Blocked account because buyer claimed unauthorised payment

SparkOfDeath

Hi all, thankyou for your comments and help, I can share with you the outcome of the situation.
To answer that last question briefly, I didn't post the items, they were picked up in a van, so I even met the guy but no one at the bank has asked me for his phone number or even what he looks like.

I gave the bank screenshots of the gumtree listings and the gumtree conversation, and the bank approved of these in my favour. Unfortunately because I'd already used some of the cash to pay off debts and credit cards, they say they have no choice but to close my account and not let me bank with Santander again, for how long I don't know

Penelopa.Pitstop

So what about £1400? Did they freeze it and asked you to return it or were you allowed to keep it? Why do they still close the account? What if you didn't use the money? Would they want it back then?

Make sure they don't put fraud marker on your name, as it will make your life difficult.

born_again

SparkOfDeath wrote: »

but no one at the bank has asked me for his phone number or even what he looks like.

Why would they? They can nor do anything with the details. That information is what the police need for their investigation.

Terry_Towelling

Can someone with more intimate banking knowledge confirm that a 'receiving' bank would bounce an incoming payment and then ask questions about it? If there was some suspicion over the source of the funds, wouldn't the correct process be to accept the funds and then seize them by blocking the account? It can't be that the sending bank tried to 'recall' the payment, or the statement that Santander tried to encourage re-sending the money wouldn't make sense.

SparkOfDeath

So the first question here is about the £1400, it had already been spent (on credit cards and debts with friends) so the whole reason why my account (and prospects of ever banking with santander again) was closed was because I had kept this fraudulent money and they had no power to seaze it from me.

Next comment is about the bank bouncing the original 10K I received, they told me themselves that it's unusual for money coming in to be an issue, usually it's large amounts of money going out.. So not even I know why they jumped on rejecting that 10K, even before any of this fraudulent activity had come to light

Terry_Towelling

SparkOfDeath wrote: »

Next comment is about the bank bouncing the original 10K I received, they told me themselves that it's unusual for money coming in to be an issue, usually it's large amounts of money going out.. So not even I know why they jumped on rejecting that 10K, even before any of this fraudulent activity had come to light

Would you be prepared to ask Santander for a proper explanation as to why they bounced an incoming payment? I know that doesn't help your plight but it will help me to understand what on earth they are doing. Thank you.

jonesMUFCforever

Terry_Towelling wrote: »

Would you be prepared to ask Santander for a proper explanation as to why they bounced an incoming payment? I know that doesn't help your plight but it will help me to understand what on earth they are doing. Thank you.

Did they though? or is it a question of the original payment being stopped by the sender's bank as it caused them to be suspicious?

SparkOfDeath

It actually is indeed the first conclusion, that it was simply blocked and rejected because it was a suspiciously large amount of money coming into my account, 10k would be the largest amount my bank had ever seen come in during the 15 years I was with santander. I still think it was rediculous though, there was no mention of anything fraudulent at that point in time, they just pounced on me because they felt like it

Thrugelmir

SparkOfDeath wrote: »

I still think it was rediculous though, there was no mention of anything fraudulent at that point in time, they just pounced on me because they felt like it

Then your buyer uses other accounts to effect the transfer. Why not use the same account. More going on than you know.

Terry_Towelling

SparkOfDeath wrote: »

It actually is indeed the first conclusion, that it was simply blocked and rejected because it was a suspiciously large amount of money coming into my account, 10k would be the largest amount my bank had ever seen come in during the 15 years I was with santander. I still think it was rediculous though, there was no mention of anything fraudulent at that point in time, they just pounced on me because they felt like it

I'm not certain that FCA rules permit a bank to do this with incoming payments made electronically. Sorry, @SparkOfDeath, you're on your own with this one now. I can offer no more because, if I say what I really believe has happened here, people will jump on me with righteous indignation.