Another case: Moneybookers "locked" my account without any notice

Samuel Murray wrote:

2. It is amazing to see how companies just assume that the world works the way it works in their own country. No doubt one can't do business in the UK without a "business bank account", but in my country there is nothing that stops you from doing business with a personal bank account or even without a bank account (although not having any bank account will be difficult, and you won't be able to use Moneybookers then).

Rebekka Groß wrote:
I use a personal bank account in the UK though I am properly registered with the HMRC for tax and VAT.

Samuel Murray wrote:



I'm happy to hear that. But... how would you respond to a UK escrow firm's request that you supply them with details of your business bank account in order to get your money?

Nicole Schnell wrote:
Here is the weird part: This Moneybookers account was used solely to pay our freelancers in other parts of the world. I do not recall that I ever had to upload any moneys, as this account was hooked up with our business checking account and a credit card for back-up. Maybe those were the features and advantages of a merchant account.

Magdalena Szewciów wrote:


Yes, indeed. And the first thing I did was to check the my limit/cap - not yet exceeded, but close. So I asked the hotline lady if this whole procedure had anything to do with the cap. Her answer was: "No."

NB, the weird thing is I've had a corporate account on MB from the very beginning.

Samuel Murray wrote:
The point is that bank accounts, business legitimacy and tax administration are three completely separate issues. This is what I referred to when I said that the UK-based Moneybookers accountants or legal department had a narrow view of how the world works, because they assume the way it works in their country is the way it works in all countries.

mulberryvalley wrote:
Maybe I should firstly ask them about this language difference in front of verification, on the other hand, their email instruction apparently lacks the view point of international users, and still they blocked my account and require me to be verified, say, by their own way.

Paula Borges wrote:

I've been using Paypal for a while and haven't had any problems except for their fees and how long it takes to get the money into my bank account. In Brazil, Paypal registration requires your taxpayer number, address and ID number so I doubt it can be seen as "under the table".

Threads like this put me off opening a moneybookers account. Many countries do not require someone to be properly incorporated as a business to work as a freelancer, you'll just pay tax based on your income/funds in your bank account. So what will you do? Some of their demands seem unreasonable.

If they want identification, for example, why do they specify passport? Like Samuel said, in his country it takes 6 months (outrageous, by the way), you can do it here in 24hrs but it is not cheap at all, and you'll need to go there and queue up which can take hours.

What puzzles me the most is the fact they'll just freeze someone's account randomly without explanation. As a member, therefore a client, shouldn't you be allowed to know when, how and why your account can be blocked?

What if you are relying on that money to pay your personal bills, are they going to take responsibility over that? My banks would be legally accountable in a situation like that, and they are required to explain any drastic measure, and after all, moneybookers is a bank isn't it?

Samuel Murray wrote:



I doubt if submitting the wrong files first and later submitting the right files will prejudice you in any way, so if you have time to play their game, send them the wrong files to begin with, and see what happens. It could be that they accept your bona fides.

In my case, I had to send them a picture of my credit card. I took the picture with my digital camera, put it on my computer, resized it a bit so that the file wasn't too large but would still look good when printed out, and e-mailed it to them. I suggest you do the same. Take pictures (or use a scanner) of your passport, your driving license and something with your address on it. It won't do any harm if you send them one or two files too many.

Samuel Murray wrote:

It is amazing to see how companies just assume that the world works the way it works in their own country. ...but in my country there is nothing that stops you from doing business with a personal bank account...
In most countries you need some kind of registration with the tax authorities, right? Otherwise "making money under the table" would be legal.

Firstly, the fact that I don't need to register my business in my country does not mean that it is legal to make money under the table in my country. I still have to declare my income, and pay tax on it. If I trade in my personal capacity, then I have to pay tax in my personal capacity.

Secondly, registering a business and having a business bank account are separate issues. I see no logical reason why a business should be prohibited from using its owner's personal bank account for all of its financial affairs. In my country it is quite normal for sole proprietors (like freelancers) to use their personal bank accounts for business purposes.

Thirdly, not all countries require all businesses to be registered. In my country, you only need to register your business when your turnover exceeds the VAT threshold (or in a few other cases). Freelance translators typically need not register their businesses. And (consequently, perhaps) anyone in my country can get a business bank account without having a registered business.

Paula Borges wrote:

I still think any law would consider these to be financial services. We're the costumers, we're even paying fees so I think we have the right to know when, how and why.