[Resolutions] Foolish Words

This is a sidestep from my usual rant.

This new year I made 1 resolution. My resolution could be viewed as foolhardy, unwise and uninformed. It felt that way anyway. Even as the words left my lips, I felt uncomfortable and had no way of backing it up. Nevertheless the words had passed into the air, and were out there. They were verbal deeds. My declaration?

[Penalty Charges] Calls to Stop Conducting Illegal Activities are Unfair

Hit with millions of claims, customer complaints, an online petition and impending OFT investigation- banks are now crying “foul play” and threatening to end free banking.

“Banks were accused of blackmail yesterday for threatening to end free banking if they were forced to reduce overdraft charges and other penalty fees.

The banks, which charge up to £39 for bounced cheques and unauthorised overdrafts, had been expected to be told to reduce the charges to around £12.” – Telegraph

Let’s forget the fact they are already operating illegally by imposing fines greater than £12- therefore sounding like a burglar who complains he’s been asked to reduce his amount of breaking and entering.

These are the companies who this year posted pre-tax profits of:

£11.5bn: HSBC
£.7.14bn: Barclays
£5.7bn: HBOS
£559.2ml: Nationwide
£585ml: Alliance & Leicester

These are the companies who insist on charging Average Joe up to £39 for even dipping into the red:

Penalised for just over £27
Penalised for delay in clearing customers cheques – wait a minute, who delays the cheques in the first place?
Penalised for unforseen circumstances

Well, perhaps if you make a mistake, even if it is accidental, unforseen or just business, you deserve to be charged right?

So I look forward to seeing what kind of charges are levied on these errors:

Oops! Delay in receiving monthly salary
Oops! Sent details to wrong address

Quid es equitas?

[Profiteering] Road Safety Statistics

icWales 23 March 2007 – 13 Year Backlog to Repair Poor Welsh Roads.

“The maintenance backlog for local authority roads in Wales is estimated to take 12.9 years and each county council here has a maintenance budget shortfall of £4.1m.”

icWales 22 March 2007 – North-South Devide for Speed Camera Cash

“The Treasury will provide a fixed grant to each camera partnership, with Wales’ money, totalling £8.5m, channelled through the Welsh Assembly Government.”

DriveTime 24 March 2007 – Poor Maintenance Threatens Road Safety

English authorities receive just 40% of the budget they need to spend on local roads.
Welsh authorities fare even worse, receiving only 28% of the budget they require – just £1 per metre a year is spent on roads in Wales in comparison to £2 in the rest of England and six in London.

[Elite] Rich Benefits

I’m not in the least surprised by this little item, it’s pretty much elementary.

I’m not an economist (so feel free to correct me if you have a valid counter-argument), but the truth of the matter is that taxes rarely affect the rich or the Corporati. I don’t need to explain this because our PM has already done so in a recent interview on Newsnight:

[Takeback] The Public 1 HSBC 0

It’s about time one of the Dragons finally had their teeth knocked out and the smile wiped off it’s face.

If you have been reading the MSM and considering whether you should take a shot yourself, join the millions who have already have.

If you need to know where to start, try these links:

MoneySavingExpert
BBC How To
This is Money
Consumer Action Group Forums
Times Online

and you can get more by googling “claim back unfair charges”.

Do it… Now!

[Even The BBC Are Getting In On The Act] EVERYONE SHOULD DO THIS… RIGHT NOW!

If you own a UK bank account- even the BBC are publishing it: How to claim back penalty charges.