I think some of the discussion is dritfing a little, to credit cards and loans and blah blah blah! Huggybears reply is typical of the institutional "The Corporation" bible and will without a doubt remain on the banks side.you want to protect the small minority of credit card users that get into trouble and cannot pay their debt back because of sad and unforeseen problems. i don't think life is so black and white meaning a few people are fiscally irresponsible and run into problems or a few people are downsized and cannot find remployment fast enough. i'm not sure about the exact #s but i think the default rate is smalll perhaps around 10%. so you want to end all credit cards then because a few bad apples or a few people run into problems?
My beef is not only credit cards, it is the ethics and morals and lack of transparency. OOPS! No idea what happend, I posted before i had finished.
I think some of the discussion is dritfing a little, to credit cards and loans and blah blah blah! Huggybears reply is typical of the institutional "The Corporation" bible and will without a doubt remain on the banks side.
My beef is not only credit cards, it is the ethics, morals and lack of transparency, the link posted about the banks in UK making 4.5 billion in one year, is an example of the illegal findings, the underhanded treatment is appalling, and all the staff are part of the mechanics of the wheels in motion, and their is no way they are going to give it up.
I guess their are literally millions of people don't even check, their statements thoroughly, the odd pound service charge here, and there, what the hell does it matter if your on 60 grand a year, it's not even noticeable. Although if your on the lower income bracket, you will account for every penny and quirey every little pound deducted.
An example of when I transfered money from Halifax, to Asia, they quoted me 25 pound, When my statement came through 50 pounds was deducted... When I challenged them over the fees, they said, we don't have the facility to transfer the money direct, it must first go to another bank, and they want paying too!
Also 25 pound! Well you can imagine my reaction. My point is that banks are untrustworthy, cheat and steal, using their own guidlines, which if tested in Court, would be classified illegal, however I would say criminal, the judge wouldn't, probably because he's connected to the establishment (The secret society) Maybe the freemasons in UK, my point is they all piss in the same pot, just like the politicians, and cannot be trusted.
Although the people are the sheep, and the shepherds want their pound of meat ($$$$$$$)Greed! but who can blame them, not the sheep! They are to dumb, or being entertained with soaps and football.
Which at times i wonder if the majority of the UK are illiterate, and I always come up with the answer YES, they are, they must be, for putting up with it. or is it just so disorganised, like the idiots in government.
I mean how the hell can you not know, that your prisons are full!! Of course they have known for years! But who the fcuk cares, when they won't be in the next running, they have all milked the system one way or another, perks of the Job.
All the political pissheads do is swap and change, theres never been a democratic system in UK ever, and I don't see for one minute, how the UK citizens, the majority that is the working class cannot see it.
For all i care, they can take all the foreigners from the poor EU countries!
The big Conspiracy of the UK is a real one, believe me! I've rubbed shoulders with some of these judges in the freemasons over a whisky or two, personally I don't take it too hard, because i have always been in touch with some of the aristocrats of UK, through my military service.
I don't dislike the upper crust in our ranks, it's just one hell of a leap from the working class, and the chosen few that do run the UK, make sure it will never be a social democratic Country, and that's why they never fully went into the EU, without their carefully drawn up clauses.
A little like Singapore really, any real opposition or political threat to the organisation of the UK, would be removed, like Arthur scargill was, the power of money!
The UK like huggybear says, is being sold off, to the highest bidders, Institutions of all kinds are their to rip off, your assets, to gain more power.
Singapore is no different, only 40 years have gone by, eventually the same kind of legal system and framework of corporations Institutions will be no different in Singapore, strengthening the hold on the people.
Did you know, how much the Car insurance wanted in the UK for 3rd party, when i moved back from Europe. 900 pounds, because they say I was a higher risk, because i can drive both left and right hand drive cars, and that I travel often and was not a resident of UK for the last 3 years.
The 3 year, residence rule must kick in before you get cheap car insurance, so be warned.
All i did was go to another insurance company and not quite tell the truth, seeing that I owned property in UK, I claimed I was always resident.
I cannot say as i blame the people in the business, it is easy money, and the Banks have put in alot of effort in profiling, their clients, and fine tuning their procedures, although they are illegal in most cases, and they would probably give in, rather than go to court, like the link to the artical suggests. Bank overdraft fees in the dock!
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/4940250.stm
The 4.5 billion rip off!
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/6306857.stm
25,000 unsecured loan! I can tell you I once had an acquaintance, that I learned to know, through my travels, he was a real charmer, quite a magnetic con artist disc jockey, a psychopathic liar, I was able too suss out on my first meeting with him. 
although I still think the local council is jailing people over their poll tax debt. It's absurd that the government decentralised powers to local authority, the abuse of jailing people in debt is quite high i believe, because of the Council misuse of powers.
*lol* course the hubby works for a british company and well he has family there, hmmmmmm 
