In todays news...

[Kneerly Down]

Does it say something along the lines of:
'We must exclude him, because we are inclusive' ?

[Yambo]

I received 3 letters from Santanfuckingder regarding complaints I had made after they closed my account. These were legitimate complaints - they hadn't given me the money that was in my accounts for example.

Every letter had the same sentence: "While I appreciate the problems this situation has caused you, my investigations have shown that this wasn't due to a mistake on our part."

A bit later, after I had started writing emails to the CEO, Executive Communications got involved and eventually sorted things out (successfully from my point of view so I won't knock the individual who was dealing with it). During a conversation with Exec Comms 3 I asked him outright if the previous investigations were to check on my complaint or whether they were carried out to make sure the bank staff had followed their rules. He told me that was indeed the case - nobody investigated my complaints as such, they all just checked to make sure their rules had been followed, i.e. no mistake had been made by them.

The implication though was that I had made 'mistakes' and no-one was going to tell me what I may had done wrong. "We don't have to tell you and we aren't going to tell you."

That wasn't the case though, they had fucked up due to their appalling communications and their fuck ups caused me a big problem. It's a good thing though, whatever the reasons behind it, a high profile individual fell foul of the banking industries appalling customer services and has brought it out into the open.

[Potter]

It's a good thing though, whatever the reasons behind it, a high profile individual fell foul of the banking industries appalling customer services and has brought it out into the open.

Indeed it is, some people were too dim to see it, but now it's been forced into being dealt with.

This seems to have aged well...

Most of you are too intellectually poor and ignorant to care or indeed worry, you’ll carry on sucking up whatever comes your way anyway, but some people are asking questions and pushing back on the erosion of freedoms. These types of questions and challenges on powerful entities having too much power have been up for discussion by ordinary people since even before Cromwell and the Levellers were at it in the 1640’s. People died so that you would have the right to challenge it rather than nod and bury your heads in the sand like the divs that you are.

I think Farage is a total bellend, but I have the brains to see the issue, not the person that raised it.

I won't quote the people that did the "it's all bollocks" posts and baited Screwdriver, you know who you are and frankly you deserve the derision I apply to you sometimes.

However, I think some of you owe him an apology, he was bang on, again, but because you couldn't see it you gave him shit that he didn't deserve and caused him unnecessary upset. Next time he points something out and you want to start baiting him about lizard men, have a think, because it might just be you that's the dim-witted dickhead.

[Mr. Dazzle]

That wasn't the case though, they had fucked up due to their appalling communications and their fuck ups caused me a big problem. It's a good thing though, whatever the reasons behind it, a high profile individual fell foul of the banking industries appalling customer services and has brought it out into the open.

From the way you've described it, your situation and Farage's appear quite different to me?

In a nutshell you've fallen foul of good old fashioned incompetence. That's the almost inevitable consequence of big organisation + cutting back on real staff + heavy reliance on generic IT which assumes generic customers.

Farage on the other hand was deliberately "exited" (great word) as a result of a conscious decision. They have a committee and everything, who appear to have considered the matter at some length in person. That's not bad customer service per se...at least not bad in the way you've experienced it. It's actually quite in depth and thorough customer service, just not the kind he'd like.

[Potter]

From the way you've described it, your situation and Farage's appear quite different to me?

Yes and no.
Different actual issues but still the same overriding theme that if the banks decide to sideline you, then you are going to face significant (and possibly insurmountable) problems in getting along in the 21st century.

We've come a long way in society, but still the banks have too much power over individual people and it's growing now that we're moving to conduct all transactions via banks, it needs to be checked now and then.

[Mr. Dazzle]

TBF if the banks decided to side-line you in 1995 or even 1955 you'd also be in the shit, it just might take fractionally longer!

I do kinda feel like the Government can't win sometimes. This very situation has illustrated that "the system" does actually work...the man is making new rules to regulate the power of the banks in this area (something loads of people, including me to a certain extent, are wrongly giving Farage primary credit for). That's what the government is supposed to do, yet it's being spun as an example of state authoritarianism?

[Potter]

TBF if the banks decided to side-line you in 1995 or even 1955 you'd also be in the shit, it just might take fractionally longer!

I was working in the UK in 1995 and back then it was quite possible to be paid in cash and manage adequately - try doing that now, try getting paid in cash and then going to the British Gas showroom to pay your gas bill.

I've heard they even pay your dole money into your bank now, I happened upon a young man who was homeless and gave him some money and half an hour of my time to talk to him, he told me that he couldn't access a lot of services because he doesn't have ID, a bank account and a fixed address. He said a bank account would give him two of those things but the bank wouldn't give him an account because he doesn't have an address, then to compound this the dole office gave him so much trouble about not having a bank account that he abandoned his claim, so now he's entirely dependant on begging or stealing.

I think you'd find it impossible to get through life now without a bank account, which makes them incredibly powerful.

[Mr. Dazzle]

Which is why you have the legal right to a bank account...s'kinda what I mean by the above. Times are certainly changing and I don't really agree you're any more/less at the mercy of "someone" than you've ever been. The government are doing one of the things they're supposed to do and regulating these things.

https://www.gov.uk/government/collectio ... k-accounts

Next time you meet that chap, tell him about no fixed address bank accounts.

https://www.hsbc.co.uk/help/money-worri ... d-address/.

[KungFooBob]

Twenty years ago I worked with the long term unemployed and those with no fixed abode, we managed to get them bank accounts easily enough.

The fella was yanking your crank so you'd put your hand in your pocket a bit deeper.

[Mr. Dazzle]

I suppose in a nutshell my point is, if "the system" wants to fuck you in the arse it's always been able to It's just quicker now!

[mangocrazy]

If anyone wants their dole or pension paid out in cash, just go to a Post office. I was in the queue in our local PO behind a couple of old dears, both of whom toddled off with their pension paid out cash in hand.

[Mr. Dazzle]

Probably paid into a post office bank AC first though TBF?

[Yambo]

From the way you've described it, your situation and Farage's appear quite different to me?

I'm not trying to suggest otherwise. Of course if your argument is all about Farage then you'll not give a shit about the problems that just happen along when your account gets closed.

I've said before and I'll say it again, I don't give a shit about Farage, but closing anyone's account can create big problems.

In a nutshell you've fallen foul of good old fashioned incompetence. That's the almost inevitable consequence of big organisation + cutting back on real staff + heavy reliance on generic IT which assumes generic customers.

Farage has also fallen foul of good old fashioned incompetence and shite customer service. Quite simply what was wrong with the bank simply asking to speak to him, in confidence to discuss their thoughts and feelings? Why did my bank not call me or email me and ask me to call them regarding the issues they had? You're a youngster I know but as you get older you'll come to realise that talking about issues has a good success rate for sorting out problems and getting understanding of others' position on things.

Farage on the other hand was deliberately "exited" (great word) as a result of a conscious decision. They have a committee and everything, who appear to have considered the matter at some length in person. That's not bad customer service per se...at least not bad in the way you've experienced it. It's actually quite in depth and thorough customer service, just not the kind he'd like.

It's a pity that the committee who considered 'everything' didn't consider asking Farage to pop in and have a chat. In considering 'everything' they considered, it seems, innuendo, heresay and opinions but not made any effort to consider there might be some value in talking to their customer. They, the committee and Coutts in general, Santander and any other bank or institution that has a fair degree of power and control over Joe Bloggs are a bunch of cunts.

They have simply removed from their business ethics one of the mainstays of British justice - that a person is innocent until proven guilty.

[Skub]

TBF if the banks decided to side-line you in 1995 or even 1955 you'd also be in the shit, it just might take fractionally longer!

Nah man. I started work in 1971 in the aircraft industry and I was paid cash on a weekly basis. I never had a bank account,nor any need for one until 1980,when we bought our first house. There's no comparison to the power the banks have now and what it was like in the 50s.

[Mr. Dazzle]

Quite simply what was wrong with the bank simply asking to speak to him, in confidence to discuss their thoughts and feelings? Why did my bank not call me or email me and ask me to call them regarding the issues they had?

I suspect in your case the answer is simple; it costs money and regular punters like you and I don't warrant the expense! 'course, dealing with your situation downstream somewhat eroded their savings....but it's part and parcel of 'free' banking and giant monolithic organisations.

In Farage's case it sounds like they wanted to get rid of him anyway (e.g. "would not look to renew on a commercial basis"...."extra costs" etc.) and they presumably thought there was nothing he was gonna say to change the situation. S'not like they'd expect him to reverse his stance on a load of topics?

I don't disagree with the general sentiment that Banks hold loads of power now though, but as above things are moving around to check that.

[Yambo]

Quite simply what was wrong with the bank simply asking to speak to him, in confidence to discuss their thoughts and feelings? Why did my bank not call me or email me and ask me to call them regarding the issues they had?

I suspect in your case the answer is simple; it costs money and regular punters like you and I don't warrant the expense! 'course, dealing with your situation downstream somewhat eroded their savings....but it's part and parcel of 'free' banking and giant monolithic organisations.

Lol! Yep, it must cost a fortune to send me an email asking me to call an 0800 number so that we can discuss their concerns. What do you reckon, £20 tops?

I wonder if the bank's bean counters have made the point that throwing me a Monkey for my 'inconvenience' and eventually losing me as a customer, my telling the world and his dog how shit they are etc. is actually a more expensive way of dealing with customer issues?

[Mr. Dazzle]

"Computer says no" innit.

They didn't opt in for the "how much is this actually going to cost you?" add in. In fact they probably did but all the savings elsewhere make up for it

BTW despite all your story I'd still bank with Santander I don't BTW, but I would. Not because I don't believe you, but because I don't think HSBC, Lloyds, Barclays, Nat West et al are any different.

[Ant]

It does make you wonder what's next.....your electric car won't start for the next 24 hours because of something you said on social media.......

[Potter]

All a load of bollocks though isn't it? Lizard men, illuminati, etc? Just a nutcase moaning?
Apparently now it's a serious topic of discussion, a few days ago anyone wanting to discuss was a nutter, or Nigel Farage.

I sometimes feel like I'm sitting watching people climb into an oven.

[Mr. Dazzle]

Can I just point out Coutts' commitee were actually correct. Farage was a reputational risk.