GEMMA Collins reveals her secrets to PTSD after nearly losing her Essex house while her father was in the hospital with Covid.
Reality star, 41, claimed that her HSBC account was suddenly frozen with all her savings and she was forced to go through it. “hell”by the bank just as she was about swapping for her dream home.
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Essex favorite said she was shocked at being left cashless after making the biggest financial decision of her adult life. “embarrassed”.
Gemma joined an Instagram Live with a friend. Small flower shop ownerAndie was a friend who shared the same story with HSBC.
Gemma said her father was suffering from Covid-19 at the time, and Gemma shared their stress-filled stories.
She said: “This happened to me two years ago. The shock, the embarrassment. I couldn’t fall asleep, I felt sick, it was like I was dodgy. ‘am I a criminal?’”
She said she called HSBC to ask why her account had been frozen and explained: “You know what, the guy at the end of the phone, I was so distressed, I was crying on the phone, I was saying, I’m going to lose my house, I’m going to lose my house.
“They read from a script. They have no emotion. ‘go into the branch.’
“I couldn’t go and see my dad in the hospital. The lady in the branch was very kind and I started to weep inside the bank. They didn’t care.”
Gemma admitted she was in fear that she would lose her dream £1.3m Essex home.
“I would have lost my house, in that account I had my life savings,” she continued.
“When I saw Andie crying (on Instagram), it resonated so deeply with me because that was me two year ago.
“I felt broken, I felt helpless, I felt despair. Then I saw you and thought, “I cannot believe that this is still happening.”
“I never mentioned it to anyone. Although I was supposed to visit the financial ombudsman because my father was in his final days, it was not something that I did. It was an incredible experience to buy a house.
“I was traumatised, really I’ve suffered PTSD over that experience.”
Gemma’s friend Andie described how her bank account was frozen. HSBC refused her permission to release her month.
In a long post, she said the following: “I am deeply saddened that you don’t want me as a customer after 25 years of loyal business.
“After losing my wedding video company in 2020 to Covid, I picked myself up and have started another one that is more profitable in just two years. This would make me a loyal customer.
“Not only did your actions make me feel like a criminal but it caused me a huge amount of stress and anxiety having to keep my business running whilst you held onto my working capital of £58k for a whole month. It scared me to speak out publicly about it in case you would never give it back.
“I am aware that you may have suspected me in money laundering. I cannot discuss my case, but a simple telephone call or meeting in branch would have allowed me to explain all my transactions. I have three children and I can’t keep on top of washing their clothes let alone dirty money …
“Closing small business accounts for no reason and withholding access to their money for a month is not right and I feel I have a moral obligation to do something about it.”
MONEY TALKS
Gemma recently claimed that she had “cut back”She turned off her heating during the cost-of living crisis.
She confessed that she is now a better person. “mindful”She is concerned about the rising cost to live and has taken steps towards reducing her spending.
“I’m going to spend October and November trying to make sensible cutbacks because if you look after the pennies they look after you,”The 41-year-old Essex babe spoke on her GC podcast.
“I have done something with each meal time. I go into my cabinets and make serious cuts like everyone else.
“It’s scary. Mortgages are rising and electric bills are increasing. I am telling everyone to not turn on the heating in my house.
“I’m making sure every lights are off, I normally have every TV switched on in the room – not necessarily watching something, but I’d have TV on in one room, music on in the other, but I’ve really been mindful to cut back on all of that.”
Star confessed that she makes meals from leftovers to cut down on food shopping each week.
She said that she has been growing her own fruits and vegetables to help her stop eating junk food. “wasting money”.
Recently, the star revealed that she switched to candles to cut down on her electricity costs.
Gemma snapped up the glass-fronted, open plan home last year and it’s no surprise that it’s rather costly to keep warm.
The house features high ceilings supported with wooden beams and a stunning spiral light feature. There are also dozens of windows, including floor-to-ceiling glass windows, that allow in lots of light.
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