Crime and punishment?

摘要

Complaints against UK banks continue to rise, fuelled by criticisms about loans, overdrafts and default charges, according to industry figures. The Banking Code of Standards (BCSB) said it received 2,242 complaints and queries in the financial year ending in March 2006, up almost 25 per cent from the previous year. The BCSB believes this rise has been due to heightened customer awareness of advisory services such as theirs rather than greater dissatisfaction. However, some areas in particular have been subject to intense scrutiny, namely loans and overdraft default charges. Adrian Lloyd, compliance director of the CSB, said:" Complaints about loans and overdrafts accounted for 26 per cent of last year's total, sharply up from 19 per cent a year earlier". Complaints about bank charges represented 12 per cent of total, up from nine per cent a year before.