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Well the basics of charges is statements and knowing what the charge is for so we have 4 basic charges all claimable. The fifth one there is on the basis that the other four have caused the problem to arise and therefore they are penalising you more.
1) Unarranged Borrowing Fee or Maintenance Charge-- This is when you have an overdraft or do not have an overdraft and you go over that. The bank charges through charging periods which last a month and the charge goes out at the end of the month.(This was until April 2009 when it changed so the charge goes out 21 days after the statement date)
2) Unpaid Item- this appears on the statement and is when there is not sufficient funds in the account the previous working day(mon to Friday) to cover either a cheque, a direct debit or standing order to cover the amount going out. The bank "bounces" or does not pay the item and you get charged for it immediately. (This was until June 2009 when it changed so that charges for this goes out 21 days after your statement date)
3) Card Misuse or Guaranteed Card Payment Fee(gtee card pymt)--This is when an item is paid by switch and goes through the account when the account is over its agreed or unagreed overdraft.(This was until June 2009 when it changed so that the charges for this goes out 21 days after your statement date)
4) Referral Fee-- This is when an item is, rather than bounced is paid which takes the account over an agreed or unagreed overdraft by more than £26. Three charges maximum a month on that last one. (This was until June 2009 when it changed so that the charges for this goes out 21 days after your statement date).
5) Card Recovery Fee- This is when someone comes round to your house to recover your bank card
We have the main charges so what is the amounts i am looking for?
1) Unarranged Borrowing/Maintenance Charge
in 2000 it was £14 which then increased to £20 from April 2003 and then £28 from September 2004.
2) Unpaid Items
In 2000 it was £30 which went up to £38 from March 2005 (for businesses this is currently £35) Edit: From November 2007 max charge per day is £114 or three items.
3) Card Misuse or guaranteed Card Payment Fee-
In 2000 this was £25 and then went up in March 2005 to £35
4) Referral Fees
It was £25 per item(maximum of £75 per month). This changed in September 2004 to £30 per item(maximum of £90 per month).
5) Card Recovery Fee ---£125(not aware if any change to this charge has occurred)
This is the basics to charges and does not include Advantage Gold and Unarranged Borrowing/Maintenance Charges.
Since the guide was updated in August 2009 a further change has occurred.
As of the charging period following 1st October 2009* the charges are as follows:
Maintenance Charge: £20.00 per charging period
Unapaid Item: £5.00 per item and maximum of 10 items per charging period.
Guaranteed Card Payment: £15.00 per item and maximum of 7 items per charging period.
Paid Referral Fees: £15 per item and a maximum of 6 items per charging period.
*Charging periods and how the new charges come in(1st October 2009) :
Charging periods are now based on your bank statement date. If you have statements on 1st of the month then 21 days later your charges go out. Furthermore, if the charging period is the 1st of the month then the new charges will come into effect on that date and in November the new charges will be taken from the account. However, if your statement date is 31st of the month then until that date you will be dealt with under the old charges regime until 31st October 2009. You can change the statement date to coincide with the start of the month which would take effect two months later.
Advantage Gold is a service fee so cannot be claimed* and Unarranged Borrowing/Maintenance Charge is going over an arranged or unarranged overdraft without prior consent which can be claimed. A quick tip as to whether it is or is not an Advantage Gold account is that at the top of the statement it says Advantage Gold. If it was converted back the fee goes out at the end of the following month. The bank has changed the name of Unarraged Borrowing to Maintenance Charge on August 10th 2007.
*The exception to this is if you can prove that you could not benefit whatsoever from the account ie car breakdown cover and you do not drive or medical reason why you cannot travel abroad. In this instance you may be able to reclaim partially based on what you have benefitted from.
Some background info first
In 2001, NatWest was taken over by the Royal Bank of Scotland Group and replaced the NatWest computer systems as well as aligning charges to the RBS Bank model of charges. That means that the Advantage Gold charge and the Unarranged Borrowing Fee were put together as one from October 2002.
How much was Advantage Gold and what was the amounts in question?
I am taking my starting point from when it was unclear so October 2002 so, for those that, are claiming so we have the charges as follows:
October 2002 The Advanntage Gold fee was £6
September 2003 The fee went up to £9
From July 2005 it was £10
From June 2006 it was £12
From April 28th 2008 it is £12.95
A quick note though, during 2002/3 there was a special charge for certain people trialling the newer Advantage
Gold benefits which was £7.50.
So how do I work out what is the Advantage Gold and Unarranged Borrowing charge?
31 jan Charges 02jan-A/C XXXXXXXX £40
The statement may say charge £20 so that is £14 Unarranged Borrowing and £6 ADGD fee, or £29 which is
£20 Unarranged Borrowing and £9 ADGD fee, or £37 which is Unarranged Borrowing and £9 ADGD, or
£38 which is £28 Unarranged Borrowing and £9 ADGD, or £40 which is £28 Unarranged Borrowing and £12 ADGD fee or £40.95 is £28 maintenace charge and £12.95 Advantage Gold.
However, if you converted the account back from advantage gold partially through the month it may have something like this 31Jan06 charges £34.50 which is £28 Unarranged Borrowing and £6.50 ADGD.
Please be aware that since November 2008 the charges have appeared as separate entries on the statements.
Customer can choose to pay £10 a month and their unarranged fees will be reduced.
Maintenance Charge £17
Paid Referral £17 (max £51 per calender month)
Guaranteed Card Payment Fee £17
Unpaid Item £17(maximum £51 per day)
Letters have been going out in November 2007 offering this option.
Have added some extra info re Advantage Gold claims plus New charges and when they take effect plus some info about bank statement dates as they are the start of charging periods.
1) Unarranged Borrowing Fee or Maintenance Charge-- This is when you have an overdraft or do not have an overdraft and you go over that. The bank charges through charging periods which last a month and the charge goes out at the end of the month.(This was until April 2009 when it changed so the charge goes out 21 days after the statement date)
2) Unpaid Item- this appears on the statement and is when there is not sufficient funds in the account the previous working day(mon to Friday) to cover either a cheque, a direct debit or standing order to cover the amount going out. The bank "bounces" or does not pay the item and you get charged for it immediately. (This was until June 2009 when it changed so that charges for this goes out 21 days after your statement date)
3) Card Misuse or Guaranteed Card Payment Fee(gtee card pymt)--This is when an item is paid by switch and goes through the account when the account is over its agreed or unagreed overdraft.(This was until June 2009 when it changed so that the charges for this goes out 21 days after your statement date)
4) Referral Fee-- This is when an item is, rather than bounced is paid which takes the account over an agreed or unagreed overdraft by more than £26. Three charges maximum a month on that last one. (This was until June 2009 when it changed so that the charges for this goes out 21 days after your statement date).
5) Card Recovery Fee- This is when someone comes round to your house to recover your bank card
We have the main charges so what is the amounts i am looking for?
1) Unarranged Borrowing/Maintenance Charge
in 2000 it was £14 which then increased to £20 from April 2003 and then £28 from September 2004.
2) Unpaid Items
In 2000 it was £30 which went up to £38 from March 2005 (for businesses this is currently £35) Edit: From November 2007 max charge per day is £114 or three items.
3) Card Misuse or guaranteed Card Payment Fee-
In 2000 this was £25 and then went up in March 2005 to £35
4) Referral Fees
It was £25 per item(maximum of £75 per month). This changed in September 2004 to £30 per item(maximum of £90 per month).
5) Card Recovery Fee ---£125(not aware if any change to this charge has occurred)
This is the basics to charges and does not include Advantage Gold and Unarranged Borrowing/Maintenance Charges.
Since the guide was updated in August 2009 a further change has occurred.
As of the charging period following 1st October 2009* the charges are as follows:
Maintenance Charge: £20.00 per charging period
Unapaid Item: £5.00 per item and maximum of 10 items per charging period.
Guaranteed Card Payment: £15.00 per item and maximum of 7 items per charging period.
Paid Referral Fees: £15 per item and a maximum of 6 items per charging period.
*Charging periods and how the new charges come in(1st October 2009) :
Charging periods are now based on your bank statement date. If you have statements on 1st of the month then 21 days later your charges go out. Furthermore, if the charging period is the 1st of the month then the new charges will come into effect on that date and in November the new charges will be taken from the account. However, if your statement date is 31st of the month then until that date you will be dealt with under the old charges regime until 31st October 2009. You can change the statement date to coincide with the start of the month which would take effect two months later.
Advantage Gold is a service fee so cannot be claimed* and Unarranged Borrowing/Maintenance Charge is going over an arranged or unarranged overdraft without prior consent which can be claimed. A quick tip as to whether it is or is not an Advantage Gold account is that at the top of the statement it says Advantage Gold. If it was converted back the fee goes out at the end of the following month. The bank has changed the name of Unarraged Borrowing to Maintenance Charge on August 10th 2007.
*The exception to this is if you can prove that you could not benefit whatsoever from the account ie car breakdown cover and you do not drive or medical reason why you cannot travel abroad. In this instance you may be able to reclaim partially based on what you have benefitted from.
Some background info first
In 2001, NatWest was taken over by the Royal Bank of Scotland Group and replaced the NatWest computer systems as well as aligning charges to the RBS Bank model of charges. That means that the Advantage Gold charge and the Unarranged Borrowing Fee were put together as one from October 2002.
How much was Advantage Gold and what was the amounts in question?
I am taking my starting point from when it was unclear so October 2002 so, for those that, are claiming so we have the charges as follows:
October 2002 The Advanntage Gold fee was £6
September 2003 The fee went up to £9
From July 2005 it was £10
From June 2006 it was £12
From April 28th 2008 it is £12.95
A quick note though, during 2002/3 there was a special charge for certain people trialling the newer Advantage
Gold benefits which was £7.50.
So how do I work out what is the Advantage Gold and Unarranged Borrowing charge?
31 jan Charges 02jan-A/C XXXXXXXX £40
The statement may say charge £20 so that is £14 Unarranged Borrowing and £6 ADGD fee, or £29 which is
£20 Unarranged Borrowing and £9 ADGD fee, or £37 which is Unarranged Borrowing and £9 ADGD, or
£38 which is £28 Unarranged Borrowing and £9 ADGD, or £40 which is £28 Unarranged Borrowing and £12 ADGD fee or £40.95 is £28 maintenace charge and £12.95 Advantage Gold.
However, if you converted the account back from advantage gold partially through the month it may have something like this 31Jan06 charges £34.50 which is £28 Unarranged Borrowing and £6.50 ADGD.
Please be aware that since November 2008 the charges have appeared as separate entries on the statements.
Customer can choose to pay £10 a month and their unarranged fees will be reduced.
Maintenance Charge £17
Paid Referral £17 (max £51 per calender month)
Guaranteed Card Payment Fee £17
Unpaid Item £17(maximum £51 per day)
Letters have been going out in November 2007 offering this option.
Have added some extra info re Advantage Gold claims plus New charges and when they take effect plus some info about bank statement dates as they are the start of charging periods.
