Guest Tiff Posted April 11, 2009 Report Share Posted April 11, 2009 First off sorry if this is a bit of a rant, I'm more than a little annoyed at the moment....... TC on here sent me a pm earlier today informing me that one of my cheques has bounced...A little odd I thought with over £5,000 in each account! So I thought I better call the bank. Having just got off the phone to the Co-Op bank I found that both my accounts had been 'suspended' without them telling me The last 10 transactions in each have been firearms related in the UK & US (i.e. Norman Clark's, PTG for my 30-338 reamer etc). The Co-Op as part of there 'green policies' have an anti arms dealing policy - which is fair enough...However they suspended both my accounts for 17days without informing me since they suspected me of arms dealing. In that time over 10 of my cheques have bounced along with many other payments. This has amounted to just over £300 in bounced cheque fees alone! I've now got a meeting with the bank manager on Tuesday, to try and activate both accounts and clear the bank charges. I don't think I'll be staying with the Co-Op any longer!! Has anyone else experienced such problems and what can you recommend as a more 'gun friendly' bank? Cheers Tiff N.B. Anyone who I've sent a cheque to in the last 6 weeks that hasn't banked it yet, can you please get in touch since I doubt it will go through... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TC Posted April 11, 2009 Report Share Posted April 11, 2009 Not an issue from my side Tiff - hopefully you get the fees back. TC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
baldie Posted April 11, 2009 Report Share Posted April 11, 2009 Never give the co-op a damn penny.....they are anti gun, and anti hunting. Infact, anti any fieldsport. Try the nat west, its the bank the old BFSS always used, and probarbly still used by the countryside alliance. I,ve never had a minutes problem in 30 years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dpile1 Posted April 11, 2009 Report Share Posted April 11, 2009 My God, I had no idea that they could legally do that, never mind ethically lock your account simply because of their own pathetic ideals. How dare they! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest martin Posted April 11, 2009 Report Share Posted April 11, 2009 I would of thought that a good brief could easily get the charges quashed,good luck with the manager,and,when he rescinds the charges stick his accounts up his 'Anti' arse...............'M' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eldon Posted April 11, 2009 Report Share Posted April 11, 2009 Wouldn't have thought they have a leg to stand on there tiff. Can't see how or why they could possibly hold out for their charges and any others incurred assuming it is all legal and above board and carried out by a certified owner! It's times like these when maybe we should all stand out for OUR administration charges and send the message back the other way. A letter to the effect would surely have been the least courtesy they could have shown you. What other agendas have the bank got on our spending? just doesn't seem right at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snap_shot Posted April 12, 2009 Report Share Posted April 12, 2009 personally mate, i'd go to the bank, agree to have the fees removed, let the bank manager think everything is a ok..... then at the end of the meeting tell him to throw all your cash in a bag and close your account....... I have done it in the past with two banks who provided poor service...... in this poor economic climate they should be looking to hold onto their customers. go get em...... Snap. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redfox Posted April 12, 2009 Report Share Posted April 12, 2009 Agree with snap shot, Co-op have been a shower as long as I can remember and they dont pay their bills quickly, I have had trouble with them all my life and wouldnt give them the steam of my$$$%.Get your bread and go to another bank. Their not paying your cheques to suit their twisted ethics does not allow them to charge you as they have created the situation, when you had adequate cleared funds, so demand a refund of all charges and threaten them with the banking Ombudsman, they know they will lose that one. Redfox Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alycidon Posted April 12, 2009 Report Share Posted April 12, 2009 Take some legal advice first, then go in armed knowing what you can and cannot do. You might know that they are paying some bright spark to cover their backsides legally. A Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
devilishdave Posted April 12, 2009 Report Share Posted April 12, 2009 Take some legal advice first, then go in armed knowing what you can and cannot do. You might know that they are paying some bright spark to cover their backsides legally. A Interesting choice of words dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveW Posted April 12, 2009 Report Share Posted April 12, 2009 Great advice already given, reference speaking to the "Banking Ombudsman" hope you give them that which promotes growth and vigour Tiff, that is a outragous. Please give us an update when you have an outcome, would be very interested to hear. Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dpile1 Posted April 12, 2009 Report Share Posted April 12, 2009 Please give us an update when you have an outcome, would be very interested to here. Me too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1967spud Posted April 12, 2009 Report Share Posted April 12, 2009 i have always hated the co-op what other buisness do we know off that have anti bloodsport policies Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nemasis243 Posted April 12, 2009 Report Share Posted April 12, 2009 I think if you look at the legality of it ,they hold your funds on the basis that you can spend your money, as long as your acount is in credit, on any purchace, they make money off your money , how would they feel if you turned round and told them that they cant invest where they feel fit. Also there is the fact that they have given you (not by your doing) a bad reputation as a cheque bouncer, something which people this day and age dont need. Look into it and take the buggers for all you can , they owe you something to get your reputation back. Even if it was a letter to the cheque recipiant explaining why the cheque would not be honored by them . good luck Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Finman Posted April 13, 2009 Report Share Posted April 13, 2009 Just read this and cannot believe my eyes! Go get them Tiff and let us know of the outcome. I will seriously consider ever stepping my foot in a Co-Op again... I wish them buggers said that in their advertising literature: I live in a rural community and the Co-Op is the only shop around for miles. Had all the farmers and shooters in the area known, I am sure their business would be hurt... best of luck Finman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
huntsman Posted April 13, 2009 Report Share Posted April 13, 2009 I agree with all said but I would go the legal route first and would speak to someone before you see the manager ? Otherwise you'll just get fobbed off with some 'ol bull "like a junior staff members mistake" been there before. I would also be looking for the bank to contact each of the companies you were dealing with in writing explaining their mistake. I would also want to know from them who else they have contacted "credit control organisations ", there might be a little black mark along side your name which could affect you later. Or maybe the police are having a look at you, now that you are an international arms dealer! I would get it all cleared up before you consider closing an account. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigdan Posted April 14, 2009 Report Share Posted April 14, 2009 just another sad indictment of our orwellian times. pull your money out and tell the manager youll complain to head office till your blue in the face. what on earth has britain become????? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarinePMI Posted April 15, 2009 Report Share Posted April 15, 2009 just another sad indictment of our orwellian times. pull your money out and tell the manager youll complain to head office till your blue in the face. what on earth has britain become????? Uhh..A socialist society? Not knocking you guys, but for all its faults, I'll take the US government over the UK, at least until Obama screws it up and we end up like you poor guys... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tiff Posted April 16, 2009 Report Share Posted April 16, 2009 Sorry about the delay, I've been waiting to see how things panned out before I updated you.... As fortune would have it one of my neighbors is a financial solicitor (not sure what she does exactly, but seems to know her stuff!) and she was kind enough to go to the meeting with me . Almost as soon as I'd sat down and my neighbor had introduced herself, the manager went into complete apology mode Apparently somewhere in the system a junior clerk had seen the numerous times 'Gunsmiths' was written on the transactions and panicked. He/She had misenterpreted the Co-Op's official policy of "not trading with people that sell arms to oppressive regimes (i.e. Zimbabwe)" and taken it as "not trading with people that are involved with arms". As a result this plonker then froze my account for investigation higher up the chain (something that junior person had no right/authority to do), yet forgot to inform anyone higher up the chain of this. The result being I was only aware of the issue once I started to hear of cheques bouncing! However after a load of brown nosing from the manager, a silver lining appeared . He had already calculated that I was about to withdraw all my money..so started offering me perks to stay. After a bit of negotiating I managed to up my overdraft limit by £1,500 and also secure an almost interest free £5,000 loan that I can have anytime I want, when I'm do my PhD at University:) So in the end I'm staying with the Co-Op and this problem has significantly helped my finances in an odd sort of way Oh also all the bank charges incurred from being an "international arms dealer " have been dropped, no black marks will remain and letters of appology have been sent out to all businesses that I bounced cheques at Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eldon Posted April 16, 2009 Report Share Posted April 16, 2009 Well at least your a happy customer then. Was there any information/advice your friend gave you that would be appropriate to share with us? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orka Akinse Posted April 16, 2009 Report Share Posted April 16, 2009 As a result this plonker then froze my account for investigation higher up the chain (something that junior person had no right/authority to do), yet forgot to inform anyone higher up the chain of this. However after a load of brown nosing from the manager, a silver lining appeared . Sorry Tiff but someone's pulling your chain me thinks How can a "junior" clerk have the authority to "freeze" your account without first obtaining authority to do so? Why has this junior got the access and authority to freeze your account without recourse to anyone let alone you! Cos what the bank manager is actually saying is, any employee of any grade no matter how junior has the access [it don't matter about authority] to your account and can freeze it for whatever reason he/she deems appropriate............ strange policy that! See where I'm going with this but hey..... if your happy then all is fine with the world me thinks. Well done for sorting it out. OA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tiff Posted April 16, 2009 Report Share Posted April 16, 2009 Was there any information/advice your friend gave you that would be appropriate to share with us? It seemed she didn't need to say much, just an introduction put the manager into his place The only applicable bit that she did mention, was connected to if I join a different bank in the future. Then I could mention at the start to the manager that I have a legitimate legal interest in firearms and as such connected items will appear on my statements from time to time. That way they put a footnote on your records, to avoid any unessecery red flags etc. Apparently with new terrorism laws etc. 'big brother' is watching a lot more things these day . While it may seem a bit OTT, anything to avoid the extra hassle of the last week again has to be worth while. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tiff Posted April 16, 2009 Report Share Posted April 16, 2009 Sorry Tiff but someone's pulling your chain me thinks How can a "junior" clerk have the authority to "freeze" your account without first obtaining authority to do so? I think there may well be more of a 'big brother' element that went wrong to this than he was letting on Either way I'm not fussed now, since It's saved me a small futune in intrest rates etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveW Posted April 16, 2009 Report Share Posted April 16, 2009 Glad it all worked out for you, but me thinks Orka Akinse is spot on Anoher case of its not what you know, but its who you know Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TC Posted April 16, 2009 Report Share Posted April 16, 2009 Oh also all the bank charges incurred from being an "international arms dealer " have been dropped, no black marks will remain and letters of appology have been sent out to all businesses that I bounced cheques at Make the buggers send me a letter too !! TC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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