Set out below are the terms and conditions. This forms an agreement between you, the account holder, and us, the Bradford District Credit Union (BDCU). These Terms and Conditions tell you how your account works and what your and our obligations are once you open an account with us.

In these conditions:

• “Account” means the BDCU Share (i.e. Savings) Account operated and maintained by us.
• “Available money” means funds which have cleared on your account, less any loan, budget or other payments which are due to someone (including us).
• “Member security details” means your password and any personal information registered with us.
• “Information” includes any information about you or anyone associated with you, which we hold now or in the future as a result of the application process or other dealings with us, searches or checks at credit reference or fraud prevention agencies, products and services you hold within the BDCU and any transactions for goods or services arising out of your account and such information may include sensitive information as defined in the Data Protection Act 2018 and the UK General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR)..
• “Transaction” means any payment for goods or services by card, electronic payment or any other means and any deposits made.
• “We, us or BDCU” means Bradford District Credit Union Ltd, City Hall, Bradford BD1 1HY and any person to which the rights and/or duties of Bradford District Credit Union are transferred.
• “Working day” means any day other than Saturday, Sunday and Bank Holidays in England.
• “You or your” means the member(s) in whose name the account is opened.

1. General
   1. To be eligible for membership of the BDCU you must be in our common bond. See our website for the latest details.
   2. You must ensure that a minimum of £5 is kept in your account at all times.
   3. Statements are available on request.
   4. We will provide statements either by post or via secure electronic transfer.
   5. You must inform us as soon as possible of any incorrect item on your statement.
   6. We may decide not to accept a deposit or application from you.
   7. You must not overdraw your account.
   8. Your account is for personal use only.
   9. We will not be liable if we are unable to perform our obligations under this agreement due (whether directly or indirectly) to:

• • The failure of any machine, data processing system or transmission link
  • Any period of essential maintenance, critical change, repair, alteration to or failure of computer systems
  • Any industrial dispute
  • Anything outside our reasonable control or that of our agents or subcontractors.

1. 1. You must email credit.union@bdcu.co.uk  or write to us at Bradford District Credit Union Ltd, City Hall, Bradford BD1 1HY immediately on any change of name, address or telephone number, proof of name or address will be required.
   2. We may transfer our rights and/or duties under this agreement to any person. You may not transfer any of your rights or duties under this agreement to any person.
   3. Any terms and conditions of your account will be in English, governed by English Law and we will communicate with you in English.
   4. You will be entitled to attend the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the BDCU, usually held in January or February of each year, and will be asked to vote on matters pertaining to the continued business arrangements of the BDCU, including confirming Board members. An invitation to the AGM will be issued at least 28 days prior to the date of the AGM.
   5. Dividend payments are not taxed at source, therefore you may be liable for taxes or costs that are not paid by or via us e.g. higher rate tax.
   6. You also have a right to cancel your account 14 days from our receipt of your signed agreement or when you have started to transact on the account. You can cancel by emailing us at credit.union@bdcu.co.uk or via our ‘Contact Us’ page on our website here. You will have to repay us any amount you owe us including any interest and charges and, if appropriate, cut up any cards. If you choose not to cancel, the terms and conditions including any interest rates and account charges will apply.
   7. There is no minimum duration for any accounts.

1. Dividends and Interest

1. 1. The target dividend will be paid annually and gross of tax and is subject to surplus and approval by the Board of Directors (not guaranteed).
   2. The target dividend is declared at the Annual General Meeting, to which all members aged 18 and over are invited.
   3. Dividend or interest will only be paid to those in membership at the time the dividend is declared or when dividend is due to be paid.
   4. The target dividend rate will be deposited to the account no later than 31^st March following the Annual General Meeting.
   5. Enquiries about the target dividend rate can be made to our Head Office or our website – https://bdcu.co.uk/.
   6. Accounts include dividends only. BDCU accounts do not attract interest.

1. Access – paying in

1. 1. Money can be paid into your accounts in various ways:

• • Standing Order
  • Payroll Deduction (from participating employers)
  • BACS transfer from another bank account – please note that a BACS transfer from another account may take up to 3 working days
  • Faster Payment
  • Transfer from another BDCU account
  • Cheque by post or at a branch (Sterling only)– please see section 3.3 for details of cheque clearance cycle
  • Benefits payments
  • Paypoint (if available)
  • Any other methods which may be introduced

1. 1. When you deposit a cheque, the dividend will begin to accumulate from the day it is deposited. Please note that the cheque will need to be deposited before 2.30pm to be included in that day’s deposits. A cheque sent by post will be deemed to be deposited when it is received by us. See also section 5.6.
   2. If you pay money into your account by cheque, the cheque will be put through a clearing process. The following timescales will apply. We call the day we receive the cheque ‘Day T’ (Day of Transaction – ‘Day’ is a working day) and subsequent days are called Day T+1, Day T+2 and so on:

• • On Day T: You will start to earn a dividend
  • On Day T + 2: Your cheque will enter the clearing process
  • On Day T + 8: You can withdraw your money (if your account allows this)
  • On Day T + 8: By the end of Day 8 you can be certain that the money is yours and cannot be reclaimed without your permission (as long as you have not deliberately committed fraud). However up until the end of Day 8 a cheque may still bounce and the money may be reclaimed from your Account.
  • Up until the beginning of Day 8 you will not be able to withdraw any money against the cheque.
  • Because the BDCU is not a clearing bank, cheques that are paid into our bank account for clearing.
  • Important Notes:
    • Only bank working days are counted when calculating these timescales and Saturdays, Sundays and bank holidays in England are not bank working days
    • Our ‘cut off time’ is 2:30pm. If you deposit a cheque after this time, Day T will begin the next day
    • Different timescales would apply if you chose to deposit your cheque into an account with a clearing bank (it would be available for withdrawal earlier). However, we are not a clearing bank and so the above timescales apply. For more information visit www.ukpayments.org.uk.
    • If a cheque is delayed for any reason before entering the clearing system, we will let you know – provided we have an up to date telephone number.

1. Access – withdrawals
   1. Money can be withdrawn from your accounts in various ways:

• • Same Day Payments transfer to another bank account – subject to withdrawal request being received by BDCU by 2:30pm. If received after 2:30pm it will not transfer to the other account until the next working day.
  • By transfer to another BDCU account
  • Using the BDCU secure website or App (Two-Factor Authentication may be required)
  • Loading onto a pre-paid card and withdrawing at an ATM or ‘cash back’ in a shop
  • Or any other methods which may be introduced.

1. Charges 

1. 1. A Membership fee may be applicable. If so, you will be advised of this at the time of joining. For existing members, a suitable notice will be provided of any fee being introduced.
   2. You authorise us to debit your account with our fees and charges as soon as they are due. We may also vary the charges or any rates of interest or introduce new ones but we will let you know if we do so.
   3. The Board of Directors shall have the discretion to charge an annual administration fee on each dormant account not in excess of £5 or any reasonable amount sufficient to cover the administration costs of membership.

1. Stopping Payment or changing your deposit

1. 1. Subject to any statutory rights you may have, you may not use any claim against any other person as a defence or counterclaim against us.
   2. You are required to maintain any loan arrangements that you hold with us.

1. Using and Sharing your Information

Your information may be held by us in any form and used by us for the purposes set out below and in our Privacy Policy which is available on our website here.

1. 1. Your personal information will be held securely in Bradford District Credit Union systems so that we and any other companies in our Group that you have dealings with, either now or in the future, can manage your relationship with us. This will include information you provide when you apply to us, and any additional information provided by you or others.
   2. We may use, analyse and assess your information to maintain and develop our relationships with you. Other organisations may also access and use this information to prevent fraud and money laundering. This may include the following purposes:

• • Checking details on applications for credit and credit related facilities
  • To make credit decisions about you and anyone to whom you are linked financially or other members of your household

1. 1. When you apply to us to open an account, we may check the following records about you and others:

• • Our own
  • Those at Credit Reference Agencies (CRAs). When CRAs receive a search from us they will place a search footprint on your credit file that may be seen by other lenders. They supply to us both public (including the electoral register) and shared credit and fraud prevention information
  • Those at Fraud Prevention Agencies (FPAs)
  • Those at agencies for the purpose of identity confirmation

1. 1. We will make checks, such as assessing applications for credit and verifying identities to prevent and detect crime and money laundering. We may also make periodic searches at CRAs and FPAs to manage your account with us and comply with Anti- Money Laundering Regulations.
   2. If false or inaccurate information, including immigration, is provided and fraud is identified, details will be passed to Fraud Prevention Agencies.
   3. We and other organisations may access and use from other countries the information recorded by fraud preventions agencies.
   4. Your data may also be used for other purposes for which you give your specific permission or, in very limited circumstances, when required by law or where permitted under the terms of the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) May 2018..
   5. We may link your information between your account(s) and other products and services you have with us and with information about others with whom you have a financial link.
   6. We may contact you by letter, telephone, text message, newsletter, email or any other means of communication about products and services which may be of interest to you and which are offered by us. You may opt in or out of our marketing list at any time by emailing us at credit.union@bdcu.co.uk or writing to us at Bradford District Credit Union Ltd, City Hall, Bradford BD1 1HY. If you choose not to receive any marketing from us, this may mean you will not receive information about business, product or service developments which may be of benefit to you. We will, however, contact you with matters relating directly to your own account and we will still be obligated to send you a notification of Members meetings and any other information relating to your Membership of the BDCU.
   7. We will disclose information outside the BDCU;

• • To our agents, subcontractors or partners for operational reasons;
  • To any persons, including, but not limited to, insurers, who provide a service or benefits to you for us in connection with your account;
  • To licensed credit reference agencies as set out below;
  • To fraud prevention and other agencies to help prevent crime or where we suspect fraud;
  • If compelled to do so by law;
  • For the purpose of compliance and regulatory reporting and to confirm your identity for money laundering purposes, which may include checking the Electoral Register;
  • To any person to whom we will or intend to transfer our rights or obligations;

1. 1. You have a number of rights as a Data Subject, including:

• • the right to be informed;
  • the right of access (Data Subject Access Request (“DSAR”));
  • the right to rectification;
  • the right to erasure, subject to applicable legal and regulatory requirements;
  • the right to restrict processing;
  • the right to data portability;
  • the right to object;
  • rights relating to automated decision-making and profiling; and
  • the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).

1. 1. Requests to exercise any of the above rights, other than the right to lodge a complaint with the ICO, should be submitted to Bradford District Credit Union Ltd, City Hall, Bradford BD1 1HY, or by email to credit.union@bdcu.co.uk. Requests may also be made verbally and will be recorded and handled in accordance with applicable data protection legislation.
   2. You should include your name, address and membership number in any correspondence. Upon receipt of a request to exercise a Data Subject Right, we will respond within one calendar month. We may contact you to verify your identity before processing your request.
   3. Where we reasonably require additional information to confirm your identity or to clarify the scope of a request, the period for responding to the request may be paused until the requested information has been received. Please note that complex requests may be extended by up to a further two months where permitted by law.
   4. You can contact the CRAs currently operating in the UK; the information they hold may not be the same so it is worth contacting them all. They will charge you a small statutory fee.

• • TransUnion International UK Ltd, Consumer Services Team, PO Box 647, Unit 4, Hull HU9 9QZ or email UKConsumer@transunion.com or call 0330 024 7574
  • Equifax Ltd., Customer Service Centre, PO BOX 10036, Leicester, LE3 4FS or call 0800 014 2955
  • Experian, Credit Expert, PO BOX 7710, Nottingham, NG80 7WE or call 0115 828 6738 (Monday – Friday 9am – 5pm or email customerservices@uk.experian.com.

1. 1. Please contact credit.union@bdcu.co.uk or over the phone on 01274 434100 if you want to receive details of the relevant fraud prevention agencies.
   2. Law enforcement agencies may access and use this information.
   3. We may record and/or monitor telephone calls to enhance security, sort out complaints, improve our customer service and for staff training purposes.
   4. Our current Privacy Policy is available to view on our website here.
   5. If you would like a copy of our Privacy Policy, you can request this in any branch or by emailing us at credit.union@bdcu.co.uk or writing to us at Bradford District Credit Union Ltd, City Hall, Bradford BD1 1HY.

1. Security Details

1. 1. When you use your customer security details you are authorising us to carry out all your instructions given over the telephone or in branch.
   2. To ensure these details remain secure, you should not:

• • Write them down
  • Tell them to anyone else.

1. 1. If you suspect that someone knows your customer security codes, you must immediately contact us on 01274 434100.
   2. If your customer security details are used by someone with your permission or as a result of your fraud or gross negligence you may have to repay us for all our losses.
   3. We may ask that you agree to assist us in our efforts to recover any loss as a result of unauthorised use of your customer security details.
   4. For your protection, we reserve the right to suspend access if:

• • Incorrect customer security details are used to attempt to access your account
  • We suspect an unauthorised person is attempting to access your account.

1. 1. You will be asked for personal information as a security check before any account information is given to you, either in a branch or over the telephone. We may also ask you for proof of ID.

1. Unacceptable Member Behaviour

1. 1. The BDCU understands that financial services can have an acute impact on our Members and that sometimes people can get frustrated. However, we also believe that our staff should not be the recipients of any form of abuse or harassment in the undertaking of their roles with us. To this end, all members are required to treat our staff with respect and we have a zero tolerance approach to any forms of abuse or harassment against our staff (including temporary and contract employees).
   2. Examples of unacceptable behaviour include:
      • Physical violence or threats of physical violence
      • Bullying or intimidating behaviour
      • Shouting or raising your voice during a telephone call or in person contact
      • Swearing, cursing or using other language which may cause distress, whether verbally or in written communications
      • Derogatory remarks relating to somebody’s race, sex, gender/gender identity, age or sexual orientation
      • Offensive gestures
      • Making repeated vexatious or malicious complaints about staff members
      • Stalking or contacting staff unsolicited via social media or other medium outside of the BDCU
      • Making any inappropriate or sexual comments to staff members, including the use of insulting or degrading language or inappropriate ‘banter’ or innuendos.

1. 1. The BDCU also has a zero tolerance policy regarding sexual harassment, which is defined as “unwanted conduct of a sexual nature, which is intended to, or has the effect of, violating a person’s dignity or creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment for them”.
   2. Another form of unacceptable behaviour by members includes making unreasonable demands, i.e. making request or demands on our services that we cannot reasonably accommodate. Such requests take up a disproportionate amount of time and resources and can adversely affect our ability to provide a service to others.
   3. The parameters for what constitutes an ‘unreasonable demand’ will depend on the circumstances and each case will be considered on its own merits.
   4. Unreasonable demands can include, but is not limited to:

1. 1. • the volume of correspondence generated or sent by a member, including sending the same or similar requests repeatedly
      • seeking an outcome that cannot be achieved, including persistent rejection of decisions made or explanations provided by BDCU staff relating to the services we provide
      • repeated and frequent contact without giving enough time to respond to previous correspondence
      • not following our complaints procedure
      • insisting on speaking to someone who is not available or is not the appropriate person (such as the Chief Executive Officer)
      • demanding responses to correspondence that is deemed to be unacceptable
      • adopting a ‘scatter gun’ approach: pursuing parallel complaints about the same issue with different members of staff

1. 1. Where unacceptable behaviour by a member has been identified, the BDCU can take a range of actions, depending on the severity of the behaviour and its affect on staff members and the ability to provide services to other members. These include:

1. 1. • Ending calls with members displaying unacceptable language or behaviours
      • Not replying to emails or other written correspondence containing unacceptable language or threats, etc.
      • Cancelling an individual’s membership and closing their account with the BDCU
      • Take legal action against individuals who behaviour towards staff is deemed unlawful, including referring matters to the police, such as when this includes threats of violence, stalking, sexual harassment or other hate crimes based on race, sex, gender/gender identity, age or sexuality

1. 1. Members must not conduct business through their personal BDCU account. Where it is found that a personal BDCU account is being used for business transactions it will be deemed a breach of the terms and conditions under which that account and associated services are provided and may lead to the suspension or closure of that account.
   2. The BDCU will always warn a member that their behaviour is deemed unacceptable and why prior to any actions being taken against them so that they have the opportunity to correct their own behaviour.
   3. If a member is found to have committed fraud, particularly in relation to their account with the BDCU or other financial services institutions, the BDCU reserves the right to deny, suspend or close any accounts related to that member.
   4. Where any evidence of fraud is found, particularly if in relation to actual or potential money laundering, this will also be reported to the relevant authorities without any pre-notification to the member.

1. Ending this agreement

1. 1. You may close your Share Account by emailing us at credit.union@bdcu.co.uk. With the exception of any account with an outstanding loan balance, closures will take effect immediately. Any pending deposits will need to be cancelled immediately by you and will be your responsibility.
   2. We may end this agreement without providing any reason but will give you 30 days’ notice before we do so (except in exceptional circumstances, e.g. fraud investigation, misuse of the account or abusive behaviour).
   3. You must repay to us any amount owing to us on the account, in full including interest and charges.

1. Changes

1. 1. We may make changes to this agreement at any time. If the change is to your disadvantage, we will notify you personally via letter or email at least 30 days before we make the change. At any time up to 60 days from the date of the notice you may, without notice, switch your account or close it without having to pay any extra charges or forfeit any dividend that has already been paid for doing this.
   2. We may make or introduce charges from time to time in respect of the account. We may also vary the charges or introduce new ones but will give you 30 days’ notice in writing, before doing so.

1. Complaints

1. 1. We are committed to providing high-quality services to our members. However, we recognise that there may be occasions when our service does not meet your expectations. This section explains how we handle complaints in accordance with Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) rules and Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) requirements.
   2. If you are not satisfied with any aspect of our service or products, you can tell us about your concern in the following ways:

• • Write – address your letter to the Complaints Officer at Bradford District Credit Union Ltd, City Hall, Bradford BD1 1HY.
  • Email – you can contact us at credit.union@bdcu.co.uk
  • Telephone – you can call us on 01274 434100
  • A copy of our Complaints Procedure can also be found on our website at https://bdcu.co.uk/complaints/.

1. 1. You must give BDCU the opportunity to resolve your complaint before taking it further. The best way to complain will depend on what happened. If you are already dealing with a member of staff, contact that person or their supervisor directly by telephone, email or letter. You may also make an appointment to see them in person. Many complaints arise from misunderstandings and can often be resolved quickly. If you have followed these steps and remain unhappy, please address your complaint directly to the Complaints Officer.
   2. How to make a complaint:

• • Provide your full name, address and any reference or Membership number
  • Provide a clear explanation of your complaint, including the relevant facts, circumstances and sequence of events.
  • Try not to be repetitive or provide irrelevant information
  • Provide any evidence you have to support your complaint, such as photocopies of relevant documents or copies of emails.
  • Keep a record of your complaint.

1. 1. We will acknowledge your complaint promptly and within 5 business days of receiving it. This acknowledgement will include the name and contact details of the person handling your complaint.
   2. We will investigate your complaint thoroughly and impartially. Our aim is to resolve your complaint as quickly as possible. We will keep you informed of the progress of our investigation.
   3. We aim to resolve all complaints within 8 weeks. If we are unable to resolve your complaint within this timeframe, we will:

1. 1. • Inform you of the reasons for the delay.
      • Provide an update on the progress of your complaint.
      • Give you an expected date for resolution.

1. 1. Once our investigation is complete, we will send you a final response. This will include:

1. 1. • A summary of your complaint.
      • The outcome of our investigation.
      • Any actions we have taken or will take to resolve your complaint.
      • Information on your right to refer your complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service if you are not satisfied with our response.

1. 1. If you are not satisfied with our final response, or if we have not resolved your complaint within 8 weeks, you can refer your complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service.
   2. You can find further information about the Financial Ombudsman Service and how they can help by reviewing their consumer leaflet:

Financial Ombudsman Service Consumer Leaflet:
https://www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk/businesses/resolving-complaint/ordering-leaflet/leaflet

1. 1. The contact details for the Financial Ombudsman Service are:

Financial Ombudsman Service
South Quay Plaza
183 Marsh Wall
London
E14 9SR

Telephone: 0800 023 4567 or 0300 123 9123

Website: https://www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk

1. 1. Referral of a complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service must be done within 6 months of the date of our final response letter. Full details of your rights under the Financial Ombudsman Service will be provided with our final response letter.
   2. Where your complaint relates to a data protection issue, we will follow our normal complaints procedure and provide details of how to contact the Information Commissioner.
   3. More information about how the Information Commissioner will deal with your complaint can be found here: https://ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint/