In April my business partner transferred £3,000 to me from our Lloyds account in an online transaction. Regrettably, it went to an old account linked to a mortgage I had held with Clydesdale Bank and which was closed a few months previously. Clydesdale advised that the money would go to a suspended account and be returned to Lloyds within three working days. It refused to discuss the issue with me as I am not a current customer. Three weeks on, Lloyds insists the money is still with Clydesdale and says nothing more can be done. Help! AJ, Minsterley, Shropshire
Who knows whether you would ever have seen the money again. But magic things happen when I rope in Clydesdale’s press office. Within four days it discovers that you are still a customer for, although you closed your offset mortgage account, the savings account to which it was linked remained open and it was there your money ended up. The bank claims, pathetically, that because you had said you were not a customer, it based its guidance on that, whereas a quick search for the account you told them about would have revealed all.
The £3,000 has now been redirected to your current account and you are to receive a £100 apology for “any inconvenience” plus any interest due.
If you need help email Anna Tims at your.problems@observer.co.uk or write to Your Problems, The Observer, Kings Place, 90 York Way, London N1 9GU. Include an address and phone number.
