Closing bank account - help!
#1
Just Joined
Thread Starter
Joined: Dec 2016
Posts: 2
Closing bank account - help!
Hi,
I'm having a bit of a nightmare trying to close my French bank account, and was wondering if someone could help.
I moved from Toulon back to Scotland at the end of August, and had to close the account from here as I was still waiting on a few payments coming through when I left. I visited the bank before leaving to see how I'd go about doing that: they gave me a template letter and told me to send it into them, along with a RIB for the account I wanted the balance paid into. I did that over a month ago now and didn't get a reply (I didn't send this letter as a lettre recommandée, which was stupid but which I can't change now).
After not having had any reply, and as they won't answer their phone or e-mails (this is the Banque Populaire, so they aren't cowboys - in theory anyway!) I sent another letter two weeks ago, this time as a lettre recommandée with avis de réception. I said in that letter that I'd already contacted them and sent my bank card, reattached a RIB, and asked them to contact me by e-mail if there were any problems (the e-mail address that I gave was the one that's already associated with my account, so there shouldn't be any issue of potential fraud). I know and have proof that they received this letter over a week ago, and they still haven't replied. I'm also still unable to get through to them by phone or e-mail. As I've already sent them my bank card, I now have no way of accessing the money in my account.
With apologies for the long introduction, my question is this: is there an agency that I could contact in France which would look into this for me? I don't actually plan on contacting them right away, but would like to send another letter to the bank saying something along the lines of 'if I don't receive a reply to this, my next step will be to contact organisation x' (in French obviously!).
If anyone could help with this I'd really appreciate it: I've given up on getting my money through in time for Christmas, but still want to get this sorted as soon as possible.
Thanks in advance.
I'm having a bit of a nightmare trying to close my French bank account, and was wondering if someone could help.
I moved from Toulon back to Scotland at the end of August, and had to close the account from here as I was still waiting on a few payments coming through when I left. I visited the bank before leaving to see how I'd go about doing that: they gave me a template letter and told me to send it into them, along with a RIB for the account I wanted the balance paid into. I did that over a month ago now and didn't get a reply (I didn't send this letter as a lettre recommandée, which was stupid but which I can't change now).
After not having had any reply, and as they won't answer their phone or e-mails (this is the Banque Populaire, so they aren't cowboys - in theory anyway!) I sent another letter two weeks ago, this time as a lettre recommandée with avis de réception. I said in that letter that I'd already contacted them and sent my bank card, reattached a RIB, and asked them to contact me by e-mail if there were any problems (the e-mail address that I gave was the one that's already associated with my account, so there shouldn't be any issue of potential fraud). I know and have proof that they received this letter over a week ago, and they still haven't replied. I'm also still unable to get through to them by phone or e-mail. As I've already sent them my bank card, I now have no way of accessing the money in my account.
With apologies for the long introduction, my question is this: is there an agency that I could contact in France which would look into this for me? I don't actually plan on contacting them right away, but would like to send another letter to the bank saying something along the lines of 'if I don't receive a reply to this, my next step will be to contact organisation x' (in French obviously!).
If anyone could help with this I'd really appreciate it: I've given up on getting my money through in time for Christmas, but still want to get this sorted as soon as possible.
Thanks in advance.
#2
Forum Regular
Joined: Mar 2015
Location: Lot & Dordogne
Posts: 100
Re: Closing bank account - help!
I had a lot of trouble with BP when I first came here and they just ignored me so I ran the account down to zero, bit late for you as you've sent your card back, hope you haven't got a lot in there.
#3
Re: Closing bank account - help!
I've got an account in France but not with BP. Do you have access to online banking with them? If so, just do the transfer yourself.
#4
Re: Closing bank account - help!
They have 30 days upon reception of your recommended letter to close your account.
If they have corresponded by email before then contact them that way to tell them that you will contact the mediateur by x date.
Otherwise, send another letter recommande with AR telling them the same.
Médiateur - Banque Populaire Méditerranée
Or, if you are friendly with the local notaire (did they sell your house?) then ask them to do it for you.
If they have corresponded by email before then contact them that way to tell them that you will contact the mediateur by x date.
Otherwise, send another letter recommande with AR telling them the same.
Médiateur - Banque Populaire Méditerranée
Or, if you are friendly with the local notaire (did they sell your house?) then ask them to do it for you.
#5
Re: Closing bank account - help!
I closed my account with HSBC by writing them a letter from the UK telling them I had returned to the UK and asking them to transfer the balance of my account to my UK account and included the IBAN details. It took them a little while but eventually I received the money. I presumed they closed my account but I never received any official notification.
#6
Just Joined
Thread Starter
Joined: Dec 2016
Posts: 2
Re: Closing bank account - help!
Thanks to everyone for the replies. I do have online banking but it won't let me make the transfer online (apparently I have to contact the bank to validate new payees), so I'll leave 30 days from the date that they received my second letter before contacting them again as advised.
This is actually the third time that I've moved back to the UK from France and I never had any trouble closing an account before, so quite naively expected things to be the same this time! Definitely a lesson learned. Thanks again for the help.
This is actually the third time that I've moved back to the UK from France and I never had any trouble closing an account before, so quite naively expected things to be the same this time! Definitely a lesson learned. Thanks again for the help.
#7
Re: Closing bank account - help!
I closed my account with HSBC by writing them a letter from the UK telling them I had returned to the UK and asking them to transfer the balance of my account to my UK account and included the IBAN details. It took them a little while but eventually I received the money. I presumed they closed my account but I never received any official notification.
Creditmutuel no probs. Barclays France were an absolute godsend.