Lloyds & my daughter's JISA money

customerdownunder

I know the title sounds far fetched but this is true and I don’t know what to do.

I opened a JISA for my daughter in 2016.  At the time we lived in the UK.  We moved to Australia in 2020 and left the account dormant.  My daughter has turned 18.
She wrote to Lloyds asking to close the account and transfer the funds to her Australian bank account.  She never got a reply.
We were planning a family visit anyway and returned to the UK in May.  We visited in branch 3 times and they refused to transfer money overseas or provide cash.  My daughter was told to complete an account closure form and nominate a UK bank account to receive the funds.  She did as asked and nominated my NatWest account as she does not have access to a UK bank account.

We are now back in Australia.  Lloyds have closed the JISA but the funds never arrived.

My daughter has received a cheque in the post from Lloyds for the full amount.  She did not authorise this.  How can a bank perform a transaction the account holder didn’t ask for?  She cannot pay a £GBP cheque into an $ AUD account so this piece of paper is worthless.

Lloyds won’t talk to us.  They have no email address.  I tried phoning but they can’t trace the account as it’s closed.  I’ve written a complaint, no reply.  I’ve submitted 2 online complaints, no reply.  I’ve reported to the police and have a crime number but have heard no other response. I’ve tried submitted a complaint to the financial ombudsman online but I don’t know if they received it or not; I’ve had no reply.  I get stonewalled at every turn.  Our UK family has tried to help but Lloyds won’t talk to them either.

18 years of Christmas and birthday money plus us scrimping and saving to pay a little each month when we couldn’t afford it to give our daughter a £4k nest egg.  The whole lot has vanished.  Worse yet my other daughter is facing the same scenario in another 2 years.

If anyone reading this works for Lloyds please explain to me how this is even possible?

(Title adjusted by Forum Team)

la531983

You reported this to the police?!?!?!

You have a cheque for the full amount, have you not?

customerdownunder

The cheque has only just arrived. I reported it after I was told the account was closed and they could not tell me where the money was.  What is my daughter supposed to do with a cheque that she can’t cash? 

TadleyBaggie

How has it been stolen, if there is a valid cheque for the full amount?

la531983

customerdownunder said:

The cheque has only just arrived. I reported it after I was told the account was closed and they could not tell me where the money was.  What is my daughter supposed to do with a cheque that she can’t cash? 

Speak to an Australian bank about if a cheque in a different currency can be cashed?

The fact you have moved abroad and have no access to British banking facilities isnt their concern. Did you expect them to issue it in AUD?

MattMattMattUK

customerdownunder said:

I know the title sounds far fetched but this is true and I don’t know what to do.

I opened a JISA for my daughter in 2016.  At the time we lived in the UK.  We moved to Australia in 2020 and left the account dormant.  My daughter has turned 18.
She wrote to Lloyds asking to close the account and transfer the funds to her Australian bank account.  She never got a reply.
We were planning a family visit anyway and returned to the UK in May.  We visited in branch 3 times and they refused to transfer money overseas or provide cash.  My daughter was told to complete an account closure form and nominate a UK bank account to receive the funds.  She did as asked and nominated my NatWest account as she does not have access to a UK bank account.

We are now back in Australia.  Lloyds have closed the JISA but the funds never arrived.

My daughter has received a cheque in the post from Lloyds for the full amount.  She did not authorise this.  How can a bank perform a transaction the account holder didn’t ask for?  She cannot pay a £GBP cheque into an $ AUD account so this piece of paper is worthless.

Lloyds won’t talk to us.  They have no email address.  I tried phoning but they can’t trace the account as it’s closed.  I’ve written a complaint, no reply.  I’ve submitted 2 online complaints, no reply.  I’ve reported to the police and have a crime number but have heard no other response. I’ve tried submitted a complaint to the financial ombudsman online but I don’t know if they received it or not; I’ve had no reply.  I get stonewalled at every turn.  Our UK family has tried to help but Lloyds won’t talk to them either.

18 years of Christmas and birthday money plus us scrimping and saving to pay a little each month when we couldn’t afford it to give our daughter a £4k nest egg.  The whole lot has vanished.  Worse yet my other daughter is facing the same scenario in another 2 years.

If anyone reading this works for Lloyds please explain to me how this is even possible?

So instead of approaching this rationally you have decided to waste police time. They have not stolen anything, they have not done anything wrong regarding the rules or regulations. You can either keep screaming at clouds or do something effective. 

There will be a facility to pay a GBP cheque into a AUD account, although it will likely attract a fee and offer a sub-optimal exchange rate. Lloyds will not speak to your UK family as they have no legal right to be involved, the law means that they cannot be involved.

It has not vanished, you have a cheque that could be cashed, you need to work to solve that issue rather than trying to have a pointless argument with the bank or making false accusations of theft. 

Hoenir

customerdownunder said:

My daughter was told to complete an account closure form and nominate a UK bank account to receive the funds.  She did as asked and nominated my NatWest account as she does not have access to a UK bank account.

Account would need to be in her name not yours. 

 Unfortunately the issues that have arisen are through your own making. Presumably you've informed Nat West of your non UK residency.

la531983

Cheque Services | Great Southern Bank

This bank does.Scroll down to the FAQ "How do I access the Foreign cheque currency services" question.

Open an account there (in the name the cheque is in, obviously) and get it dealt with.

customerdownunder

I’ve already asked.  No bank here can accept it.
You are correct; us being abroad isn’t their concern.  

However them refusing a cash withdrawl and failing to execute her written transfer order are their concerns.  Them issuing a withdrawl that the account holder didn’t authorise is also their concern.  None of these actions are legal. 

la531983

customerdownunder said:

I’ve already asked.  No bank here can accept it.
You are correct; us being abroad isn’t their concern.  

However them refusing a cash withdrawl and failing to execute her written transfer order are their concerns.  Them issuing a withdrawl that the account holder didn’t authorise is also their concern.  None of these actions are legal. 

Is the information on the Great Southern Bank website wrong then?

customerdownunder

TadleyBaggie said:

How has it been stolen, if there is a valid cheque for the full amount?

The cheque isn’t valid - it was never authorised by the account holder and cannot be cashed.

Do you have any suggestions for a remedy?