Bank closed account - no reason given!

jalexa

clb776 wrote: »

Basically, my account is closed with notice on the 9th April,

Don't understand that. Why did you need to cancel the 1st of the month direct debits?

stclair

Cll776 well I hope you get a positive outcome from raising your concern. I appreciate it must be such an inconvenience and very distressing.

Remember when setting up your Direct Debits again that it may not take effect until your next payment if the statement was generated before the DD was put into place.

I would hate to see you in anymore distress with the nightmare of late payments on your credit file etc.

clb776

jalexa wrote: »

Don't understand that. Why did you need to cancel the 1st of the month direct debits?

Because to take out any money I had to withdraw all of it and I couldn't not have any money I had to take it all out!xxx

I only cancelled them today when I realised that my account was 'open' until 9th April - but as I had been made to take all of my money out I would be charged for DDs not being paid I needed to cancel them myself!

jalexa

clb776 wrote: »

Because to take out any money I had to withdraw all of it and I couldn't not have any money I had to take it all out!

OK, but in relation to the "notice" complaint and your earlier "I still have not received the letter they sent me on the 26th march, but have a copy from the bank, telling me the account would be closed on the 9th April, but they have infact removed all banking facilities with immediate effect", is it the case that you have inferred "all banking facilities with immediate effect" from the suspension of certain facilities? Did the letter have anything to say about direct debits?

In relation to the Ombudsman "notice" complaint and the possibility that an outcome could decide Barclays liability for direct debit "charges", you need to ensure that the complaint is clear that though the notice copy letter said "9th April" nevertheless some facilities stopped working earlier (and without notice) and you feared that 1st of the month direct debits would not be honoured on that basis.

I fear however that Barclays may represent a different interpretation because it does look suspiciously like a 10 day period, sufficient time to rearrange direct debits.

Lindopski

Barclays did the same to me in 2008 - no warning or anything just closed my current account.
The reason I think was that I had been made redundant 4 weeks earlier and was on the dole for 4 weeks.
Little did they know that I had just been accepted for a brilliant position with the NHS and was all set to start.
Luckily I had a student account with Nat West from my Uni days and I had my wages paid into there and have used that ever since.

After shoddy treatment during a very brief period of need, I would not bank with Barclays again.

clb776

The letter says, please make alternative arrangements for your banking straightaway. It does say 'once the account has been closed' they won't pay standing orders or direct debits or honour cheques and any payment sent to my account after the closure will not be guaranteed to be returned. The letter says to immediately return my debit cards in the enclosed envelope (I recieved the actual letter yesterday morning)....there was no envelope but that doesn't matter I suppose!

But when I went into the bank to ask what had happened the day my account was suspended, and if I could take any money out they told me I had to take it all out. So yes, I would still have the facility to pay direct debits, but obviously as they made me clear the accounts there wouldn't be any money in there to pay them if you see what I mean? I did say I wasn't comfortable taking all the money out because I didn't have anywhere for it to go? But was told that Barclays no longer wanted my business and if I didn't withdraw it all I could not have any.

jalexa

clb776 wrote: »

The letter says, please make alternative arrangements for your banking straightaway. It does say 'once the account has been closed' they won't pay standing orders or direct debits or honour cheques and any payment sent to my account after the closure will not be guaranteed to be returned.

As I feared Barclays may represent the notice differently to the Ombudsman than your initial interpretation. That said the Ombudsman does not rule on judicial grounds but on what is "reasonable". First of all the "not guaranteed to be returned" is a remarkably threatening statement which you should not let drop. Actually it is weasily worded about how the funds would be treated in practice. As I see it a financial layperson discomforted by what was hapenning and the copy letter contents asked the branch for advice and was advised you "had to take it all out". Which, hardly surprisingly you did.

I believe the letter (which you only got a copy of after the first action) is badly drafted and a specific branch adviser's advice unhelpful to incompetent. You need to ensure these adverse details are properly represented in complaint to Barclays and in the Ombudsman case file. Because I expect Barclays will argue otherwise.

Can I repeat my advice on the importance of getting Barclays to state which clause they acted under.

clb776

Thanks. In the complaint I did on Tuesday in the bank I have asked for a reason why my account was closed! If they don't give me the clause I do not know what I am going to do! I know I have done nothing wrong, but it doesn't stop me worrying that the police are going to turn up at my door or something! I always think the worst and over think everything! This has had a real affect on me and I think it is incredibly unfair that I have been put through this and been treated like a criminal in the bank! Is it going to be worth doing a SAR? Will I be able to see what has been noted on my account etc? I shall now wait until I hear from the bank though and try not to worry about it until then! I still haven't recieved my debit card from lloyds either which is making me worry that that account is going to be closed too! (I also know this is ridiculous as I only opened the account on Tuesday afternoon!) I am convinced that my name now brings up a flashing red box 'money laundering terrorist!' lol!

I am in a lovely hotel now on the coast so shall forget all about this until monday and try to concentrate on re building my marriage thanks to everyone for your support...I wouldn't wish this treatment on anyone!

race09

clb776 wrote: »

The letter says, please make alternative arrangements for your banking straightaway. It does say 'once the account has been closed' they won't pay standing orders or direct debits or honour cheques and any payment sent to my account after the closure will not be guaranteed to be returned. The letter says to immediately return my debit cards in the enclosed envelope (I recieved the actual letter yesterday morning)....there was no envelope but that doesn't matter I suppose!

But when I went into the bank to ask what had happened the day my account was suspended, and if I could take any money out they told me I had to take it all out. So yes, I would still have the facility to pay direct debits, but obviously as they made me clear the accounts there wouldn't be any money in there to pay them if you see what I mean? I did say I wasn't comfortable taking all the money out because I didn't have anywhere for it to go? But was told that Barclays no longer wanted my business and if I didn't withdraw it all I could not have any.

i had the same fu**ing letter on 27th of March strange. it looks like somthing is going on

my original post can be found by searching "bank closing my account" , i can not paste a link

clb776

yup they printed my letter on the 26th March - unsure what their problem is sorry its happened to you too!