Refused Bank Account - Please Help

Westie983

You can switch a basic bank account but not a ATM cash card or savings account
You can also switch your DMP to stepchange from GP as I helped a family friend do exactly that,

Start with ringing stepchange and they will contact GP on your behalf,

http://m.stepchange.org

System

Do not open an account with someone you owe money to.
End of story.

You can switch to and from basic accounts even if they only have an ATM card.

Deep_In_Debt wrote: »

Definitely try Barclays though. My ex owed them in BR and they still opened a basic account for him.

Good luck.

Westie983

SPalin wrote: »

Do not open an account with someone you owe money to.
End of story.

You can switch to and from basic accounts even if they only have an ATM card.

The ATM cards will not have a pan number which most of the accounts I have switched too have asked for.

From one of the posts below the RBS account the OP has sounds like a prepaid mastercard which one qualify for a switch incentive.

Westie983

DigitalDevil wrote: »

The problem is getting someone else to handle my DMP, I phoned PayPlan and from what I could gather they seemed like they were unable to help me because my DMP was already with someone else. I contacted GP to enquire how I switch to a free DMP and they froze my plan.... Which they later apologised for an reinstated the Direct Debit.... I know, I don't understand what happened either! So I'm a little lost as to how I make the changes to this, from what I can tell I'm kinda stuck where I am

Do no banks offer the switching service with a "Cash" or "Basic" account? And are these types of accounts limited to withdrawals from their own associated ATMs only?? No if you are successful in opening a basic account this allows you to use it like any other account, as it will be a visa electron/debit and can be used in any ATM's but you may find you are only able to get a mini statement from their own ATM's but you can get round this will online access, or mobile alerts.

This is too much of a headache......
DD

See above in red :-)

pmduk

If you have a Post Office locally, you'll find that most will allow you to to with draw funds over the counter there, plus the PO generally have longer hours

mwarby

Deep_In_Debt wrote: »

Definitely try Barclays though. My ex owed them in BR and they still opened a basic account for him.

Good luck.

The BR (bankruptcy) is key here, when bankrupt the right of set off is taken away from the bank. If your in a DMP the right of set off still applies, they might not enforce it, but they can and if they do you have little comeback

10pence

Deep_In_Debt wrote: »

Plus you need to find a DMP provider who don't charge a fee - Stepchange for example. The monthly fee you are paying GP could be going to pay your debts and not lining GP's pockets.

Definitely try Barclays though. My ex owed them in BR and they still opened a basic account for him.

Good luck.

DigitalDevil wrote: »

The problem is getting someone else to handle my DMP, I phoned PayPlan and from what I could gather they seemed like they were unable to help me because my DMP was already with someone else. I contacted GP to enquire how I switch to a free DMP and they froze my plan.... Which they later apologised for an reinstated the Direct Debit.... I know, I don't understand what happened either! So I'm a little lost as to how I make the changes to this, from what I can tell I'm kinda stuck where I am

DD

Stepchange is a debt charity and so is the Citizens Advice Bureau. When working for the CAB we use to get people in all the time who had a paid for DMP. Due to conflict of interest we couldn't help unless they terminated the DMP with the other provider.

Also, something else to consider is that these companies make money off you by offering a DMP when another form of debt relief might be better such as a DRO. I recall a client who had nearly £7k debt when starting a DMP paying £100/m. Five years later the debt had increased to nearly £20k and the client had been paying over £200. Problem with DMPs is that your creditors don't have to freeze interest and charges.

For the bank account I can highly recommend Barlcays for their basic account or Cash Card as they call it. AS it ticks all the boxes you're after.

bearcat16

Watch out for appropriation if you take an account with an institution you owe money to.

This means that they can take money you have deposited with them to apply to your debt, even if it's another department or another bank in the group (eg Halifax and bank of Scotland).

I've recently received letters from 3 different credit card companies saying they are changing their terms and conditions to allow appropriation, so I'm sure they are all doing it now.

This could mean that money you put in the account to pay for essential bills (like rent) gets suddenly snatched away to put towards your debt.

Personally I would never take that risk.