Lost Bank Account - ABBEY!

[dorothee]

Can anyone tell me what happens now? ... I had an old Abbey account that I knew had never been closed down. After using the BBA link to find 'lost accounts' I submitted details of what I could remember. Well, imagine my annoyance when they came back to say that after checking they cannot find anything in my name. This then lead me to looking for my old pass book - which I was amazed to find had almost £500 in it!! So, I re-submitted using yjr address in book + the passbook number. Today I received another email from the Abbey denying I held an account there and saying that should I not be happy with this response then I should write to them making a formal complaint. Has anyone else had a similar experience and if so, did you manage to resolve it? I am a bit worried as the account has not been touched for 21 years ... yes I know what you must be thinking. Appreciate ABer's expertise on this one.

[dotty.]

the abbey wasn't the abbey 21 years ago, is it possible that you transferred the 500 quid into another account? I am now with santander, but before that it was abbey, before that it was bradford and bingley, before that it was the burnley building society, i've never changed accounts, they just changed their name. haven/t used a passbook for 15 years.

[237SJ]

I would write to them as they suggested and send a photocopy of the details page of the passbook. I had an Alliance & Leicester mortgage which I paid off in December and even though A&L said I could do it in a Santander branch because they now own A&L, their computer couldn`t recognise the account number. That is just with a recent takeover so I can imagine what they will be like with something from 21 years ago.

[tinkerbell23]

I worked for abbey and they will have to trace this on old systems-make formal complaint as somewhere they will have where this went x

[craft1948]

Write to the Mail On Sunday financial editor............they love stirring it and get great results.

[Nosha123]

I did the same procedure for my Husband... who before i met him was rubbish at keeping track of paperwork etc.. He had a couple of bank accounts plus an old pension he was paying in to.
No one could find anything!
I wonder where its all gone now!
Would love to know if its still sitting there in a pot with his name on it!!!

[dorothee]

yes - what a jolly good idea ... I will wait for Abbey to tell me first that the passbook I have in my possession (for the non-existent account I apparently had) is a mirage first! Then I will put my fighting gloves to good use!

thank you ....

[nanscamp]

take your account details (and some ID) to a santander. the account number can be converted to a santander account.

[dorothee]

Yes - actually did try that - very unhelpful as both branches of Santander (in the same road in Piccadilly, London SW1!!) The reader could read the passbook but was unable to identify the account number. I was promised a call back and then nothing - not a dicky from anyone. Not very impressed with that.

[factor-fiction]

As they weren't called Abbey in those days is the account book labelled as Abbey National?
Have you never had any annual interest statements relating to the account?
Is it possible that the account was closed (via a withdrawal) but the book was thought to be lost at the time and therefore couldn't be marked up as "closed"?

[Moonraker715]

dorothee
I am currently in same situation and about to put case to Financial Ombudsman having had my case rejected by the FOS. They believe Santander who could only show that the account did not appear on a HMRC return in 1995 so it must have been closed. I supplied my bank statements to show that no cheque was paid in but to no avail. Please contact me on [email protected] (This is an email account for just this purpose) I would like to show that I am not alone with lost Abbey National accounts

[Moonraker715]

doothee
I am in process of final complaint to Ombudsman re Abbey account similar circumstances to yourself which they have rejected. I want to show that others have been subjected to similar process by Santander. santander base their premise on my account being closed on it being missing from an HMRC return in 1995. Rubbish as I have Passbook and have provided bank statements to show no deposit made at relevant time. i suspect large number of others in similar position. Contact me on [email protected] (Set up for this purpose)
Regards
Moonraker715