Any bankers here ?

[tode]

I've spent the day on my banks "Help lines" trying to sort out their c*ckup:

I've been told that my account is closed, that my account is dormant and that it's dead "because of Brexit".

Then to be told that the account has no official (i;e; no-one has the power to sign cheques) and that I must be "added" to the account . This on a 20 year old account.

Apparently I've "dropped off".

How can this happen ? Is it just my bank ?

 

[Deleted member 159894]

HSBC?

 

[CoopsSA]

Lord knows. Which bank?

I've been with HSBC for over 20 years and never had an issue.

 

[W1ghty]

I think it may be because you are an overseas resident in the EU and its a UK bank account to which you are no longer able to hold because you don’t live here ??

 

[190]

What became clear to me when I had a recent problem with our bank is that banks are now run by the security department who are all powerful. These people don't trust customers or other banks employees however senior. They simply operate an established algorithm which is very difficult to overrule. Ringing them up got us nowhere because they are running you through the same algorithm that made the mistake in the first place. The only way we got our problem sorted in the end was to find the one person at out local branch who could speak their language and persuade them they had made a mistake.

We eventually got a compensation payment in recognition of their incompetence in dealing with the problem so the first thing to do is register a formal complaint which will make them document every interaction you have with them until it's resolved.

When it was all over I withdrew all our money from the bank and told them frankly that I couldn't trust them not to withhold my money again on a whim of their security department.

 

[poormansporsche]

Yes there are quite a few right Bankers on here

 

[Darrell]

I think it may be because you are an overseas resident in the EU and its a UK bank account to which you are no longer able to hold because you don’t live here ??

This.

 

[tode]

I think it may be because you are an overseas resident in the EU and its a UK bank account to which you are no longer able to hold because you don’t live here ??

NO, although that was one of the reasons they tried to give me . . . in that case they would simply close the account. And I've still been receiving my statements (even though I don't exist).

And no, not HSBC. It starts with a 'B'

 

[Swotty]

NO, although that was one of the reasons they tried to give me . . . in that case they would simply close the account. And I've still been receiving my statements (even though I don't exist).

And no, not HSBC. It starts with a 'B'

We have had no problem with any of our accounts since Brexit. I have heard some stories of the "B" English branch in Northern France closing down Brit accounts, though.

We have UK contact addresses for our accounts (none with "B") and this seems to be how we can still continue. Our visa cards are registered at those addresses. We get our statements and messages online, through the accounts pages but the cards have to be forwarded by friends or family.

If you complete a French tax return you'll be aware that you have to declare and give details of all bank accounts held worldwide and the fines are hefty for non-compliance. This year the b*ggers stopped the automatic bring forward of all those details, so I had to enter them all again. Bl**dy French bureaucracy!

 

[tode]

Hi Swotty,

What makes the situation worse, is that this is an Executor account, so they have effectively blocked payment to the beneficiaries.

I've already had a little chat with the lady at the tax office and she agrees with me (apparently) that it doesn't have to be declared since the account is not actually my property. (fingers crossed).

 

[MCFastybloke]

Wife retired from banking 2 years ago

Are you a french national
How long since you transacted on the account
There was perhaps paperwork around brexit that you should have attended to, all banks are different . Are you up on all your paperwork?

A 30 second google give results about such scenarios, Barclays included

 

[tode]

Hi MFB,
No, I'm still British
I had money paid into the account in March this year and have since received my statement.
The only Brexit-related info I've had informed that "we can close your account: if you want to keep it open, please reply" which I duly did.
Did your better half work for B****ys ?

 

[W1ghty]

Hi MFB,
No, I'm still British
I had money paid into the account in March this year and have since received my statement.
The only Brexit-related info I've had informed that "we can close your account: if you want to keep it open, please reply" which I duly did.
Did your better half work for B****ys ?

In that case , maybe it’s an underused account and they are having a clear out

 

[MCFastybloke]

Hi MFB,
No, I'm still British
I had money paid into the account in March this year and have since received my statement.
The only Brexit-related info I've had informed that "we can close your account: if you want to keep it open, please reply" which I duly did.
Did your better half work for B****ys ?

No LBG.