Co-op bank accusing me of fraud!

PARIS_5000

NotAFraudster wrote: »

GRR! Absolutely hopping mad... called up again, need this sorted by payday, and was told the application, even though I'd provided ID, even though I'd provided six years' proof of my address, even though I'd jumped through every fscking hoop in the book just trying to get a BASIC BANK ACCOUNT and spent almost £50 on phone calls to them, was declined again! Absolute idiots! Manager supposedly will call me back before 5.30, fat chance!

With all due respect I think that you should just leave this and open a account elsewhere because they have made up their mind that they are not going to give you a account

I do not agree with their behaviour but think once they suspect fraud then they will not change their mind even if you are not quilty.

Life is too short to spend anymore time on this and it is not worth running up your phone bill over.

tomwakefield

Out of interest, what number are you calling them on? £50 seems a lot for calls, even over a three week period, which suggests you're calling an 0845 number (or similar). Have you tried looking for a geographic equivalent on https://www.saynoto0870.com. It won't solve your problem with the bank but it might cut down your expense.

I've found 0800 0850950 and 01695 53927 are both listed as alternatives, one of which may help. It also gives a load of direct geographic numbers for individual branches.

NotAFraudster

tomwakefield wrote: »

Out of interest, what number are you calling them on? £50 seems a lot for calls, even over a three week period, which suggests you're calling an 0845 number (or similar). Have you tried looking for a geographic equivalent on https://www.saynoto0870.com. It won't solve your problem with the bank but it might cut down your expense.

I've found 0800 0850950 and 01695 53927 are both listed as alternatives, one of which may help. It also gives a load of direct geographic numbers for individual branches.

This isn't anywhere near over a three week period. This all started near the start of September.

Anyway, callback before 5:30 didn't happen. Called up again and explained everything to a manager who basically turned round and said

- He didn't really see the Co-op as having treated me badly or done anything wrong
- The application was declined and I would have to live with it (fair enough) hence the Co-op were in the right over everything
- It was actually my fault that I'd had to ring up all the time because nobody had called me back, so no none of my costs will be repaid
- The bank had never had a phone number on file for me which is why they'd never called me - when I said that it had been used as a security question since the first application he handwaved it and said they must have checked against caller ID, which I'm fairly sure renders it useless as a security question!
- The bank had sent out three letters over an almost-two month period, which justifies absolutely everything. Got an apology for not getting callbacks several times but not much else
- I'd have to write in to find out the reason I was declined - when I replied I'd already done this he said I'd have to do it again!
- Nobody, as I'd suspected, had actually bothered to read the letter I enclosed with my documents, and they didn't actually make the slightest difference in the end anyway.

:mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad: I swear, even if they have to go bankrupt, even if they get CCJs or whatever, and the Co-op is their only port of call, I'll hesitate to recommend this bunch of absolute clowns to anyone. They've sent me on a wild goose chase for the best part of two months and then denied any sort of wrongdoing. Total cretins. With luck, someone on this forum works for them and they can explain to me exactly how they can get away with this bullsh*t.

suburbanwifey

I've just read the whole thread over a 20 minute period and to be quite frank, I am speechless! I have had a SMILE (co-op) account for 9 or 10 years now and have never had a problem but whoa! your whole situation quite stuns me and I totally believe every word you said, as well as being convinced you are innocent. No one would spend that amount of time and money making calls, writing letters or posting things with the Co-Op or all these 'takes time to write' posts on here about this situation if you were guilty of what they accuse.

I feel very sorry for you, I truly do and if I had been you I would have felt the same. I think they decided a while back that they did not want you as a customer, regardless of anything - if I was you, I wouldn't want to be :eek:

Try to forget it, this level of hassle and unreasonableness is quite simply not worth your time and trouble...hope you calm down soon ~

wayne99

i was refused a cash minder account about two years ago, i received a letter by post saying i had been accepted, two days later another letter arrived saying i had been declined.

I too rang up and was told the only reason they would not open a cash minder account is a record of fraud.

I have never had a record of fraud, never been a bankrupt, yes i had some bad debt at the time, but no fraud.

I have always been honest on applications, so there would of been nothing on NHUNTER either.

I appealed, was declined so i washed my hands with them.

went to Barclay's, they opened me a cash account in the branch there and then, gave me the sort code and acc number and i walked out happy.

I know where you are coming from with the coop i have been there and done it, just walk away, and dont look back.

NotAFraudster

Aaargh! I just called up to ask where my address verification documents are (being, as they are, original documents which I might need again should another needlessly pernickety financial institution believe I'm a money launderer based on absolutely nothing... as suburbanwifey says above more or less, what kind of money launderer is constantly co-operative and eagerly provides further documentation on request? Actually, why did they bother requesting them if they didn't know it would do anything?) and was told they hadn't been sent back. While I was on the phone also, I remembered to ask if my original application had on file my phone number, as I could have sworn I did supply one but the guy I spoke to the other day said otherwise, and she confirmed that yes, the phone number was on file, and she could confirm it as well! So basically, the a**ehole was lying through his teeth! They've had my number all along, but nobody's bothered to call me!

I've sent a letter of complaint to the chief executive. Shame I did it before I KNEW FOR CERTAIN that one of their call centre managers is a bloody liar :mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad:

ladylucksmilesonyou

I think you are wasting too much energy on this, just move on. The bank are obviously incompetent and it's their loss if you take your business elsewhere somethings are just not worth the hassle and energy getting upset/obessed with.

Darnit_2

I half agree, the best interests of NotaFraudster should be my main concern, however, I too need an outcome on this!

JuicyJesus

ladylucksmilesonyou wrote: »

I think you are wasting too much energy on this, just move on. The bank are obviously incompetent and it's their loss if you take your business elsewhere somethings are just not worth the hassle and energy getting upset/obessed with.

I don't really care anymore. They can take their sh*tty basic bank account and shove it. I just want the costs that I incurred because of their idiocy back.

powerone

JuicyJesus wrote: »

I don't really care anymore. They can take their sh*tty basic bank account and shove it. I just want the costs that I incurred because of their idiocy back.

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