B. While listening

3. Listen to the text “Banks in court over charges to customers” twice. First time make notes about the numbers, geographical, proper or personal names which you might hear. When you are listening to the text for the second time, try to catch the events and the order in which they are spoken about.

Agree or disagree to the following statements.

1) British banks may soon have to end all charges to customers.

2) A competition watchdog is taking Britain’s banks to court.

3) The banks do not want to go see this case in the courts.

4) The banks say bank charges to customers are justified.

5) British customers are fined up to $80 if their cheques bounce.

6) Banks make many decisions over how much to charge customers.

7) Banks may have to repay six year’s worth of certain charges.

8) Some banks lie to customers about reclaiming bank charges.

Fill in the gaps using the following words.

Vote, to go in the red, over the fairness, to launch a court case, charges, lie, relative, boost, involves, to repay, actual cost, determine, dating back, issue, false or misleading, $4.

Banks in court over charges to customers

British banks have been placed under the microscope _____ _____ _____ charges to customers who go over their authorized overdraft limits. Tens of thousands of customer complaints about how high these _____ are has led Britain’s competition watchdog, the Office of Fair Trading (OFT), to _____ _____ _____ against the banks. The OFT has been investigating charges for unauthorized overdrafts since March to _____ whether or not they are unfair. It believes the charges are too high _____ to the costs to the banks. This is being greatly disputed by eight of Britain’s leading banks, who have agreed to a test case to settle the _____ once and for all in court. They say there are many costs involved when a customer goes overdrawn without first getting permission _____ _____ _____.

Banks currently fine customers as much as $80 for a single bounced cheque. Industry analysts believe the _____ _____ to the bank for these bounced payments could be as little as _____ – especially as the process is computerized and rarely _____ human decision-making. Overdraft penalties _____ the revenue of Britain’s banks by around $3.5 billion a year. If the courts rule against the banks, they could be forced _____ more than $20 billion of penalty charges _____ _____ over six years. Banks might also be prevented from making _____ _____ _____ statements to customers. It is claimed that some banks _____ to deter account holders from reclaiming unauthorized overdraft charges. A consumer organization called on the public to switch banks: “_____ with your feet and show the banks who is boss,” it said.