I've been screwed by MBNA..Help!

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So a couple of weeks ago I was browsing through the balance transfer cards and saw I had a 95% chance to be accepted for both a MBNA and Barclaycard. I already had a MBNA money transfer card with a £5k balance but I figured they will probably accept me for a second card since it was such a high percentage and I took the chance .

I got instantly approved for the Barclaycard with a credit limit of just over £15k but with MBNA, they tell me I will be 'contacted soon about my application'. A few days later I requested a balance transfer from my Barclaycard to my already existing MBNA money transfer card. I messed up the maths and ended up having a positive balance of slightly over 10k on the MBNA card. Immediately MBNA suspend my account .

I then call MBNA to find out whats going on and after getting transferred through to several different people they tell me that not only has my application for my second account been declined but my existing account I have with them has been suspended indefinitely. After assessing the situation I figured to limit the damage I need to transfer the 10k into my bank account , so I call back a few days later and the person assures me all I need to do is wait another 5 days then request a credit balance refund. So I wait the 5 days then call but they then tell that it hasn't been cleared yet and I have to wait a couple more days, After calling again, a different person tells me that I now need to confirm some information about my credit file and that I should call back in a couple more days, so again after waiting I call back, this time the person who answers has no recollection of my previous calls and tell me to call the fraud department who will be able to answer all my questions.

When I get round to calling the fraud department the guy who answered turned out to be no help whatsoever, he tells me he has no idea how long my account will be under investigation for and he's not at liberty to discuss anything with me, and just to rub salt in the wounds he tells that there's no point in further contacting MBNA.

Now if MBNA no longer want me as a customer then I understand, but the problem is I have 10k+ just sitting there in the MBNA account, and to make matters worse I have to pay a minimum payment of £300 a month to Barcalycard for the balance transfer I made. I surely cannot go on like this for much longer, MBNA must think I'm trying to commit fraud. What should I do? ask MBNA to return payment back to Barclaycard? call MBNA and try to explain exactly what happened to speed up the investigation? I feel quite helpless right now :(. There must be something I can do.

TL;DR I have 10k sitting in an MBNA account which I am paying £300/m for and MBNA have placed my account under investigation and told me not to contact them.
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  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 35,242 Forumite
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    Doesn't sound as if they screwed you, but you screwed yourself by putting the account so hugely into credit and triggered fraud/money laundering alerts.

    The situation should resolve itself once they are happy you're not up to anything nefarious, but they certainly won't be discussing it with you until it's over. The 'fraud guy' had been of as much help to you as he's legally allowed to be.
  • Nebulous2
    Nebulous2 Posts: 5,116 Forumite
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    Quick tip. £15k is three times £5k. That isn't messing up the maths. I would not try that line with MBNA.
  • bris
    bris Posts: 10,548 Forumite
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    So you instantly transferred over the entire 15k Barclay card limit to your existing card, leaving a 10k positive balance on it. I can't really see how you could mess up the maths like that and as far as MBNA are concerned the red flags are waving vigorously.


    After the money laundering and fraud checks are complete they will send the money back to the Barclaycard as its not your money to return to you, the money belongs to Barclaycard, I cant see them being to happy about that either.


    As far as I and they will see you are trying to get 10k cash out the Barclaycard.
  • J_Taylor
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    Thanks for the replies everyone. I realise it was completely my fault and I should not be blaming MBNA
    triggered fraud/money laundering alerts. .
    bris wrote: »
    After the money laundering and fraud checks are complete .

    What do money laundering and fraud checks entail exactly? I have nothing to hide. How long should I expect to be waiting
  • eskbanker
    eskbanker Posts: 31,066 Forumite
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    For your info, MBNA presumably believe you've (ab)used their card as a mule, a technique covered at http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php?t=5597625
  • TheShape
    TheShape Posts: 1,779 Forumite
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    Are MBNA getting tough on people using its cards as Mules for stoozing?

    OP, what is your MBNA credit limit?
  • bengalknights
    bengalknights Posts: 5,021 Forumite
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    J_Taylor wrote: »
    Thanks for the replies everyone. I realise it was completely my fault and I should not be blaming MBNA





    What do money laundering and fraud checks entail exactly? I have nothing to hide. How long should I expect to be waiting

    If its the same as bank check money laundering checks, then once triggered expect anything upto years.

    Alot of it will depend on various government departments giving the clear before finally its back to you.

    You may also find a CIFAS marker is placed for laundering.
  • Shakin_Steve
    Shakin_Steve Posts: 2,701 Forumite
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    If its the same as bank check money laundering checks, then once triggered expect anything upto years.

    Alot of it will depend on various government departments giving the clear before finally its back to you.

    You may also find a CIFAS marker is placed for laundering.
    I very much doubt he'll be waiting 'years'.
    I came into this world with nothing and I've got most of it left.
  • sjbrun
    sjbrun Posts: 470 Forumite
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    You could just be honest with them and say you wanted to transfer the balance to your account as a way of doing a backhanded money transfer and apologise and say it will never happen again.
  • YorkshireBoy
    YorkshireBoy Posts: 31,541 Forumite
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    I suspect your downfall was the size of the +ve balance. I've muled well over £20K through MBNA in the last 2 months, but kept all +ve balances under £10K...an approach I've adopted since the good old Egg Money days*.

    I did get a bit of a grilling on the 2nd and 3rd requests, but nothing too serious. It was enough, however, to persuade me to mule the remaining £10K through a different provider.


    * BACS transfers used to qualify for 1% cashback (unofficially!), but requests above £10K were always held up for "additional checks" (and the possibility of not getting the 1%).
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