See Recovering Bank Charges - 1 and Recovering Bank Charges - 2.

Just an update I am afraid - no results, yet!

I hadn't heard from the Alliance & Leicester so over the weekend I called their call centre for an update.  'We do have 40 days in which to respond you know Mr. Doyle', Anne in Ashford said; 'and it is only 35 days'.  She was somewhat perplexed when I said that the 40 days was to send me the statements and that we hadn't got that far yet - I'm just trying to get the form that allows me to request the statements.

Anne assured me that the statements would be sent out in the next few days, so we go back to waiting.

I seem to recall that nearly all my 'threatening letters' from the bank gave me 3 days, or 5 days to respond; I don't recall the luxury of 40 days on any issue.  Anne in Ashford and later Linda in Liverpool (see a pattern here?). both said that the bank have been inundated with requests for reimbursement of penalty charges - so if you haven't applied do so soon as you might get caught up in the queue.

Someone reading this blog asked me what have I got against the banks, and I really don't have anything against them. I, like a lot of people, just want them to decide if they're a business or a community service.

If they are a business (which is what I think) then let's be up front about it and act like it with complete transparency.  If they're not then let's be equally frank about where they stand.  It's this middle ground that I hate, where they profess to be a service, but at the same time everything they do with my money seems to work in their favour.

Take SWIFT transfers for example, I know and most of you know that a transaction over SWIFT normally takes about 2 minutes, so why does it take 5 days to clear the funds?  What makes me laugh harder than anything is when you are transferring money to the UK, the bank ask, 'do you want a SWIFT transfer, because that would mean a higher charge' - I ask you, how else these days do banks transfer money, pony express!

But, let's not get distracted and stay on plot, Recovery of Charges.  I'll keep you posted when the 40 days up!