Co-Op are closing our account!

Bollinge

Please read my post warning about this here: http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=428150&highlight=bollinge

Moreover, when I spoke to them they only mentioned "three strikes and you're out", ever, I assumed. No-one mentioned "in three months". My two 50p indiscretions were over about 18 months.

It nearly happened again, about two weeks ago.

I went to the bank at 9am on a Saturday. The lobby with an ATM was open, but the bank was closed. I didn't know if they opened on Saturdays or not. I drew out £250 (the maximum I think, as I wanted about £400 and it wouldn't let me).

I went wandering in town and returned about ten o'clock to my car which was parked outside the bank. It was now open so I thought I'll go inside and get some more loot over the counter.

I am useless with money so I asked for my cleared and available balance. "£430 Sir".

My immediate reaction was "Oh good, I'll draw out £250 then". But then I thought, that can't be right, I'll just get £150. He paid out and I went back to the ATM and got a statement: £30 available.

The bank teller was not linked in real time to the ATM network. Whether this was a breakdown, or because it was Saturday I don't know. The teller had the balance prior to my ATM withdrawal on his screen!

When you pay cash into the account at a Post Office, it goes straight on your account in real time.

Beware!

Bakeybadoo

Oh dear me, get a grip, the moral police are infiltrating every post on this board - good or bad.

Yes really, don't be so condescending or patronising. If you can't read my post plainly and make sense of what the situation is then don't start throwing accusations around and being downright rude about my money managing skills. Thanks. I'm not a BR because I couldn't handle my money but nice snap judgement though. :rolleyes:

Anyway, WDIAG was partially right.

1st time we went overdrawn was because a company took a token amount to verify our account and took it 1 day earlier than expected. Leaving us 10p overdrawn. Not my fault.

2nd time we went overdrawn because I cancelled a Direct Debit on the phone with the bank and THEY didn't actually do as I asked and hit the right button so the DD was still claimed and I got a nice £19.50 charge and a strike for that. Thankfully that is the one they removed, allowing the account to stay open.

3rd time, as I already explained. I paid for something on Paypal, on a Friday when the money was there. It was not taken out until Tuesday, when there was no money left in the account. AND the fundamental thing here is that it was showing as taken off my available balance at the cashpoint (not online though). So I couldn't and didn't spend it twice. Go figure.

I was told it was because small amounts weren't authorised but that's a lie in this case as I tried to pay it Thursday and it was refused. So it WAS checked. Then on Friday it obviously went through. So again, it was authorised. Something or someone somewhere put a stop on X amount.

How can I run my finances like 90% of the population do (not with a pencil, paper or a spreadsheet) when banks take ages to process transactions, some longer than others, reserve amounts for some transactions straight away and not for others and !!!! up even the basic of request like cancel a DD?

Exactly.

I'm not blaming the bank for anything that is MY mistake. I don't see any of the 3 (or now 2) strikes to be MY fault.

Get down off your moral high horse and get the hell outta my thread if you've nothing to do but point fingers. And wrongly I might add. :mad: I'm mighty fed up of this place being infiltrated by posters who are strangely missing 80% of the time, unless there is something they know they can poke a stick in and stir.

And lastly, read the sticky at the top of the forum 'DFW is for support and help, not judgement'. I didn't see any support or help from a few of you, so really, if you have nothing constructive to add but throw around inaccurate judgements then don't bother.

Red1708

Hiya Bakey

Very eloquently put. I've had similar problems with the CO-OP. I hadn't paid anything out of my bank account for 6 days, wanted to make a purchase onlince, checked my balance which stood at £7 more than needed for the purchase so I went ahead and made the purchase. They then deducted monies for a payment the following day that I had actually made 7 days prior. This took me 98p overdrawn & I've been threatened with account closure.

Thanks for this post Bakey, it's all too easy for ANY of us to make the odd slip up, I'll be making sure I've got things firmly in control from now on

NekoZombie

Yeah, I have a buffer of £20 which I never spend, just in case things like this happen. Therefor, if I look at my bank balance and it says £20.60, I know I have 60 p left to spend. I know not everyone can afford to do this, but for me its a system that works. Maybe you could reduce the buffer to a tenner, or a fiver, but I accept this idea isn't a solution for everyone.

Bollinge

Bakey,

It must be worth a grovelling letter to a big boss at Co-op Bank pointing out your situation as you have done in your post, and requesting a reprieve.

NekoZombie

Bollinge wrote: »

Bakey,

It must be worth a grovelling letter to a big boss at Co-op Bank pointing out your situation as you have done in your post, and requesting a reprieve.

Hi, I think this has already been done. The reprieve is that Bakey gets to keep her account but no d/ds for the next three months. Oh, and one more strike and they're out.