Becoming a non-person

[RogerS]

Kafka-esque situation here.

Trying to open an account with Barclays as my nearest branch for my own bank is a good 30 minute drive away. Applied online but, because we've only been at the new address for a few months, the computer says 'No'. Fair enough. Have to make appointment to see the branch manager armed with my dog licence, great-great-great grandmother, inside leg measurement and the whereabouts of Lord Lucan.

Seriously, the banks are very hypocritical exhorting us to go paper-less and then asking to see a paper statement as proof of address. Computer printouts not acceptable as they can be doctored. Let's see, what else is acceptable? Utility bills. Nope...in my wife's name. TV Licence (LOL....what a joke to use that as 'proof of address') ...ditto..in wife's name. Ah, what's this? Credit card statement...yup...got several of those.

So armed with several credit card statements and my driving licence toddle off. All fine. Account set-up.

Yesterday the bank manager calls. The anal-retentives at Barclays Stasi-Central will not accept my credit card statement even though it is a printed one from M&S. Why ? Because it does not say if the credit card is Visa, Mastercard or Amex ? WTF ?
Told the bank manager to give them a message from me that I have a job for them involving sex and travel. He did laugh, to be fair to him. He's between a rock and a hard place.

Barclay's website lists acceptable proofs of address. Nowhere do they say that credit card statements must state if the card is Visa etc. Even if they did, none of my other credit card statements have that information.

'Ring this number for alternative proofs of address/identity'. So I did. You could hear the knuckles dragging along the floor as the 'service' agent proceeded to read out the list on the webpage. 'But it says call for alternatives' I say.

'There are none' came the reply. 'So why does your website tell me to call ?'. Silence.

So I have an account open. I have the card. The Pin Sentry. I move money in and out. How long before they freeze it ?

 

[devonwoody]

Hello Roger, I did not know of your recent move. Regarding getting another account, I found the solution was to use my local postoffice they pay money out and give an envelope with free transfer to put cheques in etc. (not cash).

I still do not do any online banking, thinking Ransome will hit the banks one day !

Yes it will.

 

[Eric The Viking]

Given where they have been prepared to do business (unapologetically) down the years, I'm not sure you're better off with an account at Barclays than without it. In any case, they're only faffing about because of the money laundering regulations -- they don't want to fail an audit.

I had a Barclays account for a small start-up business some years ago. Because I stupidly set it up early in the game, they emptied it with recurring charges, then tried to penalise us when there was nothing in it to pay the charges.

Never again.

We moved everything over to a well known building society, despite reservations about having all eggs in one basket. They have been absolutely brilliant, and seem to have more branches than any of the clearing banks too.

But the best bit (for smugness, anyway) is being able to put my ordinary card into the ATM of a savings+loan across the road from the kids' church in a Los Angeles suburb. I emphasise not a credit card, just an ordinary debit one, historically a nightmare to use in the USA. It works pretty much exactly as if I was in Westbury-on-Trym, down the road, including mini-statements and even supposedly paying in (didn't explore that, obviously). And a decent exchange rate with no fee. As of this month, I'm also getting a pretty decent interest rate too.

Clearing banks are so last millennium

E.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

I became a non person the day my first child was born - I became "Sophie's Father".

Another that baffles me is that no one will accept a just out of date passport - so you weren't who you said you were all the time it was valid?

 

[AES]

Try visiting some (quite a few actually) Asian and quite a few other countries Phil. If your Passport has not still got min 6 months to run before expiry date, they won't let you in. Not even when you can show a return ticket with a confirmed place on a flight departing in 10 days time.

AES

 

[Phil Pascoe]

I admit that seems a little peculiar - but not so peculiar as insisting it doesn't prove your identity.

 

[monkeybiter]

......... All fine. Account set-up.
........'But it says call for alternatives' ..........
So I have an account open. I have the card. The Pin Sentry. I move money in and out. How long before they freeze it ?

Wait until you get your first statement from Barclays, then take that in as proof. :twisted:

 

[MikeK]

Another that baffles me is that no one will accept a just out of date passport - so you weren't who you said you were all the time it was valid?

Where I work, what "was" is not important...only what "is". For us, having an out of date passport, or any government-issued ID, is the same as having no passport. We've had people present expired passports from one country, only to discover that they are now citizens of another country, or in some cases have dual citizenship with another country, that are not allowed to work on our projects.

 

[RogerS]

......... All fine. Account set-up.
........'But it says call for alternatives' ..........
So I have an account open. I have the card. The Pin Sentry. I move money in and out. How long before they freeze it ?

Wait until you get your first statement from Barclays, then take that in as proof. :twisted:

Don't think I haven't thought of it ! Actually the suggestion re a building society makes a lot of sense and I've just applied for one...we shall see how many hoops I have to jump through.

If I am successful then I see that M&S Bank are offering a £185 bounty if you switch a bank account to them. And since I have a functioning Barclays account..... :twisted:

 

[MrDavidRoberts]

the banks are just so weird, I had to signup for a broadband in my name just so I could apply for a bank account as I didn't had the specific stuff they asked even I could show 100 of other things I had... but that's the general public here for you -only following the book without able to think outside of the book and not capable of doing anything else.

Fun fact. they are Re-doing our local Lidl now, guess what I saw yesterday? 3 Vans parked with german plates and the Lidl full of german electricians re-wiring everything
How pathetic is that ,that they have to bring electricians from Germany to do a proper job...

 

[RogerS]

....
How pathetic is that ,that they have to bring electricians from Germany to do a proper job...

Our electricians can also do a proper job and so need to slight them. Ever paused to think that perhaps the German electricians are employed by Lidl ?

 

[RogerS]

Hah.... Barclays are even bigger dozos than I first thought. I just looked up on the Govt website as to what documents are valid for proof of address and credit card statements are not acceptable....so Barclays are asking for the wrong thing in the first place. Idiots.

There are two acceptable proofs of address that they could use but, i guess, it is beyond their comprehension....the electoral roll and Land Registry entry.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

the banks are just so weird, I had to signup for a broadband in my name just so I could apply for a bank account as I didn't had the specific stuff they asked even I could show 100 of other things I had... but that's the general public here for you -only following the book without able to think outside of the book and not capable of doing anything else.

Fun fact. they are Re-doing our local Lidl now, guess what I saw yesterday? 3 Vans parked with german plates and the Lidl full of german electricians re-wiring everything
How pathetic is that ,that they have to bring electricians from Germany to do a proper job...

A German firm choosing to employ Germans? How dare they? It's not pathetic, it's sound practice. It would be good if this Country were to do the same.

 

[bugbear]

I spent some time in Germany installing computer software. I was jaw dropped
when I saw a guy turn up in his van to work on the drains outside
the hotel as I had breakfast.

His van was immaculate, his tool box was immaculate, his boiler suit
was ironed. He looked proud to be a drain worker, and exuded confidence.

German still has Unions (still called guilds, in some cases!!) and apprenticeships leading to
nationally recognised qualifications.

Dashed un-british.

BugBear

 

[monkeybiter]

There are two acceptable proofs of address that they could use ....the electoral roll and Land Registry entry.

That seems odd, my son has recently moved towns, bought a second house. His name will still show on the electoral roll at his first house, and the Land Registry too. The LR will show me as owner of a [small] piece of land, but it's not my residence.

 

[RogerS]

There are two acceptable proofs of address that they could use ....the electoral roll and Land Registry entry.

That seems odd, my son has recently moved towns, bought a second house. His name will still show on the electoral roll at his first house, and the Land Registry too. The LR will show me as owner of a [small] piece of land, but it's not my residence.

Dunno...'swot the Govt website said. It also said that identity checking needed only doing in certain circumstances. But then banks...hey, they make their own rules.