A very strange telephone call from my bank

knightfox

EltonJohnFan wrote: »

Hi,

It's just seems really strange to me that after all these years they've just out of the blue decided that I'm to become a private banking customer because I've had my account with them ever since I started banking when I got my first job and they never bothered me about any of this before. I am trying to think of reasons why I might have got this call and the only one I can think of as I say is because I told them a few days ago I was thinking of leaving them but it still seems a little strange to me. I've always been happy enough with my current account and I don't have an overdraft, no chequebook, no credit of any sort as I don't want it. I think my account is called a "Key Account" but I do know that it's referred to by them as a basic bank account.

I am not sure then. I am surprised that they would be looking to upgrade a key account.

I know that everyone at the bank sees a key account as a normal current account. I have been told off about that. They are great accounts but I already have 2. Plus 2 of the other current accounts. All I wanted was a current account in scotland.

But I would have thought you would have needed to have a currentplus or whatever its called at least before their computers would have even upgraded.

I think it might be computer error. In 48 hours all will be back to normal.

bengal-stripe

I presume your bank manager reads this forum.

After all, it was you who expressed the wish to use a private bank (Cater Allen).

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/37214762#Comment_37214762

southantrim3

EltonJohnFan wrote: »

Hi all,

I've just had a very strange telephone call from my bank, can't explain it and I'm hoping that maybe you can shed some light on it for me? Around 10:30 this morning I received a telephone call from one of the managers at my local bank branch and because I was suspicious of who he was (it could have been anyone calling) I asked him to confirm who he was, what he wanted and a few other things that proved to me he was who he said he was. Anyway, he told me that he was calling to confirm that I was now set up as private banking customer and that he was going to be my "relationship manager" and that he was calling to personally introduce himself. I was really concerned by all this because I told him I have never requested private banking and have never had any dealings with that side of things and yet he was adamant that I was a new private banking customer. I told him he must have made some sort of mistake and he said no, that all my details were correct and he then said that I'd been moved from personal to private banking and I told him this couldn't have happened because I don't believe I meet the requirements for private banking i.e, I don't earn £75,000 per year and only have savings of around £8,500 in total. He asked me to confirm my account number and sort code which I did and he then said that the bank can offer private bank accounts at their discretion but I still insisted that I hadn't requested it and didn't believe I met the conditions for it.

He seemed to go a bit quiet on me after saying this and he then said that he'd go and check a few things and call me right back. I wasn't off the telephone for more than a few minutes when he returned my call saying that there had been some sort of mistake and that I wasn't a private banking customer at all, to just forget that he called and not think anymore about it. He said he'd close the accounts that had been opened on my behalf and that if I wanted to make a complaint I was more than welcome to do so and I could use his name and he gave me his personal telephone number. I have to be honest, I'm not sure what's just happened. Do I go in branch and find out more or do I just leave it? I don't really know what he's trying to tell me and I still can't make sense of what he was saying in our conversation because it's all out of the blue and I was just so overwhelmed and shocked because this is the first time my bank has ever called me for any reason. I have never dealt with private banking and I've never requested private banking either. What does he mean by close the accounts they were opening on my behalf? surely I need to sign to open an account? thank you for your help.

Hope this was genuine, but my advice is to Never EVER give personal information to someone who contacts you as they will already have this information in front of them. It will only be asked if you contact them which is an entirely different scenario.

All the best.

knightfox

bengal-stripe wrote: »

I presume your bank manager reads this forum.

After all, it was you who expressed the wish to use a private bank (Cater Allen).

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/37214762#Comment_37214762

Cater Allen are alright I had an account with them a few years ago. Were great then. But they are owned by Santander, Mind you who isnt.

knightfox

southantrim3 wrote: »

Hope this was genuine, but my advice is to Never EVER give personal information to someone who contacts you as they will already have this information in front of them. It will only be asked if you contact them which is an entirely different scenario.

All the best.

I agree try not to give this info out. I think the BM was trying to establish who they were talking to. As they arent aware of the chnage that was happening on their account.

EltonJohnFan

bengal-stripe wrote: »

I presume your bank manager reads this forum.

After all, it was you who expressed the wish to use a private bank (Cater Allen).

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/37214762#Comment_37214762

Lol, thanks

I did indeed express an interest in Cater Allen as I've been looking for a new home for my money but whenever I found out it was linked to Santander I dropped the idea as I genuinely thought they were still an independent bank.

EltonJohnFan

southantrim3 wrote: »

Hope this was genuine, but my advice is to Never EVER give personal information to someone who contacts you as they will already have this information in front of them. It will only be asked if you contact them which is an entirely different scenario.

All the best.

Thank you,

I'm a little more worried now that you've mentioned this. I think I'm going to go and call my bank just to be sure because I'm really nervous and worrying about things. I have to give the man his due in that he told me his full name and he also gave me his personal telephone number, said that I was more than welcome to make a complaint and that he would take full responsibilty. I'll go and see what they have to say now

EltonJohnFan

Hi all,

Absolutely disgraceful service from my bank, called the first time really worried and was told that it's my responsility to make sure who's calling me is really who they say they are and I was curtly told that any money lost wouldn't be refunded. I didn't get the chance to respond as the woman then hung up on me! I redialled several times and each time I tried to explain what had happened I was immediately hung up on without any reason given. I was very polite, friendly and mannerable and can't understand why they didn't want to speak to me. I then tried a few more times and they seemed to refuse to answer the telephone, maybe knowing it was me? I then called one further time and the phone rang and rang until eventually the manager (supposedly) answered my call and talked me through everything saying that no memeber of her staff had called me, that if I had any problems then I should go to the police and that fraud had possibly been commited on my account. I then proceeded to tell her about my concerns and she didn't really seem all that bothered, said that she was very busy and had to go and I replied that you can't just tell a customer that fraud might have been commited on their account and expect the call to end there. I asked what she was going to do about it and she said it was my responsibility to make sure my account remained free from fraud.

By this point I was incredibly frustrated and I told her that I was coming in branch to close my account and withdraw everything that was in it and that I was really disgusted at the way I had been treated, what sort of bank hangs up on customers who're calling with concerns? she said she couldn't talk further and then hung up before I could say anything else and I have to be totally honest and say I wasn't happy about this at all, slammed down the phone and just made some tea there as I'm so enraged. Just a few moments ago however she called me back and said that it turns out one of her team had indeed called me unofficially looking to make a sale and that she was sorry for any misunderstanding. I was really angry at this saying that she'd caused me untold grief and that I'd been treated really badly all morning whilst worrying myself sick over what could possibly have been fraud. She then grumbled that I was welcome to make a complaint but that she was the manager and that it would go to her anyway. I am sorry if this message is rushed or doesn't make much sense but I'm just so annoyed right now, seriously thinking about moving bank accounts because this is no way to treat a good, decent and loyal customer of many years. I record all my calls so everything that was said is stored on my phone and I'm going to keep this for my own peace of mind. I just can't believe that a bank would hang up on its customers for no reason whatsoever, appalling behaviour.

missile

EltonJohnFan wrote: »

Hi,

I bank with RBS, have done all of my adult life.

I have had the same call. Do not worry, it is merely a marketing ploy. If you had let him complete his script he would have asked you to attend a financial review interview were they would try to sell you more of their products.

If you feel mistreated? Do not waste time with the branch manager, write and complain to head office:T
The Royal Bank of Scotland, Customer Relations Unit, 225 Shenley Road, Borehamwood, WD6 1TE

Most likely Branch Manager will be told to phone and appologise.

missile

You might want to change to another branch?