Bonkers Banking

klaatu

I wanted to add my wife to my Nationwide Flexaccount (she has her own Flexaccount also), so I phoned them up. No problem, they said, just go into your nearest branch and they'll sort it out. Our nearest branch is two ferries and 100 miles away, I told them. Sorry, they said, them's the rules. But you can open a new joint account over the phone. So we did.

Where's the logic in that?

Steve

SparciaM

Just guessing here, but maybe they guy wanted a sale and if you opened a joint account instead of putting your wifes name onto your account then he'd get a 'new account sale' towards his targets.

Rafter

Steve,

It was probably to protect you from fraud.

I'm sure some less than honest people get themselves added to accounts to clear out their boyfriends/girlfriends etc.

By going into branch your identity can be checked.

Similarly by making a new application they need signatures and credit checks on both parties.

Does seem nuts in your situation though - their must be a better way!

R.

regularsaver1

does your wife not have to provide id then?

klaatu

regularsaver1 wrote: »

does your wife not have to provide id then?

Apparently not, presumably because she's already with the Nationwide. All done over the phone (apart from having to sign and return the forms when they arrive). I just don't understand why they can't add someone to an existing account using the same procedure.

Steve

lynxptc

It was probably more so the fact that the guy you spoke to on the phone didn't have any authority to do anything other than basic transactions like checking balances and making payments.

Most banks telephone banking service is like that, even First Direct which is based completely over the phone - no branches. Checking balances, making payments, ordering chequebooks etc - fine. Anything more than that will require a "transfer to another department" and call being put on hold and then a response saying "put it in writing"!

regularsaver1

this is not something that branches can do either - has to be sent away to a business centre