Well, we still have a long way till Banks start behaving in a ethical manner, because of the type of economy that we have which supports the banks from being responsible. The bank charges upto now have not been justified but still its being said they have improved. Comparing with other big countries, even developing countries like poor Zimbabwe are better than England, If a bank can be loud to charge £100 for a customer going above overdraft by 76p, thats just great, so lets not waste our time in saying the bank are improving,
or are doing something to gain public trust, in any case are not these charges increase the amount paid in tax, so why would the gvt be concerned as the are living on deficit.

Something is wrong with this economy.

Good news that the Banks are doing more for there customers, but as expected its "to little to late" Damage has been done, People need to wise up and look to a an alternitive similar to a Credit Union, where you can use your money without getting RIPPED OFF.
"Banks are there to make money out of the man in the street".
After all they are a business, and will continue to manipulate there ideas and methods in there favour,as well as find other avenues to flout the Law to line the pockets of themselves as well as there share holders.

Banks urge us to protect ourselves against fraud, and then charge over £200 for being £5.00 overdrawn !Who protects us from these legal loan sharks ?
I expect the banks to make money but through the normal channels of stable charges where we know where we stand. The banks will only regain trust when act ethically. In the meanwhile the lack of respect for the banks will produce more people happily going personally bankrupt.

As long as the banks get our money before we do they will treat us with contempt.

The banks are a business, however they use our money personally & from a business point of view, they are totally inpersonal, I mean it takes forever to try and get through on the phone to most of them and even then you are usually pushed from pillar to post to get an answer.
Bank managers no longer seem to exist or they are usually area managers looking after a number of outlets, this maybe good for the banks costs but again it does little for the customer who is trying to see them especially when you have a complaint they become as rare as rocking horse droppings, If it were not for internet banking and there were better alternatives I would never use a bank again, all my personal finance has been sorted with finance houses and advisors it has cost a little more but I get a better service and I have never been better off, I thought within reason the customer was king (not in the eyes of banks) only there money ie: overdrafts and charges.
I also agree with the comment about more people happily going bankrupt or in to IVA's the banks are the biggest finacial influence in our lives, yes everyone has a duty to be responsible for there own finance but they should at least get together and collectively campaign for the fact they can help as well as hinder (but they wont)

The banks are as you rightly say a business. In my experience if you go overdrawn by a few pence the bank will then take a fee of £30 out even though they know that you have a regular amount coming in each week to more than cover the few pence. I know certain people who have't realised that thye have gone a few pence overdrawn and who genuinley cannot afford the bank charges as they are already on the poverty line. I honestly think the all banks should look at their charges for going overdrawn and negotiate a fairer fee as £30 to some families is their weekly food bill.
Yes we all have to be responsible for our own finances but certain unexpected events can occur our of the blue which are significantly more important and life changing. I know of a person who unfortunately lost two children within a period of 10 months, this person hadn't finished paying for the first funeral of their son aged 17 who committed suicide and then they had to pay for the 2nd funeral for their other child aged 24 who died of an epileptic fit in her sleep. Both of these deaths were totally unexpected which was enough termoil in itself without getting phone calls, correspondence stating that direct debits were cancelled etc etc. Somebody did approach the bank in question regarding these issues and explained the tragic circumstances surrounding this family and to be honest their response and actions didn't leave much for the imagination. These people in question are now receiving bereavement councilling and suffer from acute depression.

To go through what they have had to endure and then have these totally unsympathetic people (businesses) harrasing them constantly even though they have been contacted on several occasions via phone and letters explaining the extremely sad and unexpected unfortunate events this family have had to deal with and continue to come to terms with.

I would also like to point out that these people in question have never ever had any previous financial problems involving the banks, credit cards etc etc as they are extremely diligent in making sure that all bills etc were paid on time. These bank charges as you can imagine kept building up and to be perfectly honest I don't think I could go through what these people have had to endure and will continue to endure for the rest of their lives. There were so many questions left unanswered and they never got to say their good byes. I even find myself getting emotional typing this from these events it has made me and many others take a good long hard look at things and I've come to the thoughts of what really matters in life the two things that money cannot replace have been taken away from them and no amount of money can replace them.

There are exceptional circumstances to the rules which do happen from time to time and no codes of conduct, credit agreement etc etc can cover these said things. We are still human beings with emotions and feelings and have not yet become Robots or computers, these things are machines that dont have feelings, emotions etc etc.

The banks, businesses, catalogues etc have told them that it is generated automatically by the computer and it is out of their hands. I think it's about time that we are british citizans should voice our opinions and thoughts more openly than we are and human beings at the end of a phone line is priceless. How many people have been made unemployed due to computers!!!Not only are the banks raking in the money but the communications people are also making a profit. BRING BACK A PERSONAL TOUCH this is something that robots and computers most definitely can't do and don't do. We have emotions and sometimes nothing else will do or begin to show what certain people have got to and have had to endure.

The situation is quite simple and should never be forgotten:
Lawyers make fortunes from other people's misfortunes
Bankers make fortunes with other people's money.

Not only are bankers b*****ds, not only are they greedy b*****ds, but they are greedy and incompetent b*****ds.

They love to tell businessmen how to run their businesses and tell them that their proposals are unsound and won't work, but every 20 years or so they spectacularly prove to the world that they can't even run their own businesses.

The early '70's property and economy crisis was caused entirely by the banks, the early '90's property and economic collapse was caused by the banks ratcheting up Thatcher & co's errors and the present problems have been caused entirely by the banks.

Interestingly, the major problem is that the banks won't lend to each other because they don't trust each other. So why on earth should anyone else trust them?

The banks have set a system up where most people never see their money. standing orders,direct debits and wages paid directly into bank accounts. Yet when you go overdrawn they penalise you in a way that causes greater hardship. I am with lloyds tsb who have started a system where they wiil allow an UNPLANNED OVERDRAFT EVEN THOUGH I SAID I DID NOT WANT ANY OVERDRAFT FACILITY. the amount they charge you for this facility is 20 pounds a day for a maximum of ten days. therefore you could end up 200 pounds overdrawn because they decide to pay one of their mechanisms set up to rob you
as to the NEW CODE OF CONDUCT, who will be regulating it.Its nothing more than bluff and bluster set up to prevent any form of laws being introduced and stopping the legal means of robbery.

I thought that, hated my bank... took them to court for £3900 of charges that I deemed lawfully uneforcable, they told me I was wasting my time and I would never see my money nad thanks for the complaint, anyway the day before the case went to court they paid me every penny, plus about £150 of costs in taking them to court, they also paid me 8% statatory interest.

Since then my bank and I have got along just fine! That was about a year ago now and I've not had a charge since. Looking back the charges were truely perpetual, one months £70 of charges would ensure they could charge me £70 the next month and so on.

I stopped following the situation with charges since I was paid off, but I hope for everyone the banks lose this test case that went to court early Jan. Then you can all have your money back! :o)