I popped in to a Metro Bank branch in South London recently to open a business instant access deposit account.

Their website says "No Metro Bank Business current account is required."

They tried to sell me their business current account, which is not free unless you have more than £5,000. When I refused, they asked me why I wanted an instant access account, and I told them that I just want a basic account. They said that you cannot make an online transfer out unless you have another Metro bank account, so I opened a personal current account, and I was accepted for that, but a credit check was made, so it affected my credit rating.

The business instant access account needed to be approved by a business manager. I called him the next working day. I work as a professional but I am not a member of a professional body (it is not illegal in the industry that I work in). He said they can't open an account because of this reason. I submitted further paperwork to his colleagues by visiting the branch (which is not in my home town) and waiting for about 25 minutes, after convincing him over the phone that would be acceptable to open an account.

He then called me the next day saying that the account will not be opened because I will be using the business instant access account as a business current account and that I will be using it to deposit payments from customers

He also said that they have a right to close it if I do. Nowhere does it say in the terms and conditions that you cannot use it as such. Also, their Account features state that you can use it as follows:

• Receive electronic payments (CHAPS, BACS, faster payments, SWIFT, standing orders and internal transfers)

• Pay in cash and cheques

He also said that I cannot use the account to make an online transfer to my personal current account, even though I was informed by the customer service adviser who opened my personal current account that I could. To add insult to injury, I asked him to send me a letter or email saying why he is refusing to open the account, but he wouldn't do that, saying "we don't send out these letters."

They have wasted my time. The business manager didn't say at first that a business current account was required.

The excuse he gave me for not opening the account at first was that I was not a member of a professional body.

Now he says you can't use the business instant access account as a current account, even though their website says that you don't need a business current account to open an instant access account.

I made a formal complaint by telephone to the business centre. I explained what happened, but they defended him.

They said he had the discretion to refuse to open an instant access account if it was to be used as a business current account. I challenged them to tell me the exact clause in their terms and conditions, but they couldn't find it. This is ridiculous. Why does he have full discretion? What if someone made a complaint against him?

Now I am left with a credit check, which was made for a personal current account that was missold, and no business instant access account.

Please do not trust anything this bank says about this account. They will try and sell you a business current account to make money out of you from charges, and they will refuse opening the instant access account by saying you cannot use it as a current account, even though there are no restrictions as such in their terms and conditions.

Their business bank account is a maximum of £60 / year if you do not keep £5,000 in it each month.

Interest charges are reasonable and you can automate a bank feed into your accounting software for £1 / account / month.

For someone starting in business, they offer the most reasonable account fees I've seen in this country.

If the region of £100-£150 / year for operating a business account which offers free European banking access scares you, you may not actually have a business, but an elaborate piecemeal job.

Talk with your accountant and see what their advice would be regarding which business account they would recommend and let us know what they discover.

* I switched to Metro Bank shortly after they appeared (2010) with new business account and immediately saved nearly £2,000 in transaction charges alone.