Security UK banks.

Has anyone changed currency?

I was given a UK account number by a high profile uk dealer, but the transfer was refused by my bank on the grounds of security, in fact they stopped my internet banking on all accounts held.

I tried with a second bank after I closed all accounts with the first bank as their twelve hour wait to get them to answer the phone to reinstate my service was intolerable.

The second bank flagged up an alarm also, but I did have the option of overriding this and doing the transfer.

The only slight problem is that bank number two are useless at answering the phone too, I got through to the UK after an hour in order to explain to some muppet how currency transfers might not have a named account holder and was put back on hold to see if anyone knew what the risks were. I did want to do everything possible in case something did go wrong though.

At this point I wondered just how safe this online transaction is, the second bank refuses to discuss what the issue might be with the transfer and the best way of avoiding any risk, but will not do it using their secure email, they gave me a 24/7 number on which after I got through their automated security, presented me with a recording asking me to call back during office hours.

A small test exchange is not an option.

So has anyone had these alerts when changing currency? Maybe I'm cynical but it seems that the banks don't want me to get more than a euro thirteen for my pound.

It seems almost impossible to produce a bank account that can be anything but above board with such a high profile company [Key Currency], but the fact that two banks flagged the account as a risk seems very odd, they were national banks, Lloyds and the Nationwide. Why the hell they cannot say what the problem is is beyond me, unless they own shares in the phone company of course.

SK