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Bank issues - legal advice please (Beijing)

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Hi

Over the last few months I have been subjected to some appalling treatment by my UK bank. Firstly I lost my job in Thailand due to the floods. My bank added to my woes by stopping my card. Then they lifted the block when they realised it was me only to block it again. This time the machine swallowed it.

There was nothing wrong with that card but they insisted on sending a replacement from the UK. This left me the equivalent of £20 to live on for 10 days while I'm waiting for it to come in. Only this one has a fault - I find this out and have to arrange a second emergency withdrawal which means waiting for the UK branch to open and by the time that happens the Bangkok branch is near closed for the day. They also charge me $20 to take out the money.

I decide to move to China and prior to boarding the train from Hong Kong to Beijing find the new card doesn't work here either, leaving me with 23 hours and nothing to eat! They say nothing is showing up wrong with the card but clearly there is. They cannot see my attempted transactions and now a paypal transaction into my account has been rejected and returned to my Paypal account. This all sounds fishy to me.

Finally in Beijing I find my bank but they too ask me to wait for the UK to open meaning that by the time they do the Beijing branch cannot transfer foreign currency. I spend another night with the equivalent of £3 to my name. Today I go back to the bank but it's a Premier branch and the UK make it as difficult as they can for me (every branch in Beijing is a Premier branch). After being hung up on and then having a second call with 'oh, I'm sorry we can't help' I give in and ask the bank employee to intervene. I then wait an hour for them to allow me to take out my own money and get charged another $20 for the privilege.

Question: What are my legal options?

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