Abbey National screwed up again.

far

If all you want to do is close a current account why not open a new account elsewhere and use their switching service (myself and my father can both heartily recommend Smile here) or, if you just want to close the account, why not just log into online banking, transfer any remaining balance over to a seperate account and cancel all Direct Debits and Standing Orders.

My father can certainly vouch for the switching service of Smile at least - within 2 weeks everything was switched over to them from his Abbey account. The Abbey account is still open but has a balance of £1 and no Direct Debits/Standing Orders set.

Sagaris

Done that far - but A&L can't close the account, apparently that's something we have to do. There's no action on the account now but there is a small amount of money in there which I'd like back.
I've decided today to try and get the phone number for another branch nearby and make an appointment for Saturday morning, and go in there armed with passports, utility bills, blood group etc, so we can't be denied a third time! I will close this Abbey account!!!!!

Voyager2002

What a horrible story!

A few comments:
If you want anything from Abbey: proper compensation; an apology; or even for them to take notice of everything that has gone wrong, then don't tell them that you are closing your account. Once they have lost your business then there is no reason for them to try to keep you as customers. It would be better tactics to say that you are thinking of taking your business elsewhere...

In my experience, Alliance and Leicester are almost as clueless as Abbey. They get recommended on this site because they offer attractive rates of interest to people who play by their rules, but if anything goes wrong they clobber you with heavy charges, and their systems and call-centre staff do sometimes get things wrong. The two banks that are consistently recommended for giving good service are First Direct and Smile. Personally I have also been very happy with branch-based service from the Cooperative Bank, although other people have had some problems.

far

Sagaris wrote: »

Done that far - but A&L can't close the account, apparently that's something we have to do. There's no action on the account now but there is a small amount of money in there which I'd like back.
I've decided today to try and get the phone number for another branch nearby and make an appointment for Saturday morning, and go in there armed with passports, utility bills, blood group etc, so we can't be denied a third time! I will close thias Abbey account!!!!!

Can you not transfer the remaining money by making a bank transfer using Internet or phone banking? All that would then be left is to formally close the accont but it's up to them if they want to keep an account open with no balance and no direct debits/standing orders

Sagaris

Well I managed to get through to someone today who said it was nonsense that we needed an appointment to close an account, although it would take 14 days anyway. She also suggested taking the money out (well the pounds anyway!) and wait for the balance to arrive by cheque.
I really feel they are stalling us in trying to close this account now. We've had £55 in compensation from them, but I didn't feel that really reflected the inconvenience and aggro (I hate the word stress!) that they have caused us, and as they took well over the 8 weeks they promised to come up with an answer, I referred the matter to the FO anyway.
I really can't wait to get rid of this account now, I think they realise we aren't staying with them as I stopped all the payments coming out of the account in August, which is also the last time our salaries were paid in there. I'd also like to get it closed as I'm almost certain (but can't get to my last statement to confirm) that they are charging us for the account now, as we are not paying any money in. I'll be blowed if I'm paying them another penny for anything!!!

Sagaris

Well we visited another branch today to close this account - we had decided that if they still wouldn't let us close it, we would take root on the 'comfy chairs' until they would!!!!!
So, we queued for around 10 minutes, then reached the counter. The assistant didn't seem to pleased with our request at first, but looked our account details up anyway. When she saw there was an overdraft arranged on the account, she said it would have to be cancelled before she could do anything. None of the operators on the helpline had mentioned this to me!!!
However, she said I could ring from the branch while she completed the paperwork (I think she could tell by the look on my face that I wasn't amused at the thought of having to go away to do this), so I rang on the branch phone and was told they couldn't do that for me, I'd have to go to a branch to get the o/d cancelled! :mad: I told them that's where I was ringing from ,and was immediately put through to a supervisor. They reluctantly agreed to cancel the o/d, after asking why I wanted to cancel the account!!!!!!
Anyway, I returned to the queue, where OH had been filling her in on all the details, she was shocked at the way we have been treated by Abbey. She also said she'd had poor service from them as well, so it seems that staff don't fare any better than normal customers. She also said she didn't blame us for moving the account away!
So now we have to wait to get the confirmation in writing that the account is closed - and a cheque for the small amount of money remaining in there - and then we will finally be Abbey free!!!!
Just waiting to hear from the FO regarding their investigation into all this - so watch this space!

ad44downey

abbey are easily the most incompetent bank ever. so this tale of woe doesn't really suprise me.

cloud_dog

Sagaris wrote: »

Just waiting to hear from the FO regarding their investigation into all this - so watch this space!

Have to admit to not investigating this but......... isnt there a risk that because you have accepted compensation from Abbey they no longer have a case to answer to with the FO, and therefore no additional compensation?

cloud_dog

Sagaris

tomm wrote: »

thank god this threads goin talk bout moanin.
do u reckon it all went slow for a reason ie u were rude?

Thank you for your 'kind concern' tomm, ever heard of 'if you can't be nice, be quiet' ?

For your information, if you don't like the thread, don't waste your time reading it!!
I was not rude either, I work in a customer focussed job too, so try to treat people as I would like to be treated. Although, I see that you are an Abbey employee, and would probaby feel obliged to defend them - I pity you!!

Well the 'moaning' won't stop either - even though we both went to the branch on 15th December, signed all the forms and closed the account............I've just had a statement, with overdraft charges etc on, totalling £25.57!!!!!

Currently on hold to CS - 25 mins and counting!!!!!!! :rolleyes:

dollywops

I had £3.88 worth of interest charged in Jaunary, in error. I rang the complaints department and the woman I spoke with agreed that at no stage had the account been in the red. On speaking to the department concerned, she was advised that it might have been something to do with an uncleared cheque. I retorted by saying either the account is in the red or it isn't. I wanted my money back and an investigation into how this occurred.

Upon receipt of an apology 'fob-off' letter, incorrectly addressed to myself and myself (we have a joint account and I (Mrs) am first-named), I telephoned the Chairman's office and repeated my request for an investigation into this matter. I just wonder how many other customers they have 'stolen money' from. I did receive a telephone call from someone on Tuesday evening to discuss this, and she said she would be dealing with my complaint.

To add insult to injury, when logging on to my 16 year old DD's account on Sunday, I found that she paid tax in November and December. The account was opened in August when she turned 16 and a form R85 was completed. No tax was deducted in August, September or October. On Monday, DD telephoned the Chairman's office, went through security and gave them authority to talk to me. Whilst I was logged on to her accounts, I decided to check her esaver, just to make sure it was paying interest gross. I could not believe what I saw. She was paid annual interest in October 2006. Then she was paid monthly interest on 31 August 2007, interest on 7 November 2007, a much larger sum on 31 December 2007 and again on 31 January 2008. I have demanded, for want of a better word, that her esaver account be fully audited, and I await receipt of this. They will have to prove that the correct amount of interest has been credited to the account.

When I mentioned this to DD last night, she said, 'Goody, does that mean I get a pair of black UGGS?' When the Abbey seriously messed up linking her existing esaver to her new current account for the purposes of ebanking, she was offered £120 in compensation.

If other people are experiencing the same errors from the Abbey, it might be that they have to be reported to the Banking Ombudsman.

So far, DD has not received any correspondence from the Abbey, not even the automatic letter from the Chairman's office saying her complaint is being dealt with.