DG writes: In mid-March, two bits of my Alliance & Leicester ATM card snapped off. I called the bank and asked for a replacement card and pin. I was told it would take seven to 10 working days. It took 52 days.

A&L has not even attempted to explain why such a simple procedure should have taken so long, contenting itself with apologies that “on this occasion our service did not meet the high standard we aim to achieve”. I suspect we can blame the usual suspect, human error. The bank — now part of the Santander group — has sent you a cheque for £50 as an apology and you are content with this.

Stuck on Abbey’s merry-go-round

GH writes: I opened an e-saver account with Abbey for £35,000 at the end of April last year. In March this year, I transferred this sum to my current account as we were in the process of buying a property. I called the bank, asking it to close the e-saver account and send the accrued interest to the same current account. Two weeks later, as nothing had arrived, I called again and was told I would not receive any interest until April 30 as interest is added on yearly.

This seemed bizarre to me. I queried it and this time was told the closure request had not been actioned but it would now be, and I should receive a cheque for the interest within seven to 10 days. I did but the cheque was made payable to someone else. Three phone calls and one visit to a branch later, I was brusquely told by someone in the call centre that I should have read the small print as it clearly stated that interest was credited only on the anniversary of the account. By now I had steam coming out of my ears.

Your final contact was plain wrong as well as being brusque and I hope someone at Abbey puts him right. If an account is closed during the year, interest is added at that point and should be repaid at that point. I know of no bank account that operates differently. You now have the interest plus a well-deserved £75 as a gesture of goodwill.

Barclays blunder on bond interest

VP writes: Last November, I opened a one-year bond with Barclays paying 5%. I handed over a cheque for £10,000 in the branch. When I received the certificate it showed interest payable monthly, which was not what I had arranged.

In January, the bank sent me a letter saying the bond had not been funded and that if it did not hear from me within the next six days, it would be closed. I protested and the following month received a letter saying the bond would be backdated and additional interest of £280 would be added to the bond. I then received a certificate showing the wrong interest rate. I complained about all this and since then have had only a series of letters promising a response but nothing else except more apologies for the delay.

You could not understand why your problem took so long to investigate. I suspect it was simply waiting in a pile to be looked at properly and as it seemed that your basic problem had already been resolved by means of the interest adjustment and backdating of the bond to its original opening date, perhaps it did not have priority.

All the same, I am glad you got in touch with me as I spotted that the interest rate adjustment was not correct. The difference is not huge but another £50 or so will now be added to your account. The bank has sent you a couple of bottles of wine to apologise for the delay and general confusion it caused.

Insurer added to family misery