Natwest
Well from reading some of the other stories, this seems to be a fairly common trick of theirs.

My second year of uni was an eventful one in terms of bank accounts. I'd had a Natwest account for a number of years and before toddling off to my first year of uni I got a shiny new student overdraft from them. All went well, but in typical studenty style, I was pretty close to the overdraft limit most of the time.

Second year rolls around, my first student loan payment rolls into the account and I toddle off to withdraw my rent for the next 4 months.

Wait... Does that say I only have £3 available?

With no warning whatsoever, Natwest decided to remove my overdraft the second the account was in credit, leaving me completely up shit creek in terms of bills. I told them in no uncertain terms to go fuck themselves and closed up my account that day. An awkward phone call to the parents secured me enough to pay rent and scrape by in terms of food.

Since this whole escapade, I decided to go set up an account at Barclays. All went well, account was set up, I even got an overdraft from them. When my next student loan installment was due I realised that like the mong I am, I hadn't told them about my change of bank details. Shit. It was too late to get it changed now, but I was informed the payment would just bounce back and I could call them after to set up the new bank details.

I phone them on the arranged day and am told I can't change the details as it was successfully paid into the Natwest account I had closed some months beforehand.

An angry phonecall to Natwest ensued in which a rather apologetic person on the other end told me there had been some mistake and 7p had been left in the account, meaning it had never closed (even though I recieved a confirmation letter stating it was closed).

I explained the situation and phone lady sympathised, telling me she'd put a note on my account saying I could draw out the full £1500 odd that had been paid in.

A quick toddle to the bank and a request to empty £1500 from my account got me seen by a more senior staff member than the cashier who smugly told me i'd have to wait, there was no way they'd authorise a withdrawl that large on money that had only cleared that day. I informed her of what i'd been told on the phone, she called me a liar, but waddled off to check anyway.

Nothing gave me more satisfaction than watching her wander back out to me with a face like a smacked arse to tell me I could clear the account that day. I did, in cash, and made her count it. Twice.

Amusingly they asked if I wanted to keep the account open.
(mrcheese989, Sun 19 Jul 2009, 23:32, 2 replies)

Counting it twice is good
Personally I would have demanded it in 50p pieces then changed my mind only once it had been all counted out in front of me.
( MatJ LOOK, Sun 19 Jul 2009, 23:57, closed)

Did you get the 7p back as well?
I hope so
(Stu in the hat is frothing at the gash, Mon 20 Jul 2009, 0:28, closed)