Understanding the Difference of Unfair Bank Charges from Usual Bank Fees
Thursday, February 16th, 2012UK citizens are clearly having financial troubles because of the mis sold PPI crisis and other financial problems circulating in the country today. Most of these troubles are because of the abusive tactics of banks to gain profit. To receive all the refunds they deserve, citizens are advised to reclaim bank charges. In this article, readers will know more about unfair bank charges, how a bank charge can be considered unfair, how they receive these and how they can make a claim.
Everyone in the UK commonly gets unfair bank charges from banks. Whether it is the use of an ATM machine or a penalty fee for a violation in the usage of bank accounts, sometimes banks can charge great amounts to their customers. With the UK’s current economy, charging the standard amount for bank charges can send customers spiraling down to pay for endless debt. However, it is not yet clear to everyone what is an unfair bank charge.
The Office of Fair Trading states that amounts that go above £15 is considerable as unfair bank charges. Banks previously charge £35 for every violation committed by a customer. According to the Lending Code, banks must always treat their customers with respect and fairness. Charging £35 for every violation is quite unfair nowadays considering the UK citizen’s monthly income nowadays not being at its optimal amount. Banks should always consider their customer’s financial capability at present before continuously charging them.
All UK citizens who have bank accounts receive bank charges through the use of ATM machines to inquire about their balance, withdraw or send money or pay for any kind of bills. UK citizens also receive bank charges through penalty fees whenever they violate a certain term or condition of their bank account. This is usually because they have issued a bounced check, committed an overdraft or they have paid late for the said overdraft. Unfair bank charges are amounts that are disproportionate to the violation. A customer who commits a £1 overdraft and is charged £35 can consider the bank charge as unfair. Customers who continually receive penalty fees because of frequent overdrafts should be contacted by the bank to discuss termination or to find ways to improve their performance.
Unfair bank charges had resulted in the debts of millions of UK citizens. Banks who often forget to consider their customer’s financial capabilities drive the customer deeper into debt. Many UK citizens are actually working with debt consolidation agencies to find a way to repay all their debt and their penalty fees. A large portion of the amount of income citizens have goes directly to the banks, leaving nothing for personal savings on the part of consumers.
Everyone has the right to reclaim bank charges. However, it is advised that customers understand there will be many legal technicalities that they might not understand easily. This is when they will need the help of PPI claims handling companies. Most PPI claims experts are trained in finance and banking laws, which can help customers stipulate legalities regarding the unfair bank charges they receive. A no win no fee claims handling company helps citizens receive all the refunds they deserve.
