Keeping you UK bank active

[Fairynuff]

14 hours ago, Moonlover said:

Banks do not, willy nilly, close accounts simply because you're not in the country.

Yes they do, and it’s not willy billy it’s policy.

[Moonlover]

18 minutes ago, Fairynuff said:

14 hours ago, Moonlover said:

Banks do not, willy nilly, close accounts simply because you're not in the country.

 

19 minutes ago, Fairynuff said:

Yes they do, and it’s not willy billy it’s policy.

I've been through this nonsensical discussion already and I'm going through it again. If you have hard evidence let's hear it, otherwise I'm not interested.

 

Have a nice day.

[Mike Teavee]

15 hours ago, Crossy said:

 

Yup. Barclays closed my account with little notice because I "appeared" to be in Thailand.

 

Have had no problems keeping my Barclays current account, atm/credit cards & Stockbrokers account with Barclays despite them knowing that I moved to Singapore in 2008 (they should know, they were the ones who moved me here).

 

 

 

[pattaya1234was]

I have lived in Thailand, full time, for 20 years and do not have a UK address.

I have had a Barclays account for 65 years and I had a Barclaycard for 60 years before Barclays decided to cancel it 5 years ago because I lived in Thailand. This cancellation happened when I notified Barclays of a change of address within Thailand-we do not issue people living in Thailand with Barclaycards was the excuse.  So it had taken Barclays 15 years to realise I was living in Thailand even though I had regular statements posted to my Thai address. I have always used my Barclays current account for my UK pension and various debit card withdrawals.

 

[Sumarianson]

The new log on rules may cause some issues as you will now have to use your card reader and you will have to supply a telephone number for them to text a code similar to the Thai system. However the system may not accept a phone number from outside the UK. 

[OJAS]

2 hours ago, Moonlover said:

 

I've been through this nonsensical discussion already and I'm going through it again. If you have hard evidence let's hear it, otherwise I'm not interested.

 

Have a nice day.

IMHO (based on my experience with my UK account) the old adage "use it or lose it" applies here. How many of those who have had their UK accounts closed had actually used them more than once in a blue moon previously, I wonder?

[Moonlover]

6 minutes ago, OJAS said:

IMHO (based on my experience with my UK account) the old adage "use it or lose it" applies here. How many of those who have had their UK accounts closed had actually used them more than once in a blue moon previously, I wonder?

Thanks, that's exactly the point I've been trying to make, but it seems to fall on deaf ears. I did have an account closed in the circumstances you say, but it had laid dormant and empty for five years.

 

Another possible reason for expats to find themselves in difficulty is if they DO NOT tell their bank of their true location. All bank's T & Cs state that 'your registered address must be one at which you can be readily contacted'.

 

Telling your bank that your address is in, say, Putney whilst living in Pattaya (yes I know, awful examples!) contravenes that requirement.

[UKresonant]

1 hour ago, Sumarianson said:

The new log on rules may cause some issues as you will now have to use your card reader and you will have to supply a telephone number for them to text a code similar to the Thai system. However the system may not accept a phone number from outside the UK. 

You may be able to do most of that with the banks banking app for day to day use, UK VPN server and phone set-up on the UK google play /apple stores can download the Apps. problem may be having a uk number to set them up initially? Not tried the Barclays app yet....

So once you have a trusted device, it avoids having the text message, every time.

 

https://www.barclays.co.uk/help/online-banking/pinsentry/PINsentry_replace/

 

(But I am still UK based, and back fairly frequently, I think with recent developments I may always be in that mode ????).

[Max69xl]

19 hours ago, smutcakes said:

I am not sure who you bank with, but i have been abroad for 17 years and have had no issue with bank account. Obviously they have my email address, and occasionally i move a small bit of money in and out of the account when back in the UK, but i have never known it be an issue. Those movements are 1 or 2 a year maximum so not regular movements of money. I thought the account would need to be completely inactive for years before it was flagged or whatever they do.

When officially moving abroad your account will get cancelled. 

[torturedsole]

14 hours ago, sanemax said:

What do Santander use ?

Personal card readers are quite new , hardly ancient 

Santander occasionally require me to open the app on my smartphone and authorise a payment but not 100% of the time.

 

The card reader is ancient considering apps are now utilised.  If the card reader breaks, for instance, then you're screwed until you receive a replacement.  Ancient tech in our neck of the woods.  

 

 

Edited December 9, 2019 by torturedsole

[Fairynuff]

3 hours ago, Moonlover said:

 

I've been through this nonsensical discussion already and I'm going through it again. If you have hard evidence let's hear it, otherwise I'm not interested.

 

Have a nice day.

Not interested but can’t stop posting! Thanks for the good wishes

[chilly07]

I use my brother's address for cards and card readers via PO EMS, OTP and online banking and Transferwise for my pension transfers. Was inconvenienced by Natwests App upgrade to Windows 6 but do regularly change my address from UK to Thailand by phone. Barclays however was a nightmare and I closed all Accounts!

[BritManToo]

1 minute ago, chilly07 said:

I use my brother's address for cards and card readers via PO EMS, OTP and online banking and Transferwise for my pension transfers. Was inconvenienced by Natwests App upgrade to Windows 6 but do regularly change my address from UK to Thailand by phone. Barclays however was a nightmare and I closed all Accounts!

Same for me, Natwest I just use the phone app now, Barclays closed.

[dabhand]

54 minutes ago, Max69xl said:

When officially moving abroad your account will get cancelled. 

Not my experience with Barclays Bank, Nationwide and Lloyds Bank.

[jrward42]

I don't know if I am misunderstanding what is meant by the card reader but if it is the plastic keypad thing, then that is all done by apps. I have the Barclays app and it has a 'mobile PIN sentry' built in. It works great. 

I have only ever had one account shut down and that was when I was living in the UK and it was down to the fact that it was empty for years and I never used it. It is possible that that's the case here. Obviously the accounts are empty, right?

I now do nearly all my banking through my phone and you just have to have money in it and have money going in and out. I own property in the UK and the rent goes in to the UK account and stays there. All my direct debits like Spotify and Netflix come from it. I am a writer, so I get money going into the account from books and articles. If I buy an ebook, that comes out of the UK account. And so on.

If you have money in it and use it, the account will stay active. Where you live is more about being contactable. For cards, they have my parents address and they send it on or I pick them up when back.

[Moonlover]

1 hour ago, Max69xl said:

When officially moving abroad your account will get cancelled. 

There are enough posters on this and other similar topic threads that provide clear evidence that is not true. I'm just one of many.

[JAS21]

I have banked with RBS for at least 35 years. Since 2002 my wife who is Thai and myself have had two joint accounts with them.

 

In 2007 we relocated here. We both have Internet banking and debit cards with them.

 

They post new cards to us as and when.

[Andycoops]

I have a Nationwide account and just gave them a change of address when I relocated to Thailand 10 years ago.

All correspondence comes to my Thai address including new cards when the old ones expire.

My pension is paid in monthly and I use TransferWise to deposit money into my Thai account as and when I need it.

My monthly statements are advised by email for me to check online.

To use NW online banking you need a card as they require you to use a card reader to access their service for validation and security. 

[ThaiBunny]

1 minute ago, Andycoops said:

I have a Nationwide account and just gave them a change of address when I relocated to Thailand 10 years ago.

All correspondence comes to my Thai address including new cards when the old ones expire.

My pension is paid in monthly and I use TransferWise to deposit money into my Thai account as and when I need it.

My monthly statements are advised by email for me to check online.

To use NW online banking you need a card as they require you to use a card reader to access their service for validation and security. 

I wonder how many people have set up a local UK account via Transferwise's Borderless facility and use that to receive their pension. It's a bit limited for other transactions eg. to pay a bill

[johng]

20 hours ago, Crossy said:

 

Yup. Barclays closed my account with little notice because I "appeared" to be in Thailand.

 

What about the money you kept with them ?  hope you got that back.

 

I have had a small trouble with Natwest  2 times now, sending money to my Thai bank account via SWIFT

they froze the transaction  without notifying me ( only knew when the money hadn't arrived after a week)

had to phone up their fraud line and endure a thorough questioning, I made it quite clear I wasn't impressed on the second occasion ????

[Crossy]

22 minutes ago, johng said:

What about the money you kept with them ?  hope you got that back.

 

Yup, they asked for an alternative account to transfer it to, else they would send a cheque.

[VBF]

To respond to several of the posts in this thread in no particular order, and all from my recent personal experience:

 

1 If you have a PinSentry card reader from 1 UK bank and another UK account also using PinSentry, the readers ARE interchangeable. I have Nationwide and BarclayCard readers and can grab whichever is closer. They provide spares for each other, so to speak.  PLus either organisation seems willing to send new ones on request, to your registered address....mine is in UK, of course!

 

2 Barclays Bank and BarclayCard although linked, are not actually the same organisations - each has their own rules, so you MIGHT find Barclays Bank lets you keep your account open with a Thai address, however BarclayCard MIGHT decide to cancel your card.  Rather a case of "YMMV" hence my "MIGHTs"

 

3 Nationwide requires EITHER a card reader OR a UK phone to login to the website. As of this year (bold is my emphasis):

 

"As an extra security step, you’ll be asked to enter your date of birth every time you log in. You’ll still be able to log in to the Internet Bank with your card reader but you will no longer be able to use memorable data to log in. Instead, you’ll be able to use your passnumber and a one-time code sent in a text message to your mobile number."

 

Keeping a UK mobile number active is easy enough - there are several threads on TV about that.

Edited December 9, 2019 by VBF

[sandyf]

19 hours ago, Moonlover said:

 

Yer OK, if you say so. But, just how much evidence do have in support of that assertion?

You are right in what you say, there is no single rule for all.

A few years back I had an email from HSBC asking me to call into the branch for a meeting. I replied that I was abroad and would not be available for about 6 months, no problem, just make an appointment nearer the time. 

At the appointment he said it looked like I had altered my address to one that appeared to be a post box. I said that was correct, it was an online postal service, and explained the situation. I use the postal service to get UK mail in a couple of days rather than weeks.

He said generally speaking it was not bank policy to service accounts for people living abroad but it was a discretionary decision. Under the circumstances he was quite happy to continue servicing the account but did say that should the account become inactive then the situation would be reviewed.

He took a note of my Thai address and Thai bank details for their records.

 

As far as account access is concerned, they appear to each have their own method. For my HSBC account I have had a small digital key pad for nearly 10 years, on my second now, battery run out on the first after about 7 years.

For my RBS account I received a card reader a couple of weeks ago and yet to take it out of the box, although I think they have been using them for a couple of years.

[Max69xl]

1 hour ago, dabhand said:

Not my experience with Barclays Bank, Nationwide and Lloyds Bank.

Have you officially migrated and have accounts at those 3 banks? 

[HHTel]

I've lived here for 20 years.  I have an account with LLoyds.  I have internet banking and have my state pension paid into that account, moving it periodically via Transferwise.  I have debit and credit cards from them which are securely posted to me by a relative.

The bank has both my Thai address and a family member's address in the UK.  They have confirmed that they can't send cards by secure mail so send them to my family member on my instructions.  I've even spoken to them from here regarding a recent problem, nothing to do with my living here.  

I know that banks will place your account in a dormant state should there be no activity for a period.  These dormant accounts can be re-activated.

[Moonlover]

1 hour ago, Andycoops said:

I have a Nationwide account and just gave them a change of address when I relocated to Thailand 10 years ago.

All correspondence comes to my Thai address including new cards when the old ones expire.

My pension is paid in monthly and I use TransferWise to deposit money into my Thai account as and when I need it.

My monthly statements are advised by email for me to check online.

To use NW online banking you need a card as they require you to use a card reader to access their service for validation and security. 

Do you use their mobile App? It is very convenient and user friendly. For the likes of your transfers to TransferWise (which I also use) you can dispense with card reader. Very useful.

[Max69xl]

21 minutes ago, HHTel said:

I've lived here for 20 years.  I have an account with LLoyds.  I have internet banking and have my state pension paid into that account, moving it periodically via Transferwise.  I have debit and credit cards from them which are securely posted to me by a relative.

The bank has both my Thai address and a family member's address in the UK.  They have confirmed that they can't send cards by secure mail so send them to my family member on my instructions.  I've even spoken to them from here regarding a recent problem, nothing to do with my living here.  

I know that banks will place your account in a dormant state should there be no activity for a period.  These dormant accounts can be re-activated.

But you still have to use an address in the UK? What if you didn't have that address? Have you officially migrated to Thailand? 

[Moonlover]

1 hour ago, johng said:

21 hours ago, Crossy said:

 

Yup. Barclays closed my account with little notice because I "appeared" to be in Thailand.

That is probably because you didn't tell them that you were in Thailand @Crossy. Such anomalies as an address in the UK and regular activity elsewhere would arouse their suspicion. Those of us (and there are plenty) who have told their bank where we live do not seem to have any problems

 

When dealing with your bank, 'honesty is the best policy'. 

[JAS21]

1 hour ago, johng said:

What about the money you kept with them ?  hope you got that back.

 

I have had a small trouble with Natwest  2 times now, sending money to my Thai bank account via SWIFT

they froze the transaction  without notifying me ( only knew when the money hadn't arrived after a week)

had to phone up their fraud line and endure a thorough questioning, I made it quite clear I wasn't impressed on the second occasion ????

RBS has frozen my account twice. I’m quite pleased ad if there is some doubt they will not make the payment. I have found that if I keep my transfers to less than £9999 they don’t seem to freeze it.

 

Also, if I’m making transfers when I’m in a foreign country I need to tell them first. Common sense really

Edited December 9, 2019 by JAS21

[sanemax]

3 hours ago, torturedsole said:

Santander occasionally require me to open the app on my smartphone and authorise a payment but not 100% of the time.

 

The card reader is ancient considering apps are now utilised.  If the card reader breaks, for instance, then you're screwed until you receive a replacement.  Ancient tech in our neck of the woods.  

 

 

And if you lose your telephone or it breaks ?

I dont have a smart phone and find the card reader to be appropriate 

If the card reader breaks, you can always borrow someone elses and also take a spare with you .