BANKWEST has been added to a list of financial institutions targeted by what is claimed to be the nation's biggest class action suit, aimed at recouping unfair and excessive bank fees.
The bank is the eighth to be added to the suit after ANZ, Commonwealth, Westpac, NAB, Citibank, St George (owned by Westpac) and BankSA.
Legal firm Maurice Blackburn says it will file a claim against the West Australian bank, which is owned by the Commonwealth Bank, in the Federal Court today seeking what it claims is more than $10 million in illegal fees.
The legal firm says BankWest overcharged about 6600 customers over six years.
Maurice Blackburn senior associate Paul Gillet says the legal firm has already issued proceedings against eight banks on behalf of 170,000 Australian customers claiming around $220 million in fees.
He says the case is "by far and away the largest joint legal action in Australian history".