This is in answer to Rob. I'm glad you've never had any money problems and never get charged penalties. I hope you continue to avoid them.

Unfortunately many people live at the limit of their means, and not though high living. The cost of living, rents, kids etc. is generally quite high when compared to wages. Many honest hard working people live from pay cheque to pay cheque and this delicate balance can easily be upset by a small event such as a sudden illness. In this instance it just takes one small penalty to cascade into many penalties ans the fees make further payments harder to honour.

These cyclic situations are difficult and time consuming to extract from, even with the help of the bank. It's these people's misfortunes that funds your free banking.

As for signing a contract that clearly states these charges, try and find a bank that does not charge in this fashion. They all do, and one cannot exist reasonably without a bank account. The banks have a captive market.

Damien, Unley, Australia

Rob,Uk,Uk,

Obviously you have absolutely no financial problems.

'Let them eat cake'!!! springs to mind.

example: £5.66 in bank account. £6.28 DD due out. Day before wages paid in monthly without fail. £39.00 charge.

Disgusting!

JPK, Cupar,

I'm sorry you feel that way Rob, however the point of law being argued is that the banks are charging a penalty fee for a breach of contract. Essentially what you have stated amounts to the fact that if you breach that contract you so willingly signed, the banks can charge you anything they want to charge...so how about if you miscalculate by 1p and then go over drawn we will charge you £1000. The law is there to protect the consumer from unfair contracts like this. Were you allowed to negotiate the contract you signed...no. Have the bank continuously raised the charges year on year without your agreement...yes. What consumers are saying is that we will willing pay the charge if it is lawfully applied. The law states that the bank can only recover a breach of contract loss which is a fair and proportionate estimate of their costs. We now know that it costs less than £2.50 to breach the contract yet we are being charged as much as £39 for the priveledge.

Nick, bradford,

Get your own life sorted out if you think victims of these charges are being selfish! Perhaps if you took a break from your perfect little lives you might consider that some of these people have fallen on hard times through no fault of there own! You dont tell starving people to get there acts together and stop spending our money!

Simon, Lancashire,

Victims of "rip-off" bank charges, need to sort out their lifes and look after their money, if they can not do that, then how can they look after their children.

you signed a contract which clearly states these charges, you dont sign a contract in life which says you wont do 40 down a 30mph road. and yet i bet every reader and post here has done that!

All the idiots who claim back their charges are incredible selfish, as those who have never paid a charge will soon be paying a monthly fee for their bank account, an act being brought on by these idiots who think they are doing the £rightouse" thing£.

Get your lifes and your acts sorted, and stop using the banks money without their permission.

Rob, UK, UK