Firearms/Shooting/RFD friendly banking

[Individual]

Hi guys,

My current bank is the Co-Op which, alongside it's current financial woes has traditionally been anti on "ethical" grounds.

just read this on the Co-op website

Proof of Identity (POI):

Current valid passport (with English translation)
Current full or provisional photocard driving licence (with English translation)
EU/EEA Member State Identity Photo-Card or National Identity photocard (Not UK)
Shotgun Licence or Firearms Certificate
Northern Ireland electoral ID card
Instruction from the Court appointing an individual: Court of Protection or Grant of Probate
Confirmation of receipt of State Benefits from a Government Agency (including Government issued Pensions)
HMRC Tax Notification letter /Assessment letter or Statement of Account
Birth certificate (under 18s only)
National Insurance card (under 18s only)

[Christel]

Worse still...it looks like all bank transfers from the 1st of January 2014, with a shooting related reference are stopped by the banks.

Christel....can I ask where you heard that? If that does happen we should certainly start a blacklist of banks that shooters should avoid and make sure that it is well publiscised. I will definately move my account the first time my bank stops a legitimate tranfer for some arbitrary reason.

The banks only do this kind of thing as long as they think it won't hurt their bottom line.


(no wait...someone will be along in a minute to claim its all because of the EU tesnews )

A reliable source within the banking world. One of our customers made a bank transfer with our company name as reference, it was rejected, when asked why he was told that the word shooting made the bank react. He then asked one of his friends who is high up in the banking sector and was told that from 1st of Jan 2014 the majority of banks take a dim view on any shooting related words. He made the transfer without any shooting related words and all was good.

[SevenSixTwo]

...was told that from 1st of Jan 2014 the majority of banks take a dim view on any shooting related words. He made the transfer without any shooting related words and all was good.

I will now make a point of including 'gun', 'shot', 'rifle' etc on all my banking references. Whilst I realise most banks are private concerns this is disgraceful prejudice and wouldn't be tolerated for any other lawful activity.

[shugie]

I'm with Santander not by choice but because they took over the Alliance and Leicester who were at the time one of the few banks that would take on a gun business.

Santander are awful to deal with but I haven't worked up the energy to try the debilitating task of finding one to move to, my experience is that all banks are sh!te to deal with and if you are an RFD then those that want your business is limited.

Santander do take the banking experience to an all time low, if they weren't free I'd be off like a shot. NatWest are much better, at least locally. But then I'm a computer bod not firearms.

[mag41uk]

I have a business account with Santander and have yet to have any issues.(Motor trade)
I went with them because of free banking. I am not VAT registered so have to watch the pennies.
I also have a stocks and share ISA with them from Abbey National days and its been doing pretty well to date.
I think its downright despicable how RFD`s appear to be treated by banks.
It would be interesting to find out who the likes of Kranks and Hannams use.
Tony

[Christel]

What I have concluded is that if a RFD has been around long enough from back when where the banks were more lenient or has a big enough turnover then not a problem with a business bank account.

Please correct me if I am wrong and of course if someone can point me in the right direction to get a business bank account as a RFD then please shout out loud.

SevenSixTwo, let me know how you get on, I have now started telling our customers to only include the invoice number as reference.

[Mr_Logic]

Who does Mik use?

[RWSENG]

The transfer thing sounds a little unlikely - I make (very) regular payments by electronic transfer to the proof house who bank as "The Company of Gunmakers" and a number of other businesses with names including "Gun" - "******* *** & Gun Ltd" etc and they all still go through with ease.

I bank with Barclays and they know what I do (I am a full time RFD and Gunsmith) even though my own business account has no mention of Guns in the name. Barclays treat me very well, they have no problem providing me with an overdraft and finance as required (and usually try to provide it even when not required) and although I have a healthy turnover for a one-man (& apprentice) band I do not turn over millions each year. The only wobble I had with them was about three years ago when I applied to finance a vehicle (on my accountants advice - always been a "just write the cheque" sort of chap) and initially this was refused due to my "profession" - I pushed this and made a lot of fuss and in the end everything was straightened out and I received an apology. I too went down the "your treating my profession as unsavoury bla bla bla" route however in the end it was explained to me that every profession has a marker code next to it that banks use (and presumably other financial institutions) to gauge the risk of a loss associated with the profession. Quite simply if they feel there is a high risk of problems with a particular profession then they do not require the potential embarrassment and I was told that the banks and card companies had "substantial losses incurred by someone in the gun trade recently" no names were mentioned but I assumed the company name rhymed with "Bitts"....

[StangGT]

http://www.ltsbrifleclub.org.uk/

You could try asking these guys for advice??

[Christel]

We have tried...

Lloyds TSB
Handelsbanken (Not big enough turnover)
RBS (Halifax belongs to RBS and do not do business accounts)
Santander
Co-Op
Barclays, both electronic payment and business account. (We spoke to the manager in a town where we do not live and was told, not a problem if we lived in that town, we then spoke to our local manager and was told no)
HSBC

All of them...the conversation goes...

I am ringing regarding opening a business account. No problem, may I take your name. Name given, and then I add, part of our business is selling firearms, sharp intake of air and then...I am afraid we cannot help you. :roll: