Internet banking through the mail - a rant

[fox_c]

Could someone explain to me why, WHY for the love of all things cute and fuzzy does one have to send paper forms back and forth in REGULAR MAIL in order to set up internet banking? It's beyond silly at this point. I never could get it done with my old bank, and the new one is set on sending me THREE different letters with the parts of the

Comments

[austengirl]

*snorts at the money changer comment*

We've had a ridiculous time setting up a joint account, which we did over three weeks ago and still have not received one piece of paper. First they told husband that he didn't need to show ID because he already has an account there. Then when I called to find out why we hadn't gotten our cards or chequebook, they said they couldn't process the app because they needed to see ID and proof of address from him. The hell? Then after he went in to provide the documents they said they were forwarding the app to the Lending department. WTF? We're opening a bank account, not applying for a loan.

*headdesk*

[fox_c]

Oh I know. It took me six months to get my first bank account due to the id/proof of address requirements. Even then, the only account I could get was an offshore one with NOTHING but a debit card, and a Visa Electron at at that. When they decided to charge me for the privilage, I asked my employer to set me up with something. I'm going in today to close the old account - it will be a beautiful, beautiful moment.

Banking in this country is so bizarre. Good luck with your joint account! We still haven't managed to get one of those set up yet either.

<--- how I feel about banking in the UK

[austengirl]

I'd kept my Bank of Scotland account from when I was a student, assuming I wouldn't have any problems using it after I moved back in May. How wrong I was. They merged with Halifax in 2003, and there are almost only Halifax branches in Liverpool. First they discouraged me from applying for a Switch card (luckily Solo is accepted more places than it used to be), then they didn't want to switch me from a student account to a regular current account, despite the fact that I've been out of education for almost two years. The last straw was when they were almost unable to accept a cheque I wanted to deposit because *not all Halifax branches can access BoS customer files*. People, you've had two years to sort that shit out. I was so happy to close my account

Re: <--- how I feel about banking in the UK

[lady_ceres]

Paper trails for internet banking....gah!!!!!

Austengirl: Wow...I'm going to have to do something similar soon. I have a cash card account with Barclays, but now that I'm working I need something better, IE swtich card! I wasn't sure what the policy was to switch from a student to a "normal" account...however I will keep Natwest in mind!

BTW, can I friend you austengirl? It'll be nice to have another american expat on my friendslist!

Re: <--- how I feel about banking in the UK

[austengirl]

Absolutely, I'll friend you too if that's ok. :)

See, I didn't think it would be so hard to get a Switch card, but Natwest didn't give me one either. It does have a Maestro logo on the back and is supposed to be accepted abroad and 'wherever you see the Maestro logo' since Switch is becoming Maestro now or something like that. When I lived here before, having a Solo card was more of a pain because it was fewer online merchants took it.

Hubby has a graduate account, which allows him to keep his student overdraft for awhile longer. I assume he didn't have any trouble switching accounts, but I can ask him. He's been at Natwest for almost ten years, and aside from them screwing up his airmiles and this joint account nonsense, I don't think he's had much trouble with them.

Re: <--- how I feel about banking in the UK

[austengirl]

Gah, apologies for horrible grammar at the end of the first paragraph. Clearly that sentence did not get edited correctly.

[hausaufgaben]

Simple. Socialism.

[aplomada]

You have cleared up a great mystery for me: My credit union is channelling a British bank!

[rabbitwarren]

Wait... Halifax branch? bank of scotland isn't the same as the scotiabank in Canada is it? That would make little sense...