When I was on a Southern (aka Govia Thameslink Railway) train last week I wasn’t a passenger I was a “customer”.
I was a customer of Barclays Bank in my role as Hon. Treasurer of the Irish Peers’ Association, a position I have held for forty years. Nobody else has shown any interest in taking over the job and, in any case, it is complicated and time consuming to have a change of signatory. Now Barclays are making life difficult. They sent me the same form four times to ascertain the officers of the Association etc. I returned it twice. They finally acknowledge receipt of same but are undefeated. “We need to speak to you about your business details” they write. They do mean “speak” and have furnished a ‘phone number. Yesterday the queue was ninety minutes today only an hour. They incentivise me by remarking “if we don’t hear back from you, we may have to close your account”. They conclude by assuring me “we’re here to help”, so that’s all right. “It’d make a bishop kick a hole in a stained-glass window” (Raymond Chandler, in a different context).
As the Association’s account has been open for more than fifty years and is always in credit with no borrowing facility, the bank may suspect the Association is Politically Exposed as we have members who are TF (Titled Folk) paying subscriptions. Ironic as Irish Peers are not able to sit in the House of Lords and the original purpose of the association was to correct this injustice. Barclays, our members want to be Politically Exposed People, are you here to help?
This exact dilemma happened at the old charity I used to work at, they almost jeopardised our ability to fund projects. Good luck, I have been in the 90 minute queue!
Try being a churchwarden and putting a new treasurer on the account… or opening a new one for the village magazine! Sadly you can’t change banks because not only do they not want the business ; they actively drive it away. Something has to be done
I don’t like saying the Government must do something….but…. we the taxpayers bailed out this bunch of neer do wells, and now they should be forcibly reminded of that and made to behave nicely, efficiently, and thoughtfully.