Halifax are really trying..

Milarky

How Halifax's online help makes closing your online saving account a doddle:

Starting from your main online banking page at: https://secure.halifax-online.co.uk/personal/a/account_overview_personal/

Click on the right side panel

'Help & support' (which opens menu)

(final item of which is a link) 'More help & support' ---> http://www.halifax.co.uk/onlinebankinghelp/onlinehelp.asp

(taking you to)
"Online Banking Help
This section contains 'Help' content specific to our secure Online Banking service." (NOTE: the 'air-quotes' are Halifax's, not mine!)

"Closing accounts

Details of how to close one of your accounts." ---> http://www.halifax.co.uk/onlinebankinghelp/manage-your-accounts/#closing_account

"Closing your account

For details of how to close one of your accounts, please select the account type below and we will provide you with the information you need:
Bank accounts
Savings accounts ----> http://www.halifax.co.uk/savings/help-guidance/important-information/#Closing
Credit Cards
Mortgages
Loans"

"Important Information
General
Non-UK residents
Important information about compensation arrangements
Tax
AER
General withdrawal information
Customer complaints
What happens if you change your mind?
Closing a savings account ----> http://www.halifax.co.uk/savings/help-guidance/important-information/#Closing (Oops: this page is linked to ITSELF!)
Name or address change
Our charges
Previous accounts"

(But going to very end of this page of 'Important Information' provides the oh, so helpful reassurance) :

"Closing a savings account
If you wish to close a savings account, please visit your local branch."

Archi_Bald

sounds just like my ex - knows it's over but doesn't want to let go....

Gromitt

When I closed my Online Saver accounts I just clicked onto the accounts and selected "Close this account" at the top. Within a few days it had gone missing.

Milarky

Gromitt wrote: »

When I closed my Online Saver accounts I just clicked onto the accounts and selected "Close this account" at the top. Within a few days it had gone missing.

That is available as a link on Lloyds' online saver pages (below 'rename account') but there is no such link on the Halifax version of this account (sadly)

btw, when you click the Lloyds link you get the message:

There's a problem...

1280371 : Sorry, we’re unable to close your account online. Please visit your nearest branch.

Therefore you may not rely of this information (also under 'Help & Support'):

How do I close my savings account online?
Only savings accounts that are eligible can be closed online. To check if your account is eligible go to your Account Statement page and look for the ‘Close this account’ link.

If you have an eligible savings account and a balance of £5* or less in your account you will be able to close your account online by clicking the ‘Close this account’ link, on the Account Statement page.

*balance stands at £3..

Peter999_2

Gromitt wrote: »

When I closed my Online Saver accounts I just clicked onto the accounts and selected "Close this account" at the top. Within a few days it had gone missing.

Same here - never had a problem. Only accounts I couldn't close online were current accounts.

Gromitt

Milarky wrote: »

That is available as a link on Lloyds' online saver pages (below 'rename account') but there is no such link on the Halifax version of this account (sadly)

Are you saying the link has disappeared again? It was there earlier this month, someone even commented about it:

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4832104

opinions4u

Gromitt wrote: »

Are you saying the link has disappeared again? It was there earlier this month, someone even commented about it:

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4832104

It appears under the interest rate on the individual account screen.

Still there for me.

It doesn't appear on my account that has a decent balance. It does appear where my balance is nominal.

What I haven't done is test the process today.

1jim

I closed a few old halifax savings accounts through the my accounts area this week, I'd never noticed it before so assumed it was new

StephenM_2

I've just tried to close an account with a Nil balance online. I get the error message mentioned earlier in this thread.

There's a problem...

1280371 : Sorry, we’re unable to close your account online. Please visit your nearest branch.

Joe_Bloggs

@Milarky
Your post prompted me to look at my Halifax situation.

I had an unused websaver account sitting at 0.00 for six months and this had the option to close which I used online.

This closure option also was evident for another websaver that has a maximum of 1 pound when it is not being used regularly for faster payments. I keep it open due to the effort/risk to transfer all these account details to another websaver and have to do it year after year.

My empirical advice is to leave a pound or less in the savings account for some unknown amount of time if you want to have the online closure option.

J_B.

nwc389

Savings accounts can be closed if they have a balance of £5 or under and if this is the case a blue 'close this account' button will be on the page.
If it would not let you close the zero balance account try putting £1 in - if the account has never been active it may have to be closed in the branch.
At least it's a better situation than before I think.