Kaupthing Edge; grrrrrrr...

Patty_Odore

Hi all, have lurked for some time and today felt I must register and post because I am incensed at how KE are treating a friend of mine. I'd be interested to know whether anyone else has had the same treatment.

The lady in question is in a nursing home, has had both legs amputated, is an insulin dependant diabetic and is registered blind. She has very little money but has managed to save about £600. She is totally reliant on me to organise her finances, and until recently she had her savings in Sainsbury's Bank. As I'm already an account holder with KE and have been pleased with their customer service, I recommended them and she agreed to open an account with them and transfer her savings. I started the process at the end of July and after various complications, the account was finally opened last month. However, KE have managed to lose my friend's birth certificate and bus pass which I sent them to enable them to check her ID (she has no passport, driving licence or utility bill) as they have her address wrong on their records (their fault not mine). They have still not amended their records even after promising to do so. I have lost count of the number of times I have emailed, written letters and rung KE; they have not answered any letters or emails and although on the phone are always very apologetic, they never follow things up. I should add that letters from my friend (which I produce for her in large print) to KE are always signed by her, and any emails I send are in her name. She always speaks to them on the phone, not me, so KE are doing the right thing as regards data protection. But I think they are guilty of discrimination; either against her age or her disabilities. Whichever it is, I'm angry. Needless to say she has now asked me to close the account. :mad:

Would welcome any comments!

MagicBurd29

I suggest your friend needs to give someone Power of Attorney. To be blunt, the sooner the better.

Won't help with Kaupthing who don't do PoA accounts, but will help with many other institutions.

I've recently tried to set up PoA accounts for my Mother with Icesave but they've admitted their PoA dept is in a mess so I gave up. Most other institutions have bee OK to good with PoA matters. Including HBOS, thankfully as that's who her current account was with at the outset, although I have to hassle them every so often.

Hope this helps.

iltisman

I am sorry to hear of your friends problem but are you sure its KE who lost her documents I have had items disappear in the post including a Building society cheque which gave me big problems.

Patty_Odore

Thanks for replies; sorry, haven't yet worked out to post replies to include quotes!

I already have POA for my friend but KE don't do POA accounts so I opened it in her name only. And yes, it is definitely KE who have lost the documents; according to their customer services, they originally sent the documents to the wrong address, the docs were then returned to them and and haven't been seen since.

Have to say that re the account in my own name I've never had any problems. I am wondering whether they are thinking I might be money-laundering....

Hungerdunger

Most banks or building societies stress that you should send certified copies of important documents; never the originals. Not that it excuses them, but didn't they advise you of this?

johnmoney05

Your friend should lodge a complaint with them in writing, keep a copy, then take it further with financial ombudsman if without satisfactory answer.
By the way, your suggestion to her for Kaupthing Edge was a bad choice no matter what. Banks do lost ID documents occasionally. As you said, KE was holding a wrong address for her at the first place, why that happened? Who gave KE the address at the first place?