Host No2 reclaims £4k bank charges

A Nottinghamshire licensee has successfully claimed back more than £4,000 in penalty bank charges from NatWest.

Andy Scattergood, Punch lessee of the Jug & Glass in Edwinstowe, was "over the moon" to receive a cheque for £4,110 and is now in the process of claiming back around £5,000 from Yorkshire Bank.

The news comes hot on the heels of Tracey Bond's successful claim of £7,930 from NatWest at the Duke of York in Crediton, Devon.

It is believed that about three million people have joined the recent revolt against fees imposed for unauthorised overdrafts.

The fees are meant to cover administration costs, estimated at £4.50, rather than the £35 charged by some banks.

Scattergood said: "It took me less than three months to get my money back and I would urge others to look into it seriously. ​

"It is easy to go overdrawn while running a pub. I ran up some charges about two years ago and they just escalated.

"I was charged for a cheque bouncing and being overdrawn, as well as a referral fee - so effectively I was charged three times for one offence.

"It is not fair. The bank did not admit liability but paid me as a gesture of good will."

Scattergood is also

attempting to claim back penalty charges from his

personal account with Yorkshire Bank.

"I had the account for 15 years and hardly ever went overdrawn until I took on a pub. Yorkshire has refused ​

to pay but I am going to use the money from my other claim to take them to the County Court."

The Office of Fair Trading is currently investigating the legality of bank charges and is due to report at the end of the year. The law currently allows for claims to be made over six years.

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