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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Business
Miles Brignall

How can it take Zopa four months to transfer an Isa?

A woman looking at the Zopa Bank logo on a mobile phone
Zopa left a customer hanging on when they tried to transfer their Isa. Photograph: True Images/Alamy

Last December I received an email from Zopa announcing that it was closing all its peer-to-peer accounts and clients would have to move their savings elsewhere. I had £24,336 in my Zopa Isa, so I instructed Charter Savings to take it over. It sent the required transfer request to Zopa on 31 January.

I heard nothing until Zopa emailed on 1 March stating it aimed to process the requested transfer in the next 30 days. I’ve heard nothing since.

I emailed its complaints department on 1, 4 and 8 April but have received no replies. Whenever I phone and ask for “Isa” it says it is too busy and cuts me off.

Today I rang again and spoke to someone by asking for “investments” who rang the Isas department. He was told they would ring him back and then he would phone me, but gave me no timescale. Still nothing.

Charter Savings says there is nothing more it can do until Zopa transfers my Isa.

SC, Dunfermline

I asked Zopa, which has treated you very poorly, to get on the case and within a few hours your transfer had been made. The company has also paid you £250 compensation to apologise for the delay. In December it announced it was shutting down its peer-to-peer operation to concentrate on its banking services.

Perhaps it needs to clear its Isa backlog first. Four months is an absurdly long time to wait.

And finally …

After a spate of letters about poor service with car insurance, FD from Devon reports a good experience: “Last month my car was hit by another car in a local car park. I took the other driver’s details and phoned my insurer, John Lewis, as soon as I got home.

“Within one hour, the car repairer’s head office had called to take my details; immediately there was another call from the car hire company; this was swiftly followed by a further call from the repairer’s local office to make arrangements to inspect the damage.

“This is how it should be done.”

We welcome letters but cannot answer individually. Email us at consumer.champions@theguardian.com or write to Consumer Champions, Money, the Guardian, 90 York Way, London N1 9GU. Please include a daytime phone number. Submission and publication of all letters is subject to our terms and conditions

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