Banker of the week

This page is used to highlight a particularly notable villainous act by a bank or building society and which deserves to be publicised. Each week, we will try and bring you a new example of villainy. Please email me with anything that you particularly think would merit inclusion on this page.

Then, at the end of 2007, we will put all the examples to the public to vote on who are the biggest bankers of the year.

For a full listing of bankers of the week, see previous winners.

Third villain of 2007: Capital One Bank

Capital One Bank are nominated for Banker of the Week for late January. A claim was made against them for refund of just under £1000 of charges plus interest. Capital One paid up promptly but submitted a bizarre defence. On the court document "Defence and Counterclaim" Capital One ticked the box to say "I dispute the full amount claimed as shown on the claim form". Then their defence reads as follows:

"Capital One deny the fees are unlawful as they are detailed in Mr xxxx's terms and conditions and in his customer welcome pack. Our fees are based on costs we incur when a customer breaks their contract by making a late payment, failing to make a payment or going over their credit limit. The fees are only levied when a customer breaches their contract in this way and can be avoided if payments are maintained and the account kept within the credit limit. Capital One has acted in accordance with the terms of Mr xxxxx's credit agreement.

"However, without any admission of liability and purely as a goodwill gesture, Capital One refunded the full claimed amount of £1078.08 to Mr xxxxx's account.

"Capital One will now defend the claim on the basis that the full claimed amount has been paid."

What would Alice in Wonderland have made of this attempt to say that black is white?

In this section

Miscellaneous summary

Banker of the week/year

Published and promoted by Bob Egerton, TR2 4RS