Extracts from the code of conduct

All Writing in bold are those of the owner of this blog

2. Fundamental Principles of Our Relationship

We, the members of the Banking Association undertake to:

2.1 act fairly and reasonably in all our dealings with you. (If we do not you cannot take us to court - You have to call on some other act - not this undertaking)


2.2 ensure that all our services and products comply with this Code, even if they have their own terms and conditions;(Be under no illusion: the other terms and conditions will apply as you cannot enforse this in a court of law)

2.3 ensure that the procedures our staff follow reflect the commitments set out in this Code and that they are aware of the internal procedures for handling complaints;

2.4 make information available to you on our services and products in plain language (this will be provided in English and where appropriate in any of the other official languages) and offer assistance on any aspect which you do not understand;

2.5 ensure that all written terms and conditions are fair and clearly set out your rights and responsibilities in plain language;

2.6 assist you to choose a service or product appropriate to your needs;

2.7 assist you to understand the basic financial implications of our products and services;

2.8 assist you to understand how your bank account(s) works;

2.9 provide reliable banking and payment systems services and take reasonable care to make these services safe and secure;
2.10 correct our errors and compensate you where appropriate;

2.11 inform you about our complaints procedures and handle complaints speedily;( the description is "In due course" - which can be anything)

2.12 inform you, on enquiry, and where appropriate to your circumstances, if we offer products and services in different ways (for example electronic banking). We will advise you how to get more information in this regard;

2.13 take care to understand your financial difficulties and the reasons for arrears on your accounts if you approach us timeously;

2.14 comply with all applicable legislation, codes, rules and supervisory requirements, specifically those relating to banking, insurance, market conduct and consumer protection. If this Code imposes an obligation on us which is not contained in a particular law, we will comply with this Code, except where doing so could lead to a contravention of law;(There are laws governing basically every action between you and the bank - This is actually just stating the obvious)

2.15 act with uncompromising integrity and fairness so as to promote complete trust and confidence in ourselves, individually, and as an industry; ( Massive big words - we are going to investigate this to a large extend in relating to clients and incidents in the bank - Every action of the bank will be measured against this statement)

2.16 ensure that our lending criteria, the products and services we offer, are based and applied solely on commercial principles and do not discriminate against you on any basis which is not permitted by law, taking into account the implications of commercial principles. We may, however, have certain special product or service offerings which are specifically designed for members of a target market group;

2.17 recognise the banking needs of disabled clients and take reasonable measures to enhance their access to those services and facilities;

2.18 advise you what we expect of you in your relationship with us;

2.19 provide a copy or a summary of this Code, to you when you become a client or on request ;

2.20 clearly display and/or advertise the existence of this Code and our adherence thereto, in our branches;

2.21 confirm to you in writing, where reasonable and appropriate, any relaxation we grant or arrangement we permit in respect of your indebtedness to us;

2.22 ensure that you do not sign documents that you have not fully completed where required. When you request us to complete documentation on your behalf, we will ensure that it is a true reflection of the information you provided; and

2.23 generally only act on your written instructions, once we are satisfied that your identity has been established by means of your PIN (which you should not disclose to anyone), identity document, signature or other unique means of personal identification. We will accept other forms of authority in exceptional circumstances only or where the nature of the process so dictates, for example internet, telephone or ATM banking.