A woman says NatWest closed her account, with £30,000 in it, earlier this year and she hasn't been able to get at the money since. Kirsty Hamlett, 30, says she has been unable to buy a house because she can''t get at her cash and she has missed important payments.
Kirsty says she has been unable to sleep, has suffered anxiety and has been put on a heart monitor because of the stress since her account was 'deleted'. Kirsty says the first time she found out her account was closed was when she was locked out of her internet banking in June.
NatWest say they sent her a letter in April informing her that she had 60 days to move her funds as they would be shutting the account - but Kirsty says she never received it, reports MEN.
Six months on, Kirsty says she has still not been able to get her money back. Kirsty said: "My life has been put on hold for the last six months. I've had to take sick leave from work and I have lost the sale on my first property.
"I couldn't have my wages from work, I missed direct debits so I've been charged extra and my credit rating has been affected. I've also lost money from having to take days off work over it. It's disgusting. The whole thing has made me ill. I have been given a heart monitor by my doctor and I have had so many sleepless nights due to the anxiety of it all."
Kirsty was in the process of buying her first home this summer when she received a text message saying her personal details had been changed.
"I didn't do this so I contacted them and tried to log onto my online banking but couldn't get in," she said. "On the fifth day of trying I still couldn't get in and they said 'are you aware your account has been closed down?'
"They are saying they sent me a letter on April 6 with a 60 day window saying my bank account was being closed down but I never received this letter. I asked what I was expected to do, I still had a large amount of money in the account and I was in the process of buying a property. I have been going back and forwards with the bank but still haven't got my money back.
"When I have spoken to them they have just said that they don't have to tell me why they closed my bank account down. I'm honestly lost for words over it."
Kirsty has instructed a solicitor to investigate. "I have lost £36,000 and the whole thing has just been a catalogue of failures," she said. "I have spent around four hours on the phone to NatWest every night. I've had enough.
"They sent me a cheque for £300 as compensation but they have still not given me my money back. I had a 60 day window to withdraw my funds which obviously if I'd known about I would have done.
"Now they've told my solicitor they're sending forms for me to fill out to get my money back but I was at this point six months ago. I want proper compensation for what I've been through."
A NatWest spokesperson said: "Like all UK regulated banking institutions, NatWest is subject to legal and regulatory requirements, and we treat compliance with them as a matter of priority.
"This may mean NatWest is required to delay or refuse to act on a customer’s instructions, and/or suspend or restrict a customer’s accounts and/or services. The bank does not make any comments on the specifics of this case."
