Frozen bank accounts

cm1981

my bank of scotland account was frozen apparently because of illegal activity no idea why still trying to get it sorted.

was wondering will i be able to open a new bank account elsewhere or will they know my bank of scotland account is frozen and refuse me, im not bankrupt or anything.

many thanks

geordie_joe

I don't know the answer, but I were you I would try opening one just to find out.

Apart from finding out the answer it is sometimes useful to have two accounts anyway.

Oblivion

cm1981 wrote: »

my bank of scotland account was frozen apparently because of illegal activity no idea why still trying to get it sorted.

I know it doesn't help you but I tell this tale just to demonstrate how stupid banks can be sometimes.

A few years ago I went to pick up a new car from a dealership intending to pay with my HSBC debit card. I wasn't surprised when the salesman, having swiped the card for the transaction amount, told me that the bank's security department wanted me to provide some security evidence over the phone before clearing the payment.

So I was taken through the usual security checks (Mother's maiden name, date of birth, first and fifth characters of my password etc.) all of which I answered correctly, only then to be told "I'm sorry sir I can't authorise this transaction". I pleaded with him to explain why, but he said he was not allowed to tell me. By now, the sales staff and various customers in the showroom had cottoned on to the conversation and were looking at me like I was some kind of criminal. All very embarrassing I can tell you. Fortunately, I was able to phone my 'personal banker' at my HSBC branch and she got the payment specially cleared.

Anyway, to cut a long story short, it turned out that my current account had been flagged up several days previously as having "Unusual activity" on it. Nobody at the bank had bothered to tell me about this though. And it transpired that this "Unusual activity", which had effectively frozen my account, was nothing more than the transfer of funds from my HSBC savings account into my HSBC current account to cover the cost of the car !!!!!!!

I went ballistic, lodged a formal complaint with HSBC and received a profuse apology and a payment of £100 to pacify me.

Dave.