Alarm bells over DD's account

[ifonly4]

I opened a savings account for DD and under the terms it was meant to revert to her at 6 (last August). I recently paid an inheritance into the account for her so account still exists. At this time, we decided to check her statements for balance/type of account (as terms say it might transfer to instant access). No statement has been received since last June, despite being quarterly previously.

DD doesn't live with us and does long hours at school 7.30am-9pm and Saturday mornings so she can't go into branch and ask. She wrote a letter requesting balance, type of account etc, which I delivered to local branch on 7 May, a chasing letter was delivered on 26 May and a letter was posted to complaints depart on 4 June (in which she stated they could contact me to discuss in her absence). I've got alarm bells ringing now as when I previously complained to the bank, they phoned within 24 hours and sorted. So far they haven't responded. How does she get the information to which she must surely be entitled?

Get her to ring them with all her account info in front of her (DOB, a/c no, address, recent transactions and amts). They will ask her security questions and once she answers them all they can discuss the account freely over the phone.

Something is off here. Go into the branch today. Take your id and ask to see the manager.

Sounds like paperless statements.

She could also call customer services in her lunch break

I assume you mean 16, not 6!

Doesn't she have internet banking? Most banks have stopped statements going out where possible.

I would go into the local branch and try to get it sorted out there, but otherwise I would email the chairman - I've done that with Lloyds in the past and had a phone call within half an hour.

It's not HSBC, is it?

Why Alarms bells? She needs to go to branch after school on a Saturday.

Thanks everyone. Sorry, I did mean 16.

I've already spoken branch at the start. They said they couldn't confirm if account was open, send statements to registered address unless DD went in. I phoned them and was told that unless they'd previously sent a code out to her for telephone banking, they couldn't deal with her over the phone and she can't request one.

School finishes on Saturday approx 3pm, her local branch will be closed by then, so it's not easy. She has a scholarship and is boarding away, that's why it's harder to deal with.

Will look into internet banking but either way I'm not happy with the fact it's taken them over six weeks to confirm balance, type of account funds may now be in.

Hollowtalk, that's for that advice - I wonder if Lloyds have the same Chairman now!!

Here you are:

Mr António Horta-Osório CEO

Email: [email protected]

Telephone 0207 626 1500
Switchboard 0207 626 1500
Fax 020 7356 2215

I can't remember whether this was the guy I wrote to but his assistant replied within minutes (did the same for my son, too.)