30 May 2007
Lloyds TSB was handed the win against a complaining customer after the judge threw out an unfair fees case.
Builder Julian Rudd had called upon the courts to demand that his bank refund the 3,000 he had been forced to pay in overdraft fees and the accrued interest, but a judge at Lancaster County Court ruled that Mr Rudd had failed to state his case sufficiently and threw it out of court.
Lloyds TSB said in a statement: "While it is not appropriate to comment on the details of specific cases, we will always submit a robust, written defence to the courts.
"Our customers are at the heart of our business and we never want to see them in court, which is why we may also offer to settle matters out of court as we are entitled to do."
This is a blow to consumers who are hoping to have unfair fees levied at them refunded, particularly after Kevin Berwick was told two weeks ago that his claim for 2,000 had "no legal basis".
In both cases, it would appear that it was a case of improperly drafted paperwork was at fault for the cases not being ruled in the claimants favour, indicating that more expertise is needed in bringing the unfair fee claims to justice.
Marc Gander, co-founder of the Consumer Action Group, told the BBC: "These cases show that people have to be more careful about their preparation."
Consumers who are unhappy with their current accounts and the fees levied at them should shop around for a better deal.
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