Online Account Closure

4sibbs

Beware if you close an online account you might think your information is automatically deleted but that's not always the case, I've been able to log back into accounts that have been closed for months and in one case for over a year!!! My personal information was all still there, I've contacted several organisations to complain including the banks in question but no-one wants to take ownership. There needs to procedures in place especially for Banks and other financial organisations for users to be able delete personal and log in details. According to the FSA there is a clause in the data protection act that states the processing if personal information should not be kept for longer than is necessary so anyone holding this information after accounts have been closed could be in breach of this.

dazza.mk

Apart from anything else if you had a Continuous Payment Authority on your debit card you could be charged months (even potentially a couple of years on multi-year policies) after closing the account so it'll be a long time before the account is 'truly' closed.

MarkFromCornwall

4sibbs wrote: »

Beware if you close an online account you might think your information is automatically deleted but that's not always the case, I've been able to log back into accounts that have been closed for months and in one case for over a year!!! My personal information was all still there, I've contacted several organisations to complain including the banks in question but no-one wants to take ownership. There needs to procedures in place especially for Banks and other financial organisations for users to be able delete personal and log in details. According to the FSA there is a clause in the data protection act that states the processing if personal information should not be kept for longer than is necessary so anyone holding this information after accounts have been closed could be in breach of this.

I like it when banks maintain my computer access even when I close my account. Firstly it allows me to log on to get information needed to complete my tax return. Secondly, if I open a new account with the same bank I don't have to go through the business of creating passwords etc.

I guess the ideal would be that when we close an account banks offer us the choice of whether to maintain computer access.