Bank Charges

[Andrew Graveson]

I've just spoken to a client who is distressed that his bank (who will remain nameless, for now) is charging him £500 per month in bank charges.

The man in question is recovering from having been blown up in Iraq last year. He is awaiting his compensation and army medical discharge.

He currently has no regulatory or legal redress against the bank due to the ongoing protracted action on bank charge fairness, so the bank continue to hit him with £500 per month.

Strange country we live in.

[Skippy]

Disgusting. I bet he won't get a decent level of compensation either. So much for a country fit for heroes.

[Julie]

I agree with Skippy - disgusting how we treat our own. Then again why do we allow this to happen?

[Skippy]

Did anyone see a story in the paper a little while ago about a soldier who lost both legs and was left brain damaged, but wasn't awarded full compensation as his injuries weren't deemed serious enough?

Compare that to a civilian worker who got over £400k for RSI...

[rayb]

I didn't Skippy but nothing in this Country ever surprises me anymore. We seem to spend more time looking after people who do not contribute anything to our system at all rather than the people who do!!!!!!!! Emigration to another country at some point is seriously being considered!!!!

[chris.g]

Absolutely disgusting....That bank should be named and shamed, although it will probably not be alone in this dispicable treatment of this man, ALL banks would do it!!!
It is disgusting the way these brave forces people are treat, it is as if the MOD are saying they are worthless because they decide to join the forces, they join so they have to put up with the hazards/consequences.....what kind of country are we living in???
xx

[kallis3]

An uncaring one! I get so annoyed when people get hundreds of thousands of pounds compensation for what I consider to be minor things or when they are released from prison on a loophole when they have quite clearly committed to the offence, yet, as you say, people who volunteer to fight in a war which may or may not be justified and who suffer horrific injuries have to fight just to get a fraction of that!

I'll get off my soapbox now!

[cfnc]

That is disgusting, I sincerly hope that he gets all the charges back with interest once the test case is resolved.

Is there anything else that can be done for him?

Kirsty

[Wizzard]

When I was in the forces (many moons ago) I was involved in a fire fight and a friend was killed right next to me. Two days later I had a nervous breakdown and was declared unfit for duty because of it. I was medically discharged and my 'compensation' was a train ticket home.

[angela18]

its disgusting.. we should look after our armed forces.. or put some of the scallies off the streets in there place.. wouldn't be a miss!! this country has gone to the dogs (i sound like my late grandad)

[Adam Davies]

Hi
Andrew,please name and shame this bank.
This ongoing law suit seems to favour the banks as that can refuse any refund of charges whilst the test case goes through the courts
This could take years
Regards

[MelanieGiles]

Absolutely shocking - and I could not agree more with the other posters comments about the way our Armed Forces are treated. Substandard housing, reliance on working tax credits to bring their incomes in line with the private sector, and absolutely no aftercare for people like Ray.

[Andrew Graveson]

I'm not going to name the bank for now. One reason for this is that, as a previous poster stated, it could have been any of them given the way this situation with bank charges has developed.

My suggestion to our client was to contact their local papers as I feel sure this story would attract interest (as it has here) and that national papers might take an interest thereafter. I think that this would be a better way for this particular bank and the fairness of their charges to be exposed to public judgment.

Not right that you can send people to fight in foreign lands but deny them them the right to defend themselves against a bank that is robbing them blind here.

Strange and wrong.

[Reviva UK]

Any chance he could swap banks - coop etc - to control the missed DD payments etc which are no doubt causing some of these magnificent charges.

I have seen a few people now that have several loans / credit cards / insurance policies with a bank and when there is insufficient £ to pay the DD then they charge the usual fee. problem is thet their credit cards / loans etc ( same bank) also charge for missed payments.

These poor folk are really being charges 70 per missed payment.

The knock on effect is that the following month when these charges hit the account they are in a worse mess and the charges continue to pile on.

Not unusual for a a debt to almost double with a bank unless some action is taken.


C**P way to treat the people that serve and protect us!

[Jinx]

Can I firstly say that I agree with all your comments in there own way however... Can you imagine how high bank charges were to be if they were to treat each customer as an individual? It is not the fault of the bank here but the fault of the MOD.

It is my opinion that the money is not being spent in the right places with the MOD nor is there enough of it. If a soldier is injured on active duty he should be pensioned off & paid a salary suitable to his position immeadiately.

Compensation is just becoming a farce! there is nothing else to say about that.

Does this chap deserve compensation? I think that depends on how the injuries were incurred. If it was due to a failure on the part of the MOD then yes he does. If it was due to enemy action then no I don't believe he does.

By the way before you all start to shout at me. I was with 42 commando, royal marines for 6 years & only left in 2001.