portrait of this blog's author - by Stephen Blackman 2008

Wednesday, February 02, 2011

.....And people wonder why we're in trouble!

I am thinking of starting a Charity (long story) and went round all my local Banks in the village yesterday. Not ONE of them was interested in my setting up a new account for such purposes. Given that the Banks are what got us into the mess, what is going on when you can't give them several thousand pounds to open a small business account?

One said they hadn't got the forms, one said could I set it up by phone (sic!) another said I could do it in town and another said could I go to another branch and ask for 'clubs and societies account forms', the other, Lloyds TSB said, after keeping me waiting for ten minutes while she went to get a "phone number", came back to say that they weren't taking on new customers for "that sort" of account! It's money! Cash! And you are turning it away! EXTRAORDINARY!

I particularly wanted to go in to a local branch and set it up with, you know, A Human but apparently this is not to be....so I was in the position of trying to set up an account which in order to be registered with the Charities Commision has to have some £5,000 in it and whilst some delightful lady was in to transfer £15 to her son's account and people were taking out £25 here and paying in £30 there and some guy came in with a bag full of £1 coins to change whilst I was stood with a £200 deposit and the offer of £5,000 and I was told effectively we don't want "That Sort' at the moment!
Well you know what?
I Don't want THAT SORT of Bank and you just lost several thousand pounds!

Think I'll go on line and do it with the Co-op!
:o(

1 comment:

sealy said...

Don't be shy to tell us about this when you finally get the forms filled in...

You ought to send the story to The Grauniad