Better the Devil you Know- Halifax Switching service ( from Natwest)

Legacy_user

Tuesday I used the Halifax Switch Service to open an account.

Filled three forms in, one for myself, one for my partner to make it a joint account (like we have at the moment with Natwest over 20 Yrs) and one for the actual switch, a Switch Form to switch joint accounts. I received an email shortly after saying that everything was now in place.

However 3 days later I received an email ‘Remember to use our Switch Service to switch accounts if you haven’t done so already’ (and a lot of waffle explaining how easy it was to use) But I don’t need this service as I have already applied by Switch, or so I thought.

Today, I received a letter- Now that you have signed up to use on line banking...activation code… both letters in Mr name but not Mr & Mrs which I thought was strange!

Went on line… no sign of the switch so I phoned the Halifax “ You have a single account no sign of a Joint account therefore you can’t use switch to switch from a joint account from another bank. Please just sign in, fill the joint form then the switch form, any problems please call back we are open until 4pm today”-Reassuring I thought to myself…But No!

After filling it in again and submitting it, I received an immediate response “ You have to go into branch to make it joint” (even though I had filled all the details the few days before- absolutely appalling!) I now ask myself have I done a switch or not, is my money still in my bank, have they informed work etc. –terrifying really. I am dizzy with it all. What a sham! Good job I didn't open it with First Direct as I was going to do, unaware that you had to go into branch to make an account joint.


I phoned the bank , not my department Ill pass you on , again, & again…finally a polite lady explained that the branch was the only way forward to making a joint account- I can’t believe it! I replied I would never stoop so low as to take time off work or time out to go in to a branch when I have already filled one in on line which should be sufficient and if it wasn’t then I should have been made aware on line at that moment in time, when filling the three forms in- what was the point of filling them all in?

Then I explained due to the whole stressful situation I would like to close the unopened account/opened account... I just want to close this useless account from the useless Halifax. She replied sorry for the stress but the only way to close a bank account is to go into the branch to get it closed or to put it in writing (but no email address) just by mail service, which I will not do either- Argh!

I am so confused and will contact Natwest later to make sure that no requests have been made. Halifax Switch Team said that the switch hasn’t started yet. However they have all my details which I am unhappy about as I don’t trust them at all. In fact I am nearly sure that the process could be in motion and that they have wrongly informed me. But who knows!

Please can anyone help with my 3 questions regarding this account?
1) I am not going into the branch, I am just going to leave it as it is forever, and just forget about it- Is this process legal ?
2) Could someone fraudulently access this account and spend the overdraft that I didn’t ask for, if we just leave it forever and forget about it?
3) Would it be my responsibility if the over draft did get stolen? Apparently I also have to go into the branch to cancel/change the overdraft …
I now know what Being Held to Ransom feels like!

Thank you in advance.

YorkshireBoy

1) Is what process legal?...asking you to go to branch or you leaving the account dormant?

2) Yes.

3) Yes, if they can prove you've acted negligently.

I really don't know why you're making such a fuss. These things happen occasionally. If you go about things the right way, by means of a complaint once the account is open, you'll be recompensed handsomely for your time and trouble I'm sure.

System

) Is what process legal?...asking you to go to branch or you leaving the account dormant?

2) Yes.

3) Yes, if they can prove you've acted negligently.

I really don't know why you're making such a fuss. These things happen occasionally. If you go about things the right way, by means of a complaint once the account is open, you'll be recompensed handsomely for your time and trouble I'm sure.

Hi YorkshireBoy thanks for the reply.

Thanks for pointing that out however I'm not interested in the comp, I just want an easy life. In my opinion if they can't get something right from the start, as important as someome elses £1000's, then what does this say about them for the future.

Is it legal to leave an account dormant?
What will happen if someone takes the Overdraft out in the future?

Thanks again

anoncol

Who will take your overdraft in the future? It will be fraud if its not you.

If you dont want the account then close it. Easy.

YorkshireBoy

Newlook wrote: »

Thanks for pointing that out however I'm not interested in the comp, I just want an easy life. In my opinion if they can't get something right from the start, as important as someome elses £1000's, then what does this say about them for the future.

You need to understand something important. Every bank will mess up at some point. Most of mine have. But it's OK...no-one has lost a leg or, worse, died! The measure of a good financial institution is what they do to put things right, and how quickly they do it. But you're not going to give them chance...so you won't find out just how good Halifax are.

Is it legal to leave an account dormant?

"Illegal" would mean you were up before a judge as you would be breaking the Law of the land, like drug dealing, murder, arson, etc is. Which Law of the land do you think you'd be breaking for leaving the application pending/dormant?

What will happen if someone takes the Overdraft out in the future?

I've already told you. You'd be liable if they could prove you'd been negligent...and leaving an account dormant, presumably not opening any correspondence they sent you, etc would be negligent in my opinion. To be honest, you seem to be stamping your feet and paddying because you haven't had your own way. Sometimes life throws us these things to deal with. What we have to do is learn to cope with them.