IMPORTANT NOTE: This article hasn't been updated since the initial launch.
Everyone who’s reclaimed bank charges, wants to reclaim, or supports the cause can download Oystar’s non-profit “I fought the Lloyds” protest song for 50p. If enough people do, it’ll be at number 1 for the week of the big OFT test case.
Over a million people have reclaimed an estimated £1bn in bank charges. Yet the Government’s ignored a petition, the banks are charging more than ever, and the regulators have sided with them to put it all on hold! Fight back by ordering this song.
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Get the Bank Charges song to No.1 Text bankers to 82822 for the 50p download Please spread the word! Alternatively, download from iTunes for 79p |
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| Download provided by TuneTribe.com |
To order a 50p download, text bankers to 82822
Neither the band, record label nor MoneySavingExpert.com profit from the song
Please spread the word!
If you are having problems redeeming your song, please email support@indie-mobile.com & customerservices@tunetribe.com including your mobile number and they will be able to help. Please don't send another text as you will be charged again.
The song is also available to download from iTunes; it costs slightly more at 79p, but if you'd prefer the familiarity, or don't want to input your mobile number, this is a further option. Just click the link I fought the Lloyds.
by Oystar, featuring Martin Lewis, released by Tonedef Tunes
This is a good ol' fashioned protest song about taking on the banks. It was released via this site on , but we need your help to get it to the top of the charts, and send a message to the Government, the banks and the regulator.
Join the fight to show the banks who's boss!
To order a 50p download, text bankers to 82822
Texts cost 50p, plus the network's standard costs. When your order has been received, you'll get a confirmation message back confirming the purchase.
Training begins...
Free reclaiming guides and template letters:
Bank Charges, Credit Card Charges, Loan insurance, Mortgage Fees, Council Tax
All news and updates will be included in the free weekly email
Bank charges are unlawful, yet the banks have been making billions from them for years. The campaign to reclaim bank charges has been enormous; over 4.4m free template letters have been downloaded from this site alone, equating to more than 1.4m individual claims with a total estimated £1 billion paid back.
Yet last July, the banks agreed to a test case with the Office of Fair Trading, to be held this January (2008). While this is welcomed, shockingly at the same time the regulator, the FSA, put a hold on all bank charges reclaiming, which has saved the banks many £100s millions; and left many consumers confused and in hardship.
This has always been a campaign, and alongside other groups like the Consumer Action Group and Penalty Charges, we've been championing pure consumer power; the big institutions of state seem to have currently sided with the big institutions of finance and this is about doing everything possible to fight back. A petition to number 10 signed by over 70,000 has so far been ignored; so let's see them ignore the top of the charts!
For full info on how to claim back your bank charges go to the Bank Charges article. For the latest info on what is happening to the bank charges campaign, go to the OFT Test Case article.
Can it really get to number 1?
The numbers speak for themselves. Over 4.4m bank charges reclaiming template letters have been downloaded in the last year, by roughly 1.4m people. Each week, this site’s weekly MoneySaving e-mail goes to over 1.5m people and they’ve been sent a special note asking them all to support the song, to send a message to the Government and the FSA.
Now think of those numbers and remember it only takes roughly 15,000 downloads to get in the top 10, and 30,000 to be a number one. With your help this can top the charts. If you text again from the same mobile number, it will only be counted towards the chart position once.
So ask your family, friends, their friends, their milkman, his family, cats, dogs, whoever, wherever, to buy a copy and help us give the Government, the Banks and the FSA a well-deserved kick up the backside.
|
Get the Bank Charges song to No.1 Text bankers to 82822 for the 50p download Please spread the word! Alternatively, download from iTunes for 79p |
|
|
| Download provided by TuneTribe.com |
If you are having problems redeeming your song, please email support@indie-mobile.com & customerservices@tunetribe.com including your mobile number and they will be able to help. Please don't send another text as you will be charged again.
The song is also available to download from iTunes; it costs slightly more at 79p, but if you'd prefer the familiarity, or don't want to input your mobile number, this is a further option. Just click the link I fought the Lloyds.
Oystar singer Dan wrote the song after winning £530 in overdraft charges from Lloyds TSB, using template letters from the bank charges reclaiming article. He posted it on the Forums, where it went down a storm, and it didn't take long for it to end up in the Weekly E-mail. Then it was spotted by music producers at Tonedef Tunes and Indie Mobile, who were so impressed they offered to produce it for a proper release.
The song sets original lyrics to the instrumental of The Clash's 'I fought the law', and features Martin in the role of 'sensei', employing his wizened MoneySaving knowledge to steel his young protege for the big fight ahead.
For more details about the band, and booking info, check out their Myspace profile. The full lyrics
This is a song for anyone who’s currently spending their leisure time trying to get their bank charges back – Rubbish!
It’s a long hard road and I wish the best of luck to you, and I hope my story inspires you in your times of need.
Cos I fought the Lloyds and the Lloyds lost
They even paid the interest and the court costs
At first they sent me letters saying ‘Dear Sir/Madam, get lost’
But I fought the Lloyds and the Lloyds lost
At first I tried to call them, they made me listen to Elton John
I even went along in person and they said, “sorry Sir but the first rule of banking is the bank is never wrong”
So I crawl home, turn the web and mitchell on
Open up Mozilla and go to MoneySavingExpert.com
Where they made my heart beat far faster
With their talk of the banking charter
Yeah I fought the Lloyds, but I could have had Barclays
And I've noticed HSBC has been getting a little bit sarky
It's time us clients to alliance and lets just show them who's boss
Cos I didn't think I'd win but, guess what? Lloyds lost!
Oh... uh oh uh oh oh uh oh oh oh overdraft
Oh... uh oh uh oh oh uh oh oh oh no I’m overdrawn
But life got so much better...
When I logged on and saw those sexy little template letters...
It’s us against the banks, time to sign that petition
And play this song outside your local branch till they listen
Come on you bankers! Give us our cash
Cos we won’t stop singing till we get it all back
Yeah I fought the Lloyds and you can do it too
Tell the listening bank it's time to listen to you
At first they'll send you letters saying ‘you don't have a clue’
But I fought the Lloyds and so can you
I fought the Lloyds were gonna win but they didn’t
They say it’s fair to charge thirty quid, but it isn’t
I fought the Lloyds were for the journey, but they’re not
Cos I fought the Lloyds and the Lloyds lost.
Where does the money go to?
The song has been priced to count as a real download for the charts. MoneySavingExpert.com is subsidising the text rates by 5p to keep the cost at 50p; and is also contributing to the marketing costs. Neither the record companies or the band are set to make any profit from this. If because sales are so big, profit is generated, all those involved have pledged to donate all profits to charity.
The 50p cost meets texting, distribution and money to Sony BMG which holds the rights of the original “I fought the law” song. The song will be at a higher price if people get it from iTunes at launch; and that excess goes to the retailer.
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