest for you and keeps the total going til the bitter end. Suze x

Hi TillyI will be watching and learning from your experience too. By the way, in your prelim did you ask them for refund of charges plus interest or just the charges? I only asked them for charges in my prelim, but when it comes to my LBA I will then obviously ask them for interest too, that's ok isn't it? Is that what you're doing? Suze x

Hi TillyI am going to send mine on 8th May which is exactly 14 days. I am not allowing for Sundays or Bank Holiday Monday (which is within my timescale, but have counted Day 1 as today 25th April 2007). Whenever we get demands for money it is 7 (or whatever) days from the date of letter, so I am doing the same to the Halifax. I would send it on Friday 27th May (if that is your 14th day) and then allow your next 14 days to Friday 11 May.Suze x

Hi TillyI've just started the ball rolling by sending my prelim letter yesterday by RD to Trinity Road, I await 8 May with anticipation. My claim is only £1,202 w/o interest but I intend to send standard LBA on my claim. This has to be your decision, but it is your money and the Halifax are surely going to want to negotiate if your claim is for a considerable amount. have you looked at the "successes" threads, they've given me a lot of confidence this morning and I intend to hang out for the full amount plus interest if it means court action, this will be just over £1500 and will sort out our overdraft with a little left over for a celebratory meal whether it's in a month's time or 3 months. The decision is yours, I know it must be hard knowing that you have only 2 days to send it and I bet you've got it written out both ways just wanting someone to tell you what to do. It totally takes you over doesn't it. Watching your thread with much interest as you are 12 days ahead of me.Best of luck, Suze

Well I've gone and done it now. My letter asking the Halifax to refund £1,202 was sent to them at Trinity Road yesterday by recorded delivery. I have calculated approximately £344 interest on top of the charges, but let's see what evolves before hitting them with that one, that was quite a shock on top of the total they owe us. Now do I allow them exactly 14 days including weekends and bank holidays? 14 days is 8 May? 11 May allowing them Sundays and May Day? It's quite a scary thought even though I was assured by a Halifax 'bod' that the Halifax would not do anything untoward.

Hi I rang the Halifax asking them not to charge me £39 for an unpaid cheque, which they wouldn't. I then said about the CAG and he became more helpful and said that he could send me the statements and the charge would be £5. I asked about what Halifax would do and he said they wouldn't close the account and it shouldn't affect anything. I asked him to send the statement. I received them about 10 days later and it has taken me until today to be brave enough to start reclaiming £1,202 in UNLAWFUL CHARGES. I am still waiting for the £5 charge to be applied. Suze

Hi, Thank to doo for putting me in the right direction. Apologies for butting in on another thread. As I have said, I have today decided to reclaim £1,202 in unlawful bank charges from the Halifax. I have been thinking about this since last Summer but have now decided to be brave. We are overdrawn but having spoken to someone regarding an unpaid cheque fee, he assured me that the Halifax would not close our account and it would not affect us if we went down this avenue. He still would not refund the charge of £39, though and I received the statements within 10 days of our phone call. So tomorrow I will go to the post office and will send my letter requesting full payment and giving them 14 days to respond.

I have decided to take the step and have written my letter claiming unlawful charges of £1,202 that have been applied to our joint bank account. Could somebody please let me know which address I should send the letter to - would it be Head Office in Halifax? Also is it a good idea to send it by recorded delivery? Thanks Suze

I have now started the ball rolling in that I am arranging a new joint bank account elsewhere and arranging salary to be paid to the new joint account asap and I have drafted a copy of the SAR letter to the dear Halifax. I am yet to send it as I have a couple of questions. The bank account in question is a joint account, do we sign the letter jointly or individually - obviously it is either signatory being a joint account, but wondered what was the done thing? Also, we have an overdraft does it matter if the account is overdrawn? I am thinking of leaving it overdrawn until we win! Is that the "done thing"?

I have today joined with The Consumer Action Group and look forward to be able to claim back the unlawful charges made by my bank with your help. I have yet to get started in the research to help me reclaim my money. Thank you. Suzanne