Hi everyone, I hope someone can help with this I am at my wits end!

Barclays have closed my account and say they are investigating due to breach of terms,

however there is £6500 in the account which I can't get access to or transfer to another account.

They won't tell me anything and say I cannot complain because I closed the account even though I didn't!

Background:

Last year I did some work as a subcontractor for a company and my wages after CIS deductions were paid into my Barclays current account,

after talks with them we agreed that I take over the full jobs (project manage and complete works with my own subcontractors).

I already had a separate ltd company so I started using this for the new work as a contractor, set up CIS, VAT, Corporation Tax etc. and obviously a separate bank account for the ltd company.

All was going well but then the company I was doing the work for went into liquidation, they set up another company the same day.

At the same time they paid three invoices for the limited company into my personal Barclays account (which they had on file) despite having the ltd company bank account details (which they had been paying into up to that point!).

I tried to transfer the money straight over to my ltd company account but the transaction was blocked.

I then got a letter asking me to come in to the branch and close my account due to 'breach of terms'.

I went into the bank and was told I couldn't close the account because there was now an investigation.

They would not tell me anything else but asked me to prove where the money came from, what it was for and why it had been paid into my personal account.

I took all my invoices in, along with a letter explaining the situation , a letter from the company I worked for and all my up-to-date Tax/VAT/CIS returns and statements.

All is above board, I run my company very carefully and I have never had any fines, debts or so on.

I was then told I would receive a letter within 10 days.

I didn't,

I went back in to the branch,

I spoke to the manager

she spoke to the investigations team

they wouldn't give any information

said it should now be resolved in two weeks.

The next day I got a large envelope containing all the bank statements from my account and a letter saying that these were for my records since I had closed my account = which I haven't done!

I spoke to them again and they said they couldn't help and I should hear something by 9th May!

I explained that I was trying to run a small business, this was money for my business and it was causing me a problem.

They said they couldn't help until they had concluded their investigation.

I asked what had happened to all the evidence I brought in and if they needed anything else and they said they couldn't discuss the matter!

I phoned the complaints department and stated my complaint about the treatment I had received and the fact that I couldn't access the money, they said I couldn't complain because the account was closed.

I asked who closed it because I certainly didn't and they didn't know.

I do not know what to do.

My business is relatively new and small, this money is a large chunk of my turnover to date.

I will soon have tax and vat to pay along with my subcontractors and materials.

I am managing at the moment but it is going to be a struggle.

I can't get anywhere with the bank either in branch or on the phone,

nobody will tell me what the hell is going on and they just keep adding more and more time on.

If anyone can help or point me in the direction of someone who can I would be extremely grateful.

I haven't done anything wrong, it was a mistake on the part of the company I work for that the money was put in the wrong account.

It just feels like I will never get this money back or an explanation of what the issue is.

Thanks in advance.

The 3 invoices paid were from the liquidated or new company?

The 3 invoices paid were from the liquidated or new company?

One was from the liquidated company and the other two from the new company

quite common for Barclays to do this sadly - they'll cite money laundering or fraud as the reason.

they'll have trash your credit file too.

stop using the phone or record your calls!

writing only!

get an sar running to them as well.

Hi S&A and welcome to CAG

Anti Money Laundering Regs or maybe, if the liquidation happened in questionable circumstances, some sort of fraud investigation is going on.

They are always very tight-lipped and you'll be lucky to get any info from Barclays apart from the SAR response.

Can you say which bank was used by the liquidated Co.

The bank for the liquidated company was Natwest.

Sending the SAR today, thanks for the advice.

Tightlipped is an understatement, they are giving nothing away and I can't even speak to anyone about it because they won't tell me who I need to talk too! The last straw was telling me they couldn't accept a complaint, it seems I am being blocked from every angle even though I haven't done anything wrong.

“Tight lipped is an understatement”....

If the transactions have triggered concerns of money laundering, the law requires them to avoid “tipping-off” those concerned in the transaction that there is an anti-money laundering (AML) suspicious transaction report (STR)

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/271862/money_laundering_1_.pdf

Paragraphs 10 & 11.

Has there been a STR? Might this be an explanation?

Sending the SAR today, thanks for the advice.

What address are you using for the SAR? The one on this website is different to what Barclays told me over the phone:

DSARS, 51 Saffron Road, Leicester, LE18 4US. I thought this was for Barclaycard, but they are adamant it's for Barclays personal and business account holders too.

Barclays Bank PLC

Privacy and Data Protection

Radbroke Hall

Knutsford

Cheshire

WA16 9EU

When I applied for a Barclays SAR back in June I wrote to:

The Data Protection Team

Block 12

Barclays Bank PLC

Radbroke Hall

Knutsford

Cheshire

WA16 9E

They replied saying 'you've recently requested copies of telephone conversations. In order for us to retrieve these please provide the following information: the number you called, the number you called from, date and time of call).

That letter came from:

The Manager,

Barclays General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Team

Barclays Bank Plc,

Privacy and Data Protection

Leicester

LE87 2BB

I wrote back saying there hasn't been any calls. (I should have said 'if there was I would have recorded them anyway ') They sent me paper docs on the 40th day. (this was pre-gdpr, so 40 days for SAR, now it's 30 days and you can request docs in electronic format, and they have to comply)

I think the most up-to-date address/email to use for SARS now is:

The Data Protection Officer,

Barclays Bank UK PLC,

Leicester,

LE87 2BB

email: [email protected].

the last address/email above is what's on their website: https://www.barclays.co.uk/important-information/privacy-policy/