Most Credit Card Companies have reduced their charges in line with the OFT ruling. With this in mind you are entitled to demand that the penalty charges you have paid over the past six years are repaid to you. (The Statute of Limitations Act only allows these to be back dated over the last six years) Some Card Companies may well only refund the difference between the charge and the £12.00 but it doesn’t hurt to claim the whole amount.

You will need to collect all of your Credit Card statements for the past 6 years. Not many people tend to keep 6 year old statements, but fortunately you can request copies from your Credit Card Company. Unsurprisingly they will charge for this, but the good news is the maximum that they are allowed to charge under the Data Protection Act 1998 is £10.00. To get your Credit Card statements use the Credit Card Statement Request Generator.

Now it’s time to calculate the charges paid and send a further letter requesting they repay the unfair charges. Generate the Credit Card Overcharge Repayment letter here, which gives your Credit Card Company 8 weeks to respond.

With any luck they’ll return the money, or at least the overcharges. If they fail to respond satisfactorily you can refer your case to the Financial Services Ombudsman if any of the following are true:

• Eight weeks has passed since you sent the complaint and you have not received a response
• After receipt of letter in which your provider says the charges are fair
• Partial offer received from your provider which you are unwilling to accept
• Your provider is threatening to close your account
• You are not happy with the way in which your case has been dealt

To contact the FSO click www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk or phone 0845 080 1800.

Use this form to generate your Credit Card Statement Request

Use this form to generate your Credit Card Overcharge Repayment letter.