Do Icesave actually answer the phone?

ScarletBea

I've recently opened a Fixed Rate account with them and due to some problems I had to call them several times.
I usually called around 8am or 9am, and never waited
(once I tried around 5pm and just gave up, it was so busy)

I'll probably have to call again tomorrow, as I transferred money from my normal account on tuesday and it's still not there (I'm giving them until tomorrow or monday - they do say 3 days...).

chissy252

After another 30 minutes wait this morning, my call was finally answered by a very pleasant lady who took my number and said her supervisor would ring back "as soon as possible"
3 hours later I am still waiting for the call back, they obviously think I can sit in all day in the hope of getting this call.

Such frustration, I'm almost at the point of driving up to Wallsend and kicking the door in!!!!!

jem16

chissy252 wrote: »

I did download the form from Icesave and send it to them, however the transfer was done by BACS to them which could be the problem. I'll be speaking to my old provider after 9 am and hear their side of things.

I am not aware of any transfers being done by BACS.

Did you speak to your old provider?

chissy252

jem16 wrote: »

I am not aware of any transfers being done by BACS.

Did you speak to your old provider?

Hi jem16, thanks again for your interest in this.I did speak to my old provider first thing and they tell me they have received no paperwork from Icesave. So with Icesave classing this as a new ISA, we now have opened 2 isas this tax year through no fault of our own. I have spoken to the Inland Revenue and have details of their expert who will talk to Icesave and hopefully it can be sorted and we will not lose our accumulated Isa tax free status.

However, at 10.30 this morning I was promised a call from a manager. At 1.30 and after another 20 minute wait I spoke to yet another rep, gave all the details, including the IR contact details and was assured a manager will call. It is now 4.45 and still noone at Icesave has the decency to call me.

I am presently off work through stress and a breakdown so you can imagine how this is affecting me. The frustration is sky high and unless I spend another half hour or so waiting on the phone yet again, I have no faith they will contact me.

jem16

chissy252 wrote: »

Hi jem16, thanks again for your interest in this.I did speak to my old provider first thing and they tell me they have received no paperwork from Icesave.

If your old provider received no paperwork from Icesave how did they know to send your ISA balance to them?

chesky369

Called ICEsave today - got straight through. No waiting.

chissy252

jem16 wrote: »

If your old provider received no paperwork from Icesave how did they know to send your ISA balance to them?

I typed in my Icesave account details when accessing the Isa account at my old provider to tell them where to transfer to.

Graeme7777

I couldn't get through to Icesave in the evenings but got through immediately when I called shortly after they opened in the morning.

jem16

chissy252 wrote: »

I typed in my Icesave account details when accessing the Isa account at my old provider to tell them where to transfer to.

Oh dear.

You haven't actually transferred your ISA - you have simply transferred money from your ISA to Icesave. In other words you have made a withdrawal. By doing so you have lost the ISA status of that £9k. You will probably find that HMRC will not allow that Icesave ISA if you have already contributed £3k to the other provider this year as you have technically paid into two ISAs.

Unfortunately neither Icesave nor your old provider is at fault here. You have misunderstood the transfer procedure.

Following on from what I said earlier, once Icesave receive the transfer form with the details of the ISA you want to transfer they handle the actual transfer by contacting your ISA provider and asking them to transfer the proceeds to them.

I don't think you will be able to correct this mistake as the error has been yours and not the ISA manager.

See section 10.31
http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/isa/isa-guidance-notes-2008.pdf

10_66

chissy252 wrote: »

I am presently off work through stress and a breakdown so you can imagine how this is affecting me. The frustration is sky high

I know it's off subject a bit, and I know it's no help to you, but I'm really sorry that this is happening to you. I'm sure you could do without this extra stress.