My main current account and savings accounts are with RBS. Never gone overdrawn or done anything wrong, been a perfect customer. One day out of nowhere a letter from them tells me that they're terminating the banking facilities following a review and I have 60 days to make alternative banking arrangements. This is a huge problem for me, I know some of you are just going to say move to another bank but it really isn't that simple. This is the response I received from Customer Relations after filing a complaint asking why this decision had been made, offering to make any changes to accomodate to allow me to continue banking and informing that if this is based on discrimination then it will be referred to the FSA and FOS;

"Thank you for your patience while I have been investigating your complaint emailed to my colleague. Leigh no longer works in this department and forwarded your email to us to be investigated and replied to.

In reply to your complaint regarding the difficulties that you have experienced concerning the block placed on your access to digital banking and bank accounts with us and the subsequent closure of your accounts. I regret that I have very little to add to the Bank’s previous correspondence. I am permitted to confirm that the Bank was required to comply with its statutory obligations, which resulted in a block being applied to your accounts and digital banking access. Regrettably, the statutory obligations also mean that the Bank is unable to discuss the specific details in these circumstances.

Additionally, and in reference to the imminent closure of your accounts, the Bank’s Terms and Conditions state,

‘We can close your account immediately if:

(a) we reasonably suspect that you have given us false information; or

(b) we reasonably suspect that your account is being used for an illegal purpose; or

© you behave in a threatening or violent manner towards our staff; or

(d) you were not entitled to open your account.

We can also close your account on giving you notice as set out below:

(a) where your account is a Payment Account, we will give you not less than 60 days’ prior notice; or

(b) where your account is a Non-payment Account, other than an account of fixed duration (such as a bond), we will give you not less than 60 days’ prior notice or such period of notice as you would have to give us in order to close your account (or to close it without paying a charge or suffering a loss of interest), whichever is longer.’

If you have an account of fixed duration (such as a bond), we can only close your account under General Condition 7.1.1.

The Bank is under no legal obligation to disclose the reasoning behind our decision in this regard.

I sympathise greatly with your situation and do not doubt the strength of your feelings. Whilst I am truly sorry that this matter has caused you a great deal of distress and inconvenience, in consideration of the facts within your case, and our statutory obligation, I regret that I am unable to provide you with the clarification you seek or overturn the Bank’s decision to date.

I am sorry to have to write to you in such disappointing terms. However, I hope that, on reflection, you will feel able to accept my conclusion of your complaint on this occasion. "

I think they think I'm breaking some of the terms and conditions but won't allow me to appeal or prove otherwise. I've offered to make any changes or provide anything they require to resolve this but they're not discussing anything. I think they do have the right to make this decision but I must hold on to these accounts.

Please help me keep my bank!

this sounds to me as though they have closed the account on a technicality (and seem to be cagey). I would sugest checking your credit file to see if there are any CIFAS marks against you (these are marks that are displayed and shared with financial institutions who gave received suspicious activity). Either way the bank is now allowed to close your account without justification. You should ask the bank to issue you a final response to your complaint (which will have to be before, or at 8 weeks from when you contacted them), then refer to the Ombudsman. Be warned though, this may take a while and therefore does not constitute any kind of delay.

Good luck, hope its something that can be sorted out

How is this progressing?

I agree with charlieboy39 - have you got your credit file from them yet?

While they claim

The Bank is under no legal obligation to disclose the reasoning behind our decision in this regard.

They are under obligation to disclose information discussed about you under the Data Protection Act. Which naturally includes any discussion involving your name or dealings with them...

...and that is a legal obligation.

It can take 40 days, so you should include a paragraph stating that your account should remain open until you have recieved and corroborated the details of the Subject Access Request (SAR).

Best of luck.