Victor Meldrew

Scenario:
- Sold my house on Monday, transferred £260k sale proceedings into my Halifax current account.
- Set up electronic transfer from this account to my solicitors account for purchase of next house
- Went to transfer the amount last night. Message 'unable to transfer as over allowed limit'
- Call Halifax (0845 number!) who inform me I can only transfer £25k per day via internet banking, which at that rate would take me 11 days to do.
- Only other option is to do a CHAPS payment, but this can only be done at the UK branch. Not possible as I am in Dubai.

Anybody experienced the same? any ideas of how to overcome this?

Meow? are you there?

busybee2

u need to have someone phsyical go into the bank and do a chaps payment at a cost of like 20 quid. money laundering rules too!

busybee2

also be aware that banks can only cover 85k (double joint acts) i think if they go "broke" so not to have the money sitting in the bank for too long all in one place i believe.

busybee2

get a family member limited power of attorney

busybee2

i have looked into this with my bank for future reference if needed and thats the way to sort it.

Millhouse

Strange - can't you register for telephone banking?

I've recently done a couple of large chaps payments above the 25k internet threshold no, problem. No visits etc.

I've done them with IF.com -- a subsidiary of halifax.

Victor Meldrew

So have you arranged a CHAPS from overseas? I called Halifax today and they said they used to, but have changed their rules.

Telephone banking has a transfer limit of £10,000.

I've just been on the phone to them again (0845) for a good hour. My phone bill is going to be great.

Still no solution.....

Victor Meldrew

I imagine it would have to be the account holder - me - and I am not there.

Unless you have a power of attorney, which itself would take days, I would think it is not allowed for someone else to arrange the CHAPS for you.

busybee2

if you have a poa then they can go in and sort it out for you.

Millhouse

Yup. in fact, I did it yesterday! The phone is adding up for me too --- thankfully someone else pays it

Victor Meldrew

How do you organise a POA in Uk if you are overseas?

busybee2

dunno suppose courier it perhaps we have one already with our bank for long time, works a treat.

Victor Meldrew

Finallly sorted it after 3 days and about total 5 hours and 12 separate phone calls to various Halifax 0845 numbers and local branch.

Eventually managed to find someone at local branch level with some initiative and a human touch. Solved by:

1. Drafting detailed letter of request explaining purpose of transfer and all bank related details. Scanning and sending.
2. Notarised scanned copy of passport
3. Scanned copy of UK drivers licences (paper and card)
4. Scanned copy of official solicitors invoice.

All the above emailed to local branch Business Manager in UK. All money transferred within an hour.

Result.

Thanks for all ideas - got the mind focused.

busybee2

success....., is your uk dl still in date, perhaps if the photocard wasnt would that have been an issue?

Victor Meldrew

Yes my Drivers Licence is up to date. This was only supplementary to the passport anyway, so not as crucial.