I can still check online. I haven't been paid today when I should have been. The one good thing about this is that there is now only £6 left in my sole bank account. I have a letter from the O.R. that states the funds are to be released to me. There should be no problem in the Bank Manager doing so.
I'm absolutely dreading this but my wife says its going to be OK. We know my sole account and the joint account will close as the Bank Manager told my wife that on Wednesday. All I need to take is my bank card.
We walk into the bank. No eye contact from the Manager. No welcome. No smile. No handshake. He leads us through to a side room. No introduction. Right Mr *Average* I can confirm that the funds in your account will be released to you in cash and your account will be closed. OK, my wages were due to be paid into that account today. Are you able to see where they might have gone? They will have been returned to your employer. Have you got your card with you? He starts flinching his eyes and smirking a little and sits there bending my card back and forth. OK, trying to stay calm. He leaves the room and comes back with the cash owed to me to close the account.
In the meantime to ease the bill payment situation my wife asks if it is possible to transfer all direct debits to her sole account. The Manager arranges this whilst we're in the office. I then ask why my wife was told that she would be given her taxi fare over the counter on Wednesday and this had not been done. He said my wife would need to contact the complaints team whom she spoke to the other day who had told her this. My wife asked if she could use the phone to call the complaints team. The Manager said that's fine and turned the phone to my wife giving her the number. I asked again why the complaints team have said the money would be given over the counter and yet he wont honour this. The Manager stood up and said, I am not discussing any of this any further.
My response to this (after trying to keep calm with his total arrogance) was to say you F***ing arsehole. He told me to get out of his bank and to take my wife with me. My wife said "You just said I could use the phone to call the complaints team". He then shouted at my wife to give him the phone and told me to get out again. I said I'm going, don't worry! Next thing, my wife has come out of the bank to see me outside. She said she's not leaving any accounts open with Lloyds bank. The Manager has just forced the phone out of her hand and hurt her wrist. She did call 999 from her mobile because he was forceful but they said she was in a public place and was safe.
She went to the counter to withdraw all the cash in her own account. She said I can't believe you have treated me like this. You froze all our accounts without notice even though my husband visited a branch to prevent this from happening. The Manager stood there and said "It is because your husband is bankrupt". When I heard that (very small branch) I went back in and told him that he had no right to announce to a whole branch full of customers that someone is bankrupt. I said you've hurt my wife's wrist. He said I'm sorry if I hurt your wife but I though you were going to strike me so I needed the phone off your wife to call the police. My wife turned round in the bank and said, I sincerely hope nothing like this ever happens to any of you, because this is how you will be treated.
We walked out.
Straight to Nationwide. Our new accounts with Ffrees have been approved YAY and we have the sort code and account numbers for these come through via email. Only problem is, now my wife has no other accounts other than Ffrees and we need to be able to set up direct debits which is not currently available with a Ffrees account. We are also going to have to wait for the cards to arrive by post.
Nationwide said they could help. We told them I was bankrupt. All we needed was my wife to have an account which has a direct debit facility. They said they would be able to set one up even with a credit check and we could get an appointment for Tuesday.
We booked the appointment.
Only problem in the meantime was, my wages were not through as my employer didn't have my Ffrees account number, housing benefit, tax credits, child benefit all had my wife's sole account number with Lloyds which she had just closed.
We both agreed things can't get much worse.
I have called my employer and asked them to look into the returned payment. I have also given them the new details of my Ffrees account...hope my card comes soon. Then I will be able to walk into a shop and buy something with it and feel a bit more normal!!
My wife called the 101 non-emergency police number to report the incident at the bank. They gave her an incident number.
She also called Lloyds complaints team, explained what had happened today at the bank and asked why the manager wouldn't give the taxi fare. They said there were notes on the system to that effect and he should have done so. They said they would be happy to transfer the taxi fare to her bank account. Woop woop, she said £24 has just been transferred to my new Ffrees account.
Police called back, they will be coming out to see my wife on Monday to discuss the incident at the bank. The would like my wife to get her wrist looked at by a doctor to get it recorded. Only problem is it is 7pm on a Friday evening and the doctors are closed. Will chance our luck getting an appointment tomorrow morning. Kids are starting to think our whole lives are taken up by paperwork and phonecalls.
I'm absolutely dreading this but my wife says its going to be OK. We know my sole account and the joint account will close as the Bank Manager told my wife that on Wednesday. All I need to take is my bank card.
We walk into the bank. No eye contact from the Manager. No welcome. No smile. No handshake. He leads us through to a side room. No introduction. Right Mr *Average* I can confirm that the funds in your account will be released to you in cash and your account will be closed. OK, my wages were due to be paid into that account today. Are you able to see where they might have gone? They will have been returned to your employer. Have you got your card with you? He starts flinching his eyes and smirking a little and sits there bending my card back and forth. OK, trying to stay calm. He leaves the room and comes back with the cash owed to me to close the account.
In the meantime to ease the bill payment situation my wife asks if it is possible to transfer all direct debits to her sole account. The Manager arranges this whilst we're in the office. I then ask why my wife was told that she would be given her taxi fare over the counter on Wednesday and this had not been done. He said my wife would need to contact the complaints team whom she spoke to the other day who had told her this. My wife asked if she could use the phone to call the complaints team. The Manager said that's fine and turned the phone to my wife giving her the number. I asked again why the complaints team have said the money would be given over the counter and yet he wont honour this. The Manager stood up and said, I am not discussing any of this any further.
My response to this (after trying to keep calm with his total arrogance) was to say you F***ing arsehole. He told me to get out of his bank and to take my wife with me. My wife said "You just said I could use the phone to call the complaints team". He then shouted at my wife to give him the phone and told me to get out again. I said I'm going, don't worry! Next thing, my wife has come out of the bank to see me outside. She said she's not leaving any accounts open with Lloyds bank. The Manager has just forced the phone out of her hand and hurt her wrist. She did call 999 from her mobile because he was forceful but they said she was in a public place and was safe.
She went to the counter to withdraw all the cash in her own account. She said I can't believe you have treated me like this. You froze all our accounts without notice even though my husband visited a branch to prevent this from happening. The Manager stood there and said "It is because your husband is bankrupt". When I heard that (very small branch) I went back in and told him that he had no right to announce to a whole branch full of customers that someone is bankrupt. I said you've hurt my wife's wrist. He said I'm sorry if I hurt your wife but I though you were going to strike me so I needed the phone off your wife to call the police. My wife turned round in the bank and said, I sincerely hope nothing like this ever happens to any of you, because this is how you will be treated.
We walked out.
Straight to Nationwide. Our new accounts with Ffrees have been approved YAY and we have the sort code and account numbers for these come through via email. Only problem is, now my wife has no other accounts other than Ffrees and we need to be able to set up direct debits which is not currently available with a Ffrees account. We are also going to have to wait for the cards to arrive by post.
Nationwide said they could help. We told them I was bankrupt. All we needed was my wife to have an account which has a direct debit facility. They said they would be able to set one up even with a credit check and we could get an appointment for Tuesday.
We booked the appointment.
Only problem in the meantime was, my wages were not through as my employer didn't have my Ffrees account number, housing benefit, tax credits, child benefit all had my wife's sole account number with Lloyds which she had just closed.
We both agreed things can't get much worse.
I have called my employer and asked them to look into the returned payment. I have also given them the new details of my Ffrees account...hope my card comes soon. Then I will be able to walk into a shop and buy something with it and feel a bit more normal!!
My wife called the 101 non-emergency police number to report the incident at the bank. They gave her an incident number.
She also called Lloyds complaints team, explained what had happened today at the bank and asked why the manager wouldn't give the taxi fare. They said there were notes on the system to that effect and he should have done so. They said they would be happy to transfer the taxi fare to her bank account. Woop woop, she said £24 has just been transferred to my new Ffrees account.
Police called back, they will be coming out to see my wife on Monday to discuss the incident at the bank. The would like my wife to get her wrist looked at by a doctor to get it recorded. Only problem is it is 7pm on a Friday evening and the doctors are closed. Will chance our luck getting an appointment tomorrow morning. Kids are starting to think our whole lives are taken up by paperwork and phonecalls.