Accounts you can only access by writing a letter

Boulevardier

I was unpleasantly surprised a few days ago when I rang the phone number I had used previously in order to move money into my AIB Direct Deposit Access account. What I got was a phone message saying that since May, I could only access or operate the account by writing a letter to a given Freepost address.

I will assume that this was flagged by AIB some time ago, and that I somehow failed to open their letter telling me. That, however, does not make it acceptable, particularly for a retail bank operating in 2019.

They do not offer any phone number at all, even one shared with other departments of the bank.

I opened that account in good faith on the basis of the services, including phone access, that were offered to me at the time. If such a service is withdrawn then I should have been offered some form of compensation.

My account seems to be classed now as a "legacy" product. I was surprised to see that An Post/State savings also have a letter-only savings account, but at least that is clear from the literature.

I do not think it acceptable that any bank can just decide to marginalise customers in this way. I am likely to seek help from the Financial Services Ombudsman, but I will not hold my breath.

coylemj

That's the way Rabbobank Ireland (formerly AccBank) went in their final days in Ireland when they had a few deposit account customers left on the books. They just gave up manning phone lines or responding to e-mails so you had to do everything by post.

So if AIB are at it 10 years or more later, bear that in mind if you think you'll get anywhere with the Ombudsman.

Boulevardier

Going to the Ombudsman would be a good test of whether he/she has any real commitment to customer protection.

hanaimai

Boulevardier wrote: »

Going to the Ombudsman would be a good test of whether he/she has any real commitment to customer protection.

There's no law or rule that says AIB has to offer a phone service so you're unlikely to get anywhere with complaining to the ombudsman. You'd be better off complaining to AIB themselves (which you have to do before the ombudsman will look at your complaint anyway) - even though you haven't a hope of getting compensation or anything like that, the more people who complain about it, the more AIB might consider re-instating the service.

Really though, I assume the phone service was under-utilised and that's why it was cut. If you're not happy with this, switch to a different bank or open an account that lets you access it easily online/via an app. Having to ring up just to transfer money sounds like a pain anyway (in my opinion).

I have a deposit account with KBC and I can only withdraw from it by writing a letter and posting it in or dropping it into a branch. I wouldn’t have opened the account if I knew this awkward stipulation was in force.

gwalk

Maximus Modern Vow wrote: »

I have a deposit account with KBC and I can only withdraw from it by writing a letter and posting it in or dropping it into a branch. I wouldn’t have opened the account if I knew this awkward stipulation was in force.

Did you read the terms and conditions of the account when you opened it?

Jim2007

Boulevardier wrote: »

I will assume that this was flagged by AIB some time ago, and that I somehow failed to open their letter telling me.

You failed to read and act on the communication send to you by your bank, that is 100% on you and no one else.

Boulevardier wrote: »

I opened that account in good faith on the basis of the services, including phone access, that were offered to me at the time. If such a service is withdrawn then I should have been offered some form of compensation.

And they also signed the contract in good faith and that includes the fact that you are an adult and are resonpsible for your decisions, including failing to read the terms of the contract and in particular the procedure for varying the terms of the contract, which by the way they as was required.

Boulevardier wrote: »

I was surprised to see that An Post/State savings also have a letter-only savings account, but at least that is clear from the literature.

It was also made clear to you, but you decdied to ignore thier communication, your problem.

Boulevardier wrote: »

I do not think it acceptable that any bank can just decide to marginalise customers in this way. I am likely to seek help from the Financial Services Ombudsman, but I will not hold my breath.

You have clearly failed to comply with the terms of your contract, why did you marginalise them??? So what exactly are you going to complain about - complete the sentence: I failed to read the terms and conditions of my account, I ignored the communications from the bank and now I'd like to complain because....

Boulevardier wrote: »

Going to the Ombudsman would be a good test of whether he/she has any real commitment to customer protection.

No it would be a dumb test because it is not within the remit of the Ombudsman to back you when you are the one in the wrong. But give them a laugh, lets see how long it will take them to kick you to the kerb.

GooglePlus

How do you verify your identity via post?

Jim2007

Maximus Modern Vow wrote: »

I have a deposit account with KBC and I can only withdraw from it by writing a letter and posting it in or dropping it into a branch. I wouldn’t have opened the account if I knew this awkward stipulation was in force.

So you did not check up on the conditions of your account.... what should we as a society do? Make you take some kind of a test before you sign a contract to make sure you know what you are doing???

gwalk

GooglePlus wrote: »

How do you verify your identity via post?

photoccopy of proof of ID, some places require these to be certified by a Garda, Solicitor etc

Jupiter Mulligan

The wife and I have four empty deposit accounts with PTSB which we are unable to close without writing in to them.

We're unwilling to pay the price of a stamp to close accounts which literally have a 1 cent balance in each of them and PTSB have refused to close them unless we do.

So currently PTSB are posting out annual statements for each empty account - in four separate envelopes - at a cost to them of €4 in postage!

Corporate insanity!

Boulevardier

The point some posters are missing is when I opened my account, the phone service was in place, and was a key factor which attracted me. If this is withdrawn with or without notice, I believe I should be compensated.

If an account has T&Cs from the word go which tell you that you have to communicate by letter then that is another matter, but I also think an account of that sort is a very poor product which should not be allowed on the Irish market.

The Ombudsman should move to stop this being done with people's accounts. They may not want to do that, but it still needs to be tested.

gwalk

You dont deserve any compensation it has not made you any financially worse off

People like you are why theres a mad compo culture in this country

Jim2007

Jim2007 wrote: »

So you did not check up on the conditions of your account.... what should we as a society do? Make you take some kind of a test before you sign a contract to make sure you know what you are doing???

I read them in so far as I made sure there were no hidden charges etc but I wasn’t going reading through reams of rubbish down to every detail, who has time for that. I only opened it because of rabobank leaving and had to close my savings accounts there.

The fact they allow you online access but you can only withdraw to a KBC current account is the most annoying bit. It’s a stupid stipulation that non-kbc current account holders need to write a letter.

Delta2113

AIB Direct Deposit would include the old Anglo Irish Bank money. They probably couldn't care less if everybody wrote in tomorrow and closed accounts.

Your wasting your time complaining and will get nowhere.

I must say give me a banking app like Revolut, Transferwise etc. any day of the week.

Banks are horrible in this Country to deal with.

coylemj

Boulevardier wrote: »

The point some posters are missing is when I opened my account, the phone service was in place, and was a key factor which attracted me. If this is withdrawn with or without notice, I believe I should be compensated.

Legally, you haven't a leg to stand on with that claim.

Boulevardier wrote: »

If an account has T&Cs from the word go which tell you that you have to communicate by letter then that is another matter, but I also think an account of that sort is a very poor product which should not be allowed on the Irish market.

'Should not be allowed' - says you :eek:

Boulevardier wrote: »

The Ombudsman should move to stop this being done with people's accounts. They may not want to do that, but it still needs to be tested.

Go ahead so, see if the Ombudsman will do anything about it. I quoted the instance of RabboBank and other posters have quoted similar practices in other financial providers so expect to get nowhere with your gripe.

Jim2007

GooglePlus wrote: »

How do you verify your identity via post?

They will have a copy of your signature on file and you will have something stating that they can act on documents received with that signature.

Jim2007

Jupiter Mulligan wrote: »

The wife and I have four empty deposit accounts with PTSB which we are unable to close without writing in to them.

We're unwilling to pay the price of a stamp to close accounts which literally have a 1 cent balance in each of them and PTSB have refused to close them unless we do.

So currently PTSB are posting out annual statements for each empty account - in four separate envelopes - at a cost to them of €4 in postage!

Corporate insanity!

And let me guess, you be jumping up and down if a bank closed an account on you, on the instructions of some random individual.... and you'd want to know on what authority they did it?????

The account will eventually be flagged up as a dormant account to the revenue and then you'll have fun and all for the price of a stamp!

Boulevardier

I have now heard back from AIB, who clearly but wrongly think I am an ex-Anglo customer.

The letter says "When your account was moved to AIB in 2013 from Anglo Irish Bank we continued to provide a similar service to that you would have experienced with Anglo Irish Bank."

Dear me. I may be stupid, but I was never dumb enough to bank a penny with Anglo!!!