What to do if a bank refuses to close my account?

Question

I have opened a bank account in Ireland. I recently moved to another country and I wanted to transfer the funds to a new bank in the new country and close the Irish bank account. I don't have any debts/credit cards/pending payments/anything that can affect the closure of my account.

The Irish bank has an online form for closing accounts. I cannot use the online form because it does not allow me to specify the coordinates for the kind of transfer I need to make.

After calling support many times and having my case escalated through a number of different representatives, finally after two weeks I was able to talk to somebody who understands what kind of transfer I need. They told me that it's true I cannot do it online, and I should send a paper letter instead.

I did that, but the representative who got my letter contacted me saying that I could close my account online. I explained the situation to them, and asked them to contact their coworkers for clarifications if needed, but they insisted on saying that I could close my account online.

Fast forward one week: nobody is answering my emails anymore. Not even the representatives that were able to help me suggesting that I should send a letter.

Now, what can I do? How can I get my money in the least painful way? In some countries, banks are required to close accounts within 90 days from the day they receive a closure letter, but it doesn't seem to be the case for Ireland. Is there any regulation that I could appeal to?

Answer 1

That sounds like a real pain. If I were in your shoes, I would try contacting the relevant regulatory body/consumer protection agency, which in this case, I believe, are one and the same: https://www.centralbank.ie/consumer-hub/explainers/how-do-i-complain-about-a-financial-services-firm

Although I'm not sure how much attention you're going to receive given the current global situation.

Maybe try sending another email first along with the international equivalent of a registered letter (if there is one) noting that you're giving them X days to respond before contacting the regulatory body. I'd put Complaint to Regulator in the email heading, that should get their attention. I'm sure it's crazy there and people are overwhelmed right now. The squeaky wheel is definitely the only one getting any grease.