Where is my missing £5k?

I would be most grateful were you to assist in regaining money I have in a savings account with West Bromwich Building Society.

It wrote saying that, as it was reducing the savings rate, I could withdraw my money without penalty.

I wrote to say I would like to do so.

A week or two later I received a letter saying it had done an electronic transfer. My question is where to? WD, EAST LOTHIAN After a couple of weeks with there being no sight of your £5,602, you wrote to the West Bromwich asking (rather quaintly) “Where is this lolly dolly?”

When there was no answer you called the building society and were then told the money had gone to an account that, in fact, had been closed for almost three years.

When you quizzed as to why it had sent it there it said because you had paid the money out of that account eight years ago.

I approached West Brom and apparently it had only recently realised that you still did not have the funds.

I understand that the account was a “direct” account operated by post and telephone and linked to

your current account to allow movement of money.

Now West Brom learnt that, when you closed your current account, you also switched banks.

The money had been passed on from the old bank to your new account at your new bank, an account which apparently you keep a high balance in.

West Brom said it would have been easier to establish what had happened if the money had simply bounced back. As it was, only by putting a trace on it and discovering that you had moved banks entirely, could West Brom establish the money’s whereabouts.

So more than three months after you requested the transfer, themystery is solved.