Alliance & Leicester - small business accounts - CANNOT close them - help !

Somerset

We have two accounts with the A & L, one a current account with a few pennies and a reserve account with nil balance. I need to close both but for the life of me cannot get them closed ( in practice ).

14/02/08 Wrote instruction to close. Enclosed cut up visa's and unused cheques all struck through 'cancelled'.
27/02/08 Telephoned chased. Was told instruction on their system dated 26/02/08 - it could take up to two weeks to close them.
Telephoned on 04/03/08, 13/03/08, 18/03/08 and today 26/03/08. On each occasion I'm told the closure is 'pending' and will be done in a few days. Each and every time I am told this. In the meanwhile I've been sent new visa cards.

Today after speaking to CS, I asked to be transferred to 'complaints'. I was told 'they don't have a complaints dept' - no telephone number or address as 'complaints' don't exist. Remember this is A&L Commercial not personal.

So where do I go from here ? There must be a way to MAKE them close these accounts. I'm not happy to just wait till they do - if they ever do. And I'm being effectively told there is nothing I can do except wait !!! and keep calling to be told it's 'pending' !!! Remember they themselves said it could take up to 2 weeks - it's already a month and it seems there's nothing at all I can do.

Somerset

I was supposed to get a call-back from a 'manager' before 5 p.m..

Guess what ?? Nothing so I'm off out.

Just had a look on their website. Nothing about complaints. Only contact info for CS - no e-mail, just an 0870 number I'm sick of using ( saynoto0870 have nothing/try other no's and they refuse to transfer you )

What a wonderful way to consistently please 100% of your customers, simply have no complaints procedure in place .... ergo no complaints.

MarkyMarkD

Why does it bother you whether they are closed or not?

Maybe you should just relax a bit, and wait for A&L to sort things out?

A dormant account isn't going to do you any harm, presuming that there are no monthly fees on these accounts?

Somerset

MarkyMarkD wrote: »

Why does it bother you whether they are closed or not?

Maybe you should just relax a bit, and wait for A&L to sort things out?

A dormant account isn't going to do you any harm, presuming that there are no monthly fees on these accounts?

Because I need to get the company dissolved by a certain date for tax reasons. Live bank accounts = no dissolution. Get it ?

Not everything in life revolves around the conveniece of life for banks !

They've had one and a half months to do a job they reckon should take a max of two weeks.

MarkyMarkD

Thanks for the explanation and I now understand the urgency.

If you can't get anywhere with the department concerned, send a fax to the Group Chief Executive's office with your complaint. A&L's main fax number is 0116 200 4040.