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Name: Shalini G

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Starling errors froze my business account for 3 months almost destroying my livelihood

Probably the worst banking experience I have ever had. Having fulfilled (apparently) all the relevant criteria, Starling opens my business account. Funds come into the account, but I cannot use it. I am given reasons from Starling customer service of everything from "out of date app", to "I must be putting in the bank details incorrectly", to "you need to activate the business card," to "technical issues at starling," followed by "no technical issues, so it must be my fault, try on both 4G and wifi,". And on and on. Then I am told, after much pursuing, there was a technical error and in fact they shouldn't have opened the account, at which point they froze it entirely and said they would only return funds to me by cheque, (presumably so their error was less visible on their books?). A prolonged back and forth of emails and phones calls led to no change - just empty apologies on their side. Meanwhile suppliers went unpaid, deadlines were missed and I spent 3 months desperately scramble to save my flaggingly new business, with all funds locked by Starling. Just as suddenly Starling agreed to send the funds to be by wire transfer (previously termed by them as "unsafe" as a mechanism for moving funds (!!). The entire incident cost me £2800, for which they compensated £300 and I will go to Ombudsman to make a claim. Appalling, dreadful, extraordinarily weird. Avoid avoid avoid. Reviewed on: 13th November 2019