There is growing anger amongst Scottish politicians and anti-debt campaigners at the activities of companies that offer to claim bank charges for people who have been hit with levies for exceeding overdraft limits or bouncing cheques.
Individuals can download forms from the internet, which they can fill in and send to their bank to demand that charges imposed be refunded. But a number of companies, including at least one based in Scotland, now offer to undertake this process for customers, charging up to 40 per cent of the amount claimed, or taking a one-off fee of £35.
Livingston MP Jim Devine, who took up the cause of thousands of people left stranded by the collapse last year of Christmas-saving group Farepak, said he would be raising the issue in the House of Commons:
"During Farepak, the issue of the role of the banks and the various charges they employ was a central feature and the more I looked into [it], the more outrageous it seemed. I had a constituent in on Friday who had been contacted by a company offering to get her charges back for her on a no-win, no-fee basis, and they wanted to charge her an initial £35 to do it. I’ll be raising this in the Commons after the recess."
"My advice to people is not to use either method because these companies are, quite frankly, ripping people off. If you feel that you are being ripped off by your bank, don’t give these companies the chance to rip you off again," he said.
Govan Law Centre director Mike Dailly, who put the first pro-forma letters on the internet for members of the public to download and send to their banks, accused the companies of exploiting people.
"Some of these no-win, no-fee people are people who have benefited from the free resources that folk like the Govan Law Centre and other people in England and Wales have made available with the intent that they be used by everyone, for free. These resources have been enjoyed by certain individuals who have then decided to cash in and I would say they are cashing in on other people’s misery," he said.
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