Closing my Savings accounts with TSB... a story

Financial Chat
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What a palaver I’ve had today.

I have a current account (which I only use for buying petrol and a few subscriptions tbh) with TSB, along with 2 savings accounts that have a few quid in but are essentially doing nothing. In advance of moving the current account to Monzo, I thought I’d close those savings accounts, make things a bit tidier, seeing as CASS doesn’t cope with savings accounts. Simple thing to do, or so you’d think…

First, you can’t close accounts via the app, not even savings accounts. Okay, says I, on to online banking we go!

Log in to online banking (after tracking down my login id that I had secured too well), and … nope, no option there either. No problems, says I, let’s see what the online help says. I’ll bet that will be one of the main pages…

No matter how I searched, could I find a page on “this is how you close a savings account”? Could I buffalo. I did, however, discover I could use telephone banking, if I had set it up… (spoiler: I hadn’t :laughing:).

At this point I’m getting twitchy, so I leap onto Twitter, as surely someone has asked that question before. Et voila! The gods are feeling favourable it seems, as this question has been asked, and …

You either need to attend a branch with full photo ID (wut?) or you can write to them, at an address I’ve never seen before. So now I’ve dug out my trusty quill, ink blotter and parchment and composed a missive to provide them instruction. I expect that to be actioned in oooh… about 2 weeks?

Did I mention the savings accounts were eSavers? :face_with_raised_eyebrow:

Anyone else had to endure this level of madness just to do something simple with a bank account?

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Sadly, Yes. I had similar issues recently with closing a Metro Bank ISA; I phoned requesting a closure (can’t be done online or in app) and had all of my funds moved out (including the interest to that point I’d earned but had not yet hit my account) and into another account at another bank.

A few months later I received a statement for 4p for the said “closed” account; I called seeking an explanation… Metro hadn’t actually closed the account and required the cash to be moved before the account could be closed. I couldn’t close the account there and then as they had to “make sure” the 4p had hit my account.

I was using Starling at the time and the money hit my account instantly with the advisor still on the phone; my verbal confirmation of receiving the cash was not good enough for her. I was requested to call back after 24hrs as she didn’t know how or even if my account could actually be closed but she will speak to “the proper people.”

I called the next day and after what seemed like ages I had verbal confirmation that my account will be forwarded for closure; I requested a letter stating that it had been closed which I never received. I only know it’s closed because logging into my metro bank account shows me as having no accounts; for my hassle I received zero apologies whatsoever.

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Just wait for the letter in response saying “this is an eSaver. You must therefore close your account online”

(Disclaimer: they probably won’t do this, but I had a similar to and fro when trying to close an account with a different bank a while ago…)

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I have an HSBC savings account with £0.01, left after having tried to transfer all the money out, I can’t close it as it needs to be empty to be closed online but turns out I actually have <£0.01 in there due to interest paid(?) so it can’t be transferred to another account as the min is £0.01. I need to go into branch with ID to close it so I can get rid of all my HSBC >.< I’ll get round to it one day.

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I closed a TSB eSavings account last week. I had the same problem. No explanation anywhere on how to close them.

I phoned them up in the end and asked. Got the same reply that I had to go to a branch or write to some weird, ‘Box 1, BX4 7SB’, address.

I wrote a letter and to be fair, the account vanished from my online banking within 48 hours of posting the letter.

Obviously completely ridiculous in the first place though.

(I swear at some point in the past I’d seen a, ‘close account’, button on the website.)

I’ve recently closed all of my superfluous accounts (apart from Tandem, just to see how it develops, or doesn’t) and am going in for another go with Monzo as my main account. Just got Nationwide account for backup and Monzo now!

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To be fair (ish) to TSB it makes sense that they might want to limit website functionality to the minimum given the current shenanigans, so it doesn’t surprise me that they’ve removed it.

They probably should have been clear and open about doing that though (if that’s indeed what they did)…

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For a TSB story it isn’t bad at all considering the recent events. I was expecting much worse.

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Lloyds is the same, I have two savings account with them which I am looking to close. I rang them up as there was no other option and they then told me that I needed to complete some forms which they would send to me… I never received the forms. It’s been 6 weeks and I really can’t be bothered to chase them :man_facepalming:t3: (plus the fact I’m not in the country for the foreseeable so the forms are useless unless I ask a family member to sort it for me)

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Try Halifax. I could only close my account (which I needed to do in order to get the closure interest) in branch with two forms of ID. Even though it’s an online account that I opened through the app!

Also, Halifax is awful about withdrawals. They only do CHAPS payments in branch! Nothing over the phone.

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I’m sure when I closed my current account with TSB the linked savings accounts were closed too.

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I’ve just left my TSB savings account open with zero balance, as I have also with the Bank of Scotland only to keep my internet banking logins active.

I have done this for the sole purpose that in the future if I ever decide to take one of their products again its a little easier if youre already “active” with them

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That would make sense, since the current account is a precondition for having the savings account.

In any case the procedure for closure clearly isn’t well documented, which is a shame. I closed my TSB current account through their web chat, but there was no indication that this was a valid or preferred way of doing things - I just tried it as it was my only option much less hassle than phoning them up.

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Just double check their policies on dormant bank accounts. Most banks will close accounts if there has been no activity for anywhere between 1 and 15 years :nerd_face:

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I’ve got an update on my account closure…

I received this the other day:

20180730_130600

20180730_131216

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Don’t spend it all at once!! :rofl:

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It was sent by special delivery too!

It sat on the kitchen table for about two weeks, but I posted it off to Monzo on Saturday.

Just got to wait until it clears and then I’m off on a spree.

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Next day postage costs on a penny cheque. :rofl:

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The operations manager’s signature is nothing like her name :face_with_monocle:

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thanks for the tip need to close my TSB savings account.

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Good spot! Her initials aren’t even the same. :rofl:

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