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Money Box: Copy-cat websites; Future of the Co-op; Dormant bank accounts

Copy-cat websites; Future of the Co-op; Dormant bank accounts

09/11/2013

BBC Radio 4 - Money Box, Copy-cat websites; Future of the Co-op; Dormant bank accounts

Beware the clones - will bondholders co-operate? And the big sleep - dormant bank accounts

Personal finance news with Paul Lewis. Beware the clones - websites that pose as government agencies. And why banks are declaring some accounts dormant after a year.

Time to renew that passport. Put passport in this search engine. Click, click, search. Ah, three top of the list. Click. Mmmm. One says 'Official'. Click. And there's a crown. That must be right. Click. And it only charges £45. I thought passports were dearer than that. Where's my credit card. Done. Oh. But now I have to pay £72.50 for the passport itself! Should've gone to GOV.UK! We investigate what's being done to crack down on copy cat websites which pose as government agencies talking to the Consumer Minister, Jo Swinson and the Advertising Standards Agency.

Co-operative Bank is asking 13,000 retail bondholders to save it. A deal announced this week has to be approved by a supermajority of them - two thirds must take part in the process and of those three quarters must vote yes. They will get a lot more than the original deal promised - but they will still see the annual return from their perpetual bonds end in ten or twelve years. We speak to Euan Sutherland, the CEO of Co-operative Group and Mark Taber, Chairman of the Bondholders Committee.

The Big Sleep - zzzzzz. Zzzzzzzz. Zzzzz. That's your money, that is. I know it's only been in the account a year but it's fallen asleep already. Dormant, as we say. And you remember it was instant access? Because you wanted to be sure you could get it out quickly for Life's Little Emergencies? Well now it could take you up to 12 weeks - and in some cases much longer - to get it back. And I would say sorry. Except it's the rules. We talk to Mike Dailly from the FCA's Consumer Panel about concerns that banks are acting too quickly.

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