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Home » Real Stories » Banks are like airlines, they charge for everything

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Banks are like airlines, they charge for everything

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Danielle thinks that banks are like airlines, because everything seems to cost extra. And it seems that we have little choice as all the banks are doing this.

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visitor - 45 weeks ago comment* I had a (very) large amount of money that I wanted to transfer from one bank to another so as to make a bond. I must explain that I use this interest to live on as a supplement to my poorly paid job abroad. Thus I went abroad knowing I had written a cheque in front of the bank's staff (who recognised me having banked their for the last 20 years) and even questioned them as to there being any problems with cashing the large amount. Of course not... It was only after a few months, when I returned for a short break that I realised the cheque had bounced...not because of the iniators of the bond but because of the actions of the original bank. When I questioned them, they had not sanctioned my cheque fearing it was too much and deciding my signature was 'dodgy'. I then had a meeting in the bank and asked to see my signature which I knew must be stored on their computer screen....it wasn't and through using the ombudsman I managed to secure only half of my money back. I was working abroad at the time and it just seemed impossible for me to do anything more from there. That's the first story and though indubitably the bank was at fault, it's when you realise that a separate institution in the following year 'tried it on' with me that you can start to see a pattern. This time I had put money into a much smaller bond in an 'e' bank. I again went abroard to work (you are allowed to be a British citizen as long as you return for two weeks to your residence here every year and as I teach, I am always here for at least 2-3 months or more) but after a month recieved an email couched in what was for me a threatening style questioning my status as a UK citizen. They informed me that they had reason to believe I wasn't a UK citizen and hence would stop my bond and charge me 400£ for their troubles. A few email 'back and forths' down the road from this 'e' bank and I i the end questioned them as to why a self-employed /tax paying/ born in London resident (who has apart from working abroad lived his whole life in England) should have any problem and they agreed there was no problem. End of email despatches. I recieved my interest in time but all the worry they had given me while working in a new country? This happened during the two most turbulent years that the banking industry has ever experienced and I am without doubt that what was happening to me was a systematic misuse of their powers and indeed my trust in these institutions to act reasonably. I wonder if this has happened to anyone else out there????? Report this comment
 

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