Account Closure

[phillip croft]

Well i've finally had a letter from A&L stating they're going to close my account, any advice please on what i can do to stop them doing this as i'm having trouble opening another account as i'm on benefit and not employed and nobody seems to want to let me open a current account.

[Guest Battleaxe]

Philip,

 

Go online an open a Step account with NatWest, they do not do a credit check for this basic account.

 

very easy to open, make sure you stipulate step account and fo not ask for a cheque book///do it online.

 

hope this helps

[ash95]

hi Phillip,

 

I too have received an account closure letter today. I'm lucky to have another account with Barclays but I didn't want my account closing. What i would like to know is, has anyone written to A&L in protest of their account closure? How does this account closure affect your credit rating if at all? Has anyone been sucessful in stopping an account closure?

 

any help will be much appreciated.

[phillip croft]

Well i've applied for a NatWest Step account but i would still like to keep my alliance account open, so any advice on how to do this would be appreciated, has anyone tried for an injunction to prevent their account being closed?

[Guest Battleaxe]

Hello Philip,

 

Yes someone did try to stop this, he applied for an injunction, but it was not allowed by the court he said his satisfaction was that the bank's barrister had a six hour journey to Court. The out come was A & L had to offer a basic account.

 

I was going to take out an injunction to stop the account from being closed, but it is just not worth it after finding this out. It happened in the last two weeks. I can't find the thread.

 

I know you want to keep the account open, but A & L are just playing dirty and they don't care what your circumstances are. Loyalty doesn't mean a thing to them.

 

Your benefit has to be paid in somewhere. Have you spoken to DWP about this as they most probably have a solution. please phone DWP as soon as you can.

 

Note for Ash, your credit rating is stuffed anyway, look at this way, the only way is up. just get busy, write to the data Controller of A & L, the letters are in the template Library or pick up Surlybonds thread for the Statuatory Notice to stop processing of data. you will also have to write to the CRA's. Anyone doing acredit check on you, will have to do it manually, then you will have fighting chance to get your credit rating improved

[skudbuket]

hi Phillip Croft, I was the one who tried to get an Injunction to prevent the A and L from closing my account, and i t failed. There is a law report dated 1923 that states that a bank does not have to keep an account open even if it is in credit so long as sufficient account closure notice is given.I assume if you go down this road at some point the same details will be given to you by their barristers and you too will lose and be left with A and Ls costs bill, which they want paying pronto. If you want your account left open you could try writing to the BCSB and state that under their rules of conduct a basic account has to be offered and you require this account and for A and L to offer it to you, however the BCBS take for ever to reply to you so your account will probably be closed by then. Alternatively you could phone Jackie McGuirk who is the head of A and Ls litigation team at Narborough and ask her for a Basic Account, she is the one who is dealing with all the legal side of the crap that they are getting thrown at them.I dont really want a basic account with them but I am going to have it just to be a pain. I hope this helps, any query you can mail me.

[phillip croft]

Thanks for all the support and help guys, i decided to email Richard Pym regarding my account closure and got a reply saying the matter would be looked into, i don't hold out any hope that this will make any difference but you never know. I have applied to NatWest for a step account as previously advised and the paperwork arrived this morning. I'll keep this list posted as to the outcome of my letter to Mr Pym.

[kingliam]

I have just won my case against A&l, I am still waiting for the funds to be cleared in my account as they sent a cheque which did not arrive!

 

I am looking forward to fighting my case for closure.

 

As, My account has only improved over the last 6 months and they have recently upgraded my account.

 

What did you write to Mr Pym?

[Bigfeld]

go to Halifax, i had trouble opening one any where. but halifax cash card account you will be able to open as there are no searches. it takes 4 weeks though so i would get on the case ASAP

[djweeble]

A & L wrote to me yesterday telling me they were closing my account, and I haven't even taken them to court yet !

 

Sure enough, checked online tonight, I can access the account, but there's no details available to view.

[kingliam]

Bar Stewards .... They will do this as a rule now, can't believe they have done it so early though.

[Guest Battleaxe]

Oh the luxury of having all my money to myself this morning. My money was deposited without a hitch and when I rang to check my balance there was more than what I expected. Not much more but enough to help fill the car with petrol. Not having to worry about how much they have taken to balance their books.

 

I paid my gas and electricity , the joy of not having to worry abouut having enough money to do this, and was asked if I would like to set up a DD to pay these. Arrggghhhh..my money comes overseas, my money does not arrive on a set day, and owing to the vagaries of the English banking system, this is what got me into trouble in the first place. I politely declined and said I would be paying manually in the future

 

We have moved everything over to our parachute account and left the O/D hanging in the A & L account, of course they are going to pile more charges on to it at the end of the month, but I will claim those back also.

 

got a letter from them couched in nicer terms reminding me about my O/D arrangement. excuse me I would never had needed that O/D if it hadn't been for your charges, so now suck eggs until you pay me back what you took and then you can have your O/D paid back. you aren't getting any more of my money.

 

I wonder when they will close the account?

[younganfree]

You might want to keep an eye on things, B, just to keep within your agreed o/d, as you don't want to receive one of their dreaded defaults.

8)

[ampersand]

hi Phillip,

 

I too have received an account closure letter today. I'm lucky to have another account with Barclays but I didn't want my account closing. What i would like to know is, has anyone written to A&L in protest of their account closure? How does this account closure affect your credit rating if at all? Has anyone been sucessful in stopping an account closure?

 

any help will be much appreciated.[/quote]

 

Hello ash95 and Phillip,

I, too, had this - but found Battleaxe's posts very helpful, as was she.

I modified an LBA which was read on the 'phone to Kwai Wong in Ian Wade's department, prior to sending it.

Chronology as per my posts - I think we all feel we are going up the glass mountain under the cosh at times.

My a/c is reinstated, though they are in a mess with their own correspondence, actions, failure to update same, contrary communications etc.

My view on this, strongly informed by my experience, is that it's all EXCELLENT AMMUNITION for Court.

Please remember - all you have to fear is fear itself. (Platitudes have their place.)

I, too, am on Benefit, ash95, and made it clear to A&L that they were continuing to receive the money upon which I live. Placing the a/c in dispute freezes their threat.

DO RING IAN WADE.

MAKE BULLET POINTS.

DECIDE WHAT YOU ARE GOING SAY AND SAY IT, THEN RE-STATE FOR AGREEMENT WHAT YOU HAVE SAID AND WHAT YOU BOTH AGREE WILL NOW BE DONE.

STICK TO THIS.

This may look silly, but is a direct translation of how European students are taught to think in University, and earlier.

'Ce qui n'est pas clair, n'est pas français.'

[ampersand]

I have just won my case against A&l, I am still waiting for the funds to be cleared in my account as they sent a cheque which did not arrive!

Hearty congrat.s kingliam.

A&L are probably sending your cheque by the same post that saw my January statement, dated 11 Feb, arrive in an unsealed envelope on 26 October, a mere 258 days!

By my calcs, expect Lubbly Jubbly Midsummer's Day, then put in a claim for lost interest, provided chq doesn't Boing-boing back to them.

[ampersand]

.........was asked if I would like to set up a DD to pay these......... I politely declined and said I would be paying manually in the future

I wonder when they will close the account?

 

Excuse the edit, Battleaxe, it's a sore point with me that A&L woman assured me their DD system was flexible to ensure that Benefit receipt and actual dates would not fall foul of each other. 'We operate a five-day window' was her way of putting it.

As you know, two letters on 13 October advised:

-my 'a/c WILL BE closed on 21 August'

-my 'a/c WILL BE closed on 27 October'.

It hasn't happened. I repeat this simply to give heart to those who are worried and reading this thread.

p.s. noticed you've multiplied your claim by 10, hope they don't see! Enough for a party there, unlimited tea and bikkies for the Wild Ones, wine and spirits for the staid.

[Guest Battleaxe]

I don't have an overdraft on my parachute account. There is no need for one, now I have straightened my finances out and taken them out of A & L's tender loving care.

As far as A & L overdraft, it would not have happend if A & L had taken better care of things and stuck to their part of the bargain, knowing money comes from overseas and their assetion and reassurances that there five day window with DD's WRONG. No manual intervention, everything done by computer. This is careless, when they know what the circumstances and PROMISED that the things which happened would ot happen.

 

Ampersand had the similar happen as what happened to me, only what happened to her was worse.

 

If A & L default me, fine, because I have an ace up my sleeve and A & L are not going to like it. I have gone through the A & L loan we have and last month they shot themselves in the foot with their efficiency. They also lied about the PLP on the loan. So another bit of grist to OFT mill. Sadly for A & L that discussion was written verbatim with a check back to the exact wording. So they will have to write a modified loan, for being so clever.

 

Philip take heart, start picking at the sore which is A & L and as you rattle their cage, they become unglued. They now sending me letters which cross in the mail and it is certain, their left does not know what the right hand is doing. I feel they are being inundated with claims for unlawful charges and can no longer control the avalache descending on them. the other thing I find, they do not dealing by correspondence, this is the only we can gather proof and hold them to what they say. once it is oin writing, they cannot go back and say that is not what they meant.

 

They threatend to close Ampersand's account on two different dates, it is still open. I am sure this because she hammered them on all the relevant points proved they had made the mistakes and it was not her carelessness.

 

The best bit I like A & L have to pay £700 for each complaint being investigated by the authorities and the file I am handing over to the Finanacial Ombudsman also rub salt into their wound.

 

Oh yes revenge is best eaten cold. I have learnt so much from this forum and also from The Motely Fool articles.

 

Onwards and upwards Philip.

[phillip croft]

I now have a step account with Nat West and also a current account with chequebook with the co-op bank. The outcome of my letter to Richard Pym was as expected , they still intend to close my account at the end of the month what i'd like to know now is will it make a difference to my credit rating if i close the account myself or just let A&L close it themselves or won't it matter either way?

[Guest ian cognito]

The best bit I like A & L have to pay £700 for each complaint being investigated by the authorities and the file I am handing over to the Finanacial Ombudsman also rub salt into their wound.

 

 

Well you learn something new everyday on this site, very interesting - where's my pen?????

[Guest Battleaxe]

Philip,

 

I am not sure what effect it will have on your credit rating. Yu have two new accounts open, so it can only be upwards for you from here. Can you close the A & L account now and beat them to it? Of course this might be a moot exercise.

 

Someone more more knowledgeable than I might be able to tell what impact letting A & L close your account.

 

You could get request a Notice be attached to you CRA information that you closed the account because it was in dispute. It cant be libellous or mischievous, but it might help.

[Guest Battleaxe]

Oh yes Janquinny, Itoo am now enjoying all of this. i hae just finished a letter to Rachel Claridge about her stalling tactics and how I have already reported A&L/MBNA Credit Cards stalling tactics to the relevant authorities for investigation and also reminded that her stalling will not work and she only has until 21 November to comply with the original SAR dated 11 October 2006, otherwise the complaint will be escalated. I also requested other data.

 

How dare they try this tactic. I am sure they think we are all stupid. I now have Supported by Consumer Action Group on all our letterheads to these clowns. Just to let them know the gloves are off and no prisoners will be taken.

 

The form she sent stated that it would 40 days from the date the confirm the signature is correct, so I highlthed the fact that they only have until 21 November to comply.

 

We are now playing by our rules not theirs.

 

A & L will wih they had never heard of us by the time we are through with them. it is going to cost them more than they ever thought to shut me up.

[Guest ian cognito]

Oh well I hereby declare myself to join your happy little band, I am today denying them permission to take any more unlawful charges from my account, probably just giving them an excuse to close my account early but what the heck.

[Guest xipetotec46]

Hi All

I urge anyone not to open an account with Natwest or LLoyds TSB Natwest have the biggest charges of all the banks and LLoyds will deliberately slow down any effort to claim charges from them. so don't jump out of the frying pan into the fire with these banks.

If your bank account is closed write to your bank and ask them to reverse their decision, if they will not reverse their decision to close the account ask them for a letter of deadlock so that you may approach the Financial Ombudsman service with a complaint againt the bank.

This is the correct way to go down the Ombudsman path. then email Watchdog and "Which" about your account and don't forget to watch the Tonight programme on Friday 20.00 ITV about banks.

I recently claimed back only £80 from Nationwide for my daughter in Law result a win but account closed. B------S

Baz

[Snorkerz]

The financial ombudsman has adjudicated:

(FSO website) For the reasons I have explained above, in my view XYZ Bank should not have closed Mr A’s account. I am satisfied that there was a genuine dispute as to whether or not the charges made to Mr A’s account were enforceable. Whatever the outcome of the court action, Mr A was entitled to bring it. It is possible that the court would have given judgment in his favour, had the action proceeded. But in any event, I do not consider that it was either fair or reasonable for the bank to use the closure of the account as a way of deterring or punishing Mr A for complaining – as appears to me to have been the case here.

 

And awarded Mr A £200 too!

 

http://www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk/faq/account-closure-adjudicationA.pdf