HBOS and my savings

rannoch

On Saturday I decided to move the bulk of my savings from the Alliance & Leicester to an existing account with HBOS.
I got a cheque from A&L went to HBOS, and stood in the queue for a cashier. While there I was approached by a member of staff who asked the queue in general if anyone was paying in cheques, and she could use the express deposit. So I did. This consisted of her filling out an envelop with my account details, and amount being deposited. I was then given a "receipt" (torn of from the envelop which has amount deposited, date, and serial number of, I assume the envelop). I was assured (I asked twice) that the deposit would be processed "at close of business". She popped the envelop into a box with a letterbox.
The money was not processed, or at least not processed into my account. I check the internet - nothing is in the account. I phoned HBOS customer service who attempted to contact the branch - too late gone home.
Now I've been worrying since if the money is OK.
I'll phone tomorrow.
What other course of action do I have - I'm now really angry. If it was their money they wouldn't be so lax.

JimLad

Dont cheques generally take a few days to clear?

rannoch

The amount would be in the account. It should show balance (including cheque amount), and available balance (without cheque).

lpgm

You might have lost it.

jennifernil

As it was a Saturday, it might take till Monday to show up on your account.

rb10

Chances are it'll be there. Phone up the branch direct, speak to them. It won't actually make any difference to your account, as because Saturday is not a working day for the banks, cheques paid in on Saturdays are treated as if paid in on the following Monday.

jennifernil - any credit to the account would show up straight away with Halifax. Even cheques paid in on a Saturday will show on internet banking instantly.

rannoch

I only thing I can think has happened (apart from being posted to the wrong account, or lost), is that the box containing the "express deposit" envelopes was emptied before my envelope was dropped in (this was around 11.45 and they close at 12.00).
Some smarty trying to balance up early to get home.

rannoch

Phoned at 9.00am
Answer is that the account was a websaver, and you can't deposit to a websaver at a branch. I was told they tried to contact me - as I have an answer machine they didn't try hard enough..
I was given two options - I can open another Halifax account which accepts branch deposits and then transfer, or take it to another bank where I have a suitable bank account, pay it in, and then transfer to the websaver.
A third option which I have just done - get the cheque, deposit it in another bank, close the Halifax account.

Chris2685

If you're moving it from your account to your account, it will be somewhere and it will be yours, so why worry?

rannoch

Chris2685 wrote: »

If you're moving it from your account to your account, it will be somewhere and it will be yours, so why worry?

I was worried because it wasn't moving anywhere - in an envelope somewhere - no visibility.
I used to work in a bank many years ago as a teenager, and the manager said "the best customer service you can give is when you treat the customers' money in the same way you would treat your own" i.e. carefully.

cloudstrife_2

I would have still paid the cheque in (we can do a sort of manual credit to websavers at the counter just in case you can't use the net etc.) and then simply wrote out to you to let you know that future deposits can't be done in branch.

However the person keying the deposits was obviously sticking to to the rules which is fair enough I suppose, out of interest did the branch open the websaver or did you do it online?! I ask as in branch we would have explained how it operates and offered to open a branch based account for such ocassions, but I am not sure if the online application does the same thing?!

I can understand you where concerned that your cheque was just lying around in envelope but I can assure you it would have been locked in the safe (granted still in the envelope) and it would have been impossible to have it show on the account (as the only way is to credit the cheque :-) )

Cloud