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I was wondering if it would be worth my time claiming back bank charges with the pending test case? i never made an attempt to claim last year but upon reviewing my statements over the past 2 years i have totalled approximately £2,200 in charges. i have been encouraged by friends and family to send off for statements and charges dating back over the past 5 years, with the test case putting other claims on hold, should i make a claim? or am i wasting my time?

If you want to claim, then you should do so now. as you know all claims are currently on hold pending the outcome of the test case being brought to the high court by the oft to decide once and for all if bank charges are unlawful. the case is due to start around the end of jan 08, and is expected to run for a year or more as the issues are complex, and the legal process is slow! if the oft win, it will make it much quicker and easier for e one to claim their bank charges back, and if you put your claim in now it will be dealt with quicker as its already in the system. however, if the banks win it will be the end to bank charge claims. all you need to do at this stage is to write to the bank (you can use the template letter on my site below) asking for your charges back. send it by recorded deli to the banks head office. it will then be logged and acknowledged by the bank, and will then be placed on hold. if you put your claim in now you have the advantage that it locks the date of your claim, so no matter how long it takes for the hold on claims to be lifted, you can still claim back to august 2001 (6 years from the current date, than 6 years from the date the hold is lifted). if the banks win, all you have lost is your postage, so its well worth doing! have a look at my site below for more details on the current situation, as well as step by step guides to claiming. the site is free to use!