'No account found' Isa transfer issue

Aidanmc

I've tried to transfer a cash ISA to Shawbrook from Virgin.

Shawbrook replied its coming back 'no account found'.

I double checked the Virgin Isa sort code and acc number i provided Shawbrook and its definitely correct.

Anyone experience issue like this or know why it may be?

Aidanmc

Actually, maybe i have discovered the issue, the Virgin sort code is actually Clydesdale. So maybe i should try putting Clydesdale on the transfer request form

xylophone

See https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/79683523/#Comment_79683523

Like others on here, I am having trouble transferring away from a Virgin Cash ISA.  Trying to transfer into a Charter fixed rate and received a letter today (dated 30 November) from Charter saying they've had to cancel as Virgin cannot 'find' the account. 

and discussion that follows.

Do you have a "roll number" for the Virgin account?

xylophone

See also

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6410607/transferring-isas-why-is-it-so-complicated/p1

isasmurf

Aidanmc said:

Actually, maybe i have discovered the issue, the Virgin sort code is actually Clydesdale. So maybe i should try putting Clydesdale on the transfer request form

Yes, astonishingly Clydesdale masquerading as Virgin Money are still effectively operating as separate banks. The Exclusive and former Clydesdale and Yorkshire Flexi cash ISAs are managed by the former CYBG savings dept and fixed rate ISAs and the standard easy access ISA are managed by the former Virgin Money savings dept. 

Aidanmc

xylophone said:

See https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/79683523/#Comment_79683523

Like others on here, I am having trouble transferring away from a Virgin Cash ISA.  Trying to transfer into a Charter fixed rate and received a letter today (dated 30 November) from Charter saying they've had to cancel as Virgin cannot 'find' the account. 

and discussion that follows.

Do you have a "roll number" for the Virgin account?

No roll number that i can find, just sort code and acc number.

Sort code is 821966, when i check online this seems to be Clydesdale sort code.

So maybe if i put Clydesdale on isa transfer form instead of Virgin it may work.

xylophone

So maybe if i put Clydesdale on isa transfer form instead of Virgin it may work.

Let us know if it does!

dunstonh

Virgin also operate multiple offices for their different distributions.  It is possible that the receiving scheme sent the request to the wrong Virgin.

beefturnmail

Doesn't this indicate a failing of the is transfer process?  It shouldn't be up to the consumer to 'hack' it by putting clydesdale on a transfer form when they think they have an issue with virgin, or try to guess which is the 'right' virgin

isasmurf

beefturnmail said:

Doesn't this indicate a failing of the is transfer process?  It shouldn't be up to the consumer to 'hack' it by putting clydesdale on a transfer form when they think they have an issue with virgin, or try to guess which is the 'right' virgin

I agree it shouldn't be up to the customer to identify which version of Virgin they need to name on their transfer form. But I would say it is a failure with Clydesdale/Virgin rather than of the transfer process. If they rebrand so all the fascias say Virgin Money, as they have done, they should have joined up their systems or put in place processes so that any of their offices can handle ISA transfers for any of the former brands or at least be able to internally direct them to the correct office for the sort code without returning an account not found failure. It may be understandable for the first few months after the merger that such processes were not in place, but 4 years into the merger it is unacceptable. If I were the OP I'd be sending a complaint to Virgin. 

dunstonh

If they rebrand so all the fascias say Virgin Money, as they have done, they should have joined up their systems or put in place processes so that any of their offices can handle ISA transfers for any of the former brands or at least be able to internally direct them to the correct office for the sort code without returning an account not found failure. It may be understandable for the first few months after the merger that such processes were not in place, but 4 years into the merger it is unacceptable. If I were the OP I'd be sending a complaint to Virgin. 

It is probably understandable for a lot longer than a few months.    The planning and cost and then carrying out the change in systems for the scale of that sort of work is measured in years rather than months.     

However, that does not excuse a bit of common-sense where they could put the address to use on their documentation.