Cahoot Won't Accept ID

Steve_Netwriter

Hi,
I've just opened 3x bank accounts with no problem.
Most bills have only my name on them, so we have very little with my wife's name on.

The solution to this was easy. We got our pasports certified by our solicitor.
That was accepted by the 3x banks.

BUT Cahoot will not accept a certified copy of my wife's passport :mad: :mad: :mad:
And they have time limits of 3 and 6 months on documents.

Having tried various things I have now come to the conclusion that we can't open an account with Cahoot

I am annoyed by this. I feel in many ways that it is sex descrimination against my wife, as many married women will be in exactly the same situation.

Why are Cahoot so adament that they will not accept such a widely used form of proof of identity ?
They seem to think that a bank statement printed on normal white paper is better proof than a solicitors certified copy.

Has anyone got any suggestions ?

Should I write a letter to my MP ?
Look into claiming sex descrimination ?
Make a fake council tax bill with my wife's name on it (which I could do in 10 minutes) !!!!

This anti-money laundering law is creating huge problems for honest people, and as my solicitor said, the criminals will be easily getting round it.

Steve (annoyed, disgusted, and fed up with Cahoot)

grumbler

Steve_Netwriter wrote:

Has anyone got any suggestions ?

All our bills besides one are on my name. Water bill is on my wife's name. Just call some company and ask them to change the name and to send you a bill. Easy.

Steve_Netwriter

Cheers Grumbler :beer:

I'll see if I can get anywhere that way !

Steve

regularsaver1

How is that sex discrimination??
You chose to put the bills in only your name - most Mr and Mrs both work these days.
You say that you are sure that many women are in that situation - well why? its 2006.

Is she on the voters roll? they could check that.
They have rules in place and have to stick by them.

innovate

Steve_Netwriter wrote:

Hi,
I've just opened 3x bank accounts with no problem.

In whose name? Yours? Joint?

Steve_Netwriter wrote:

Most bills have only my name on them, so we have very little with my wife's name on.

May be you should have your wife 'assume responsibility' for some, otherwise you risk being accused of sex discrimination in your household.

Steve_Netwriter wrote:

Should I write a letter to my MP ?

Would s/he care?

Steve_Netwriter wrote:

Look into claiming sex descrimination ?

see above

Steve_Netwriter wrote:

This anti-money laundering law is creating huge problems for honest people, and as my solicitor said, the criminals will be easily getting round it.

It's a bit like enduring airport security checks. In order to protect our honest selves, we have to accept inconveniences these days. What would you rather have - your money stolen or 10 minutes of inconvenience?

I do agree, a certified copy of a passport seems, on the face of it, a trustworthy document. However, it's not a widely used method of proving identity in the UK, and most likely much easier to forge than a utility bill or a driving licence. Call me old-fashioned, but until certified passports are widely accepted as proof of identity, I would trust banks who insist on utility bills more than those who don't ask for them.

jonesMUFCforever

Quote from Innovate
I do agree, a certified copy of a passport seems, on the face of it, a trustworthy document. However, it's not a widely used method of proving identity in the UK, and most likely much easier to forge than a utility bill or a driving licence. Call me old-fashioned, but until certified passports are widely accepted as proof of identity, I would trust banks who insist on utility bills more than those who don't ask for them

The problem as I see it is that Cahoot may not be able to authenticate a certified copy.Why not just send them the original passport by registered post and ask them to return it to you by the same method.

Anwen_2

Well, did you check the bank's site before opening the account? Did you check with the bank before getting the certified copies done? I've just visited their site and used the rather snazzy Any Questions? tool and it was quite clear that they require utility bills etc - presumably the problem is that your wife's passport is not proof of address. As others have said, why don't you get one of the bills put in your wife's name, or indeed get them all put in joint name? I have had bills in joint names with myself and a flatmate before.

And I agree, surely it's more you being discriminatory than the bank In fact, even when I lived with my ex and he was working while I looked after our daughter, the bills were in my name mainly.

Debt_Free_Chick

They normally need two "proofs". One for identity, for which a passport will be accepted and another to prove that you live at the address you claim to - this is usually a utility bill or some other official communication to your home address.

A passport does not prove that you live at the address you claim to - you need something official addressed to your wife at her current address.

Debt_Free_Chick

Steve_Netwriter wrote:

I am annoyed by this.

Whilst I understand the inconvenience, this is really for your own protection. It stops anyone else opening an account - or worse, getting credit - by impersonating your wife.

PugLady_2

I've struggled to prove my identity in the past and it is frustrating. As I don't drive, I don't have a drivers licence and I pay most bills online and shred the ones I get in the post.
They want something to prove your wife lives at your address. I've used an Inland Revenue notice of tax coding instead before and had that accepted, but I imagine they would accept anything from the Inland Revenue in her name. If you have kids does she have any letters about child benefit or family credit in her name, I think they would accept that too. I used my child benefit book years ago as proof of my address. I know you don't get books anymore but you do get letters from them now and again.

Steve_Netwriter

Hi guys,
Well I get the impression from most of your posts that it's all my fault !

Ah forums, don't you just love 'em

How is that sex discrimination??
You chose to put the bills in only your name - most Mr and Mrs both work these days.
You say that you are sure that many women are in that situation - well why? its 2006.

Is she on the voters roll? they could check that.
They have rules in place and have to stick by them.

Actually it was my wife who feels disciminated against. Not by me, but by Cahoot.
Are you sure most Mr & Mrs work ? Don't forget the huge number of married pensioners out there ! And some couples who have children still decide to have one partner look after the kids

Why in 2006 ? Simple, that's how it worked out by chance. BY chance my wife has the TV licence in her name, I ordered the BT line, and it got put in my name etc etc. Most companies that I delat with would only take one name - at the time. Maybe things have changed....in 2006

Cahoot certainly have their rules, and they are stickly rigidly to them. No help at all from them. No suggestions of alternate ideas. Nothing except "this is unacceptable...."

In whose name? Yours? Joint?

Yes, joint, and all asked for a certified copy of our passports. Actually I realise it's 4x !

So, out of 5x banks, 4x have accepted certified copies. Only Cahoot have not.

May be you should have your wife 'assume responsibility' for some, otherwise you risk being accused of sex discrimination in your household.


As I said, my wife is quite happy with me. It's Cahoot she is annoyed at.

Would s/he care?

I'd like to think that our MP would be interested in how a Law is affecting his/her constituants, and how it is bveing implemented

It's a bit like enduring airport security checks. In order to protect our honest selves, we have to accept inconveniences these days. What would you rather have - your money stolen or 10 minutes of inconvenience?

I do agree, a certified copy of a passport seems, on the face of it, a trustworthy document. However, it's not a widely used method of proving identity in the UK, and most likely much easier to forge than a utility bill or a driving licence. Call me old-fashioned, but until certified passports are widely accepted as proof of identity, I would trust banks who insist on utility bills more than those who don't ask for them.

That's a joke right ?
Have you looked at utility bills ?
In practice all criminals will be able to forge all documents like that quite easily. Our solicitor spent most of our visit explaining how stupid it is from his point of view. He knows that he only gets to see honest people, and the criminals just create the docs themselves. This idea of preventing money laundering is silly. It only stops petty theives. Not the big guys.

The problem as I see it is that Cahoot may not be able to authenticate a certified copy.Why not just send them the original passport by registered post and ask them to return it to you by the same method.

Because I'm not crazy !
There is no way I'd send either of our passports in the post to anyone using any method. We NEED them really soon. And they are VERY important to us.

Well, did you check the bank's site before opening the account? Did you check with the bank before getting the certified copies done? I've just visited their site and used the rather snazzy Any Questions? tool and it was quite clear that they require utility bills etc - presumably the problem is that your wife's passport is not proof of address. As others have said, why don't you get one of the bills put in your wife's name, or indeed get them all put in joint name? I have had bills in joint names with myself and a flatmate before.

And I agree, surely it's more you being discriminatory than the bank In fact, even when I lived with my ex and he was working while I looked after our daughter, the bills were in my name mainly.

Yes I did, and on the face of it, it looked like all the others I've had no trouble with. Most will help you to suplpy the ID they will accept.

The trouble is we only have a few documents with my wife's name on that are recent.
Yes she has all sorts of letters that would be acceptable, but almost all are to old for Cahoot. Inland revenue, child tax credit, TV licence etc etc etc are all more than either 3 or 6 months old.
The other bank accounts are savings accounts - they are no good for Cahoot.
That leaves the current account. That's fine. Lots of statements.
So that's the address done.
But no utility bills. The council tax would be OK, but it's too old - they only do them once a year !

Whilst I understand the inconvenience, this is really for your own protection. It stops anyone else opening an account - or worse, getting credit - by impersonating your wife.

Oh yes, I quite agree. But in practice I don't think these requirements will really stop the bad guys. And the rigid and narrower rules imposed by Cahoot are what annoy me.

The banks we've had no problem with are actually MORE strict than Cahoot.
They won't accept just utility bills etc.
So actually I think Cahoot is less safe.

Ask yourselves this.
If someone broke into your home, are there enough paperwork for them to open an account in your name ?
Could they scan them into a computer and change the address and then print the docs ?

I've struggled to prove my identity in the past and it is frustrating. As I don't drive, I don't have a drivers licence and I pay most bills online and shred the ones I get in the post.
They want something to prove your wife lives at your address. I've used an Inland Revenue notice of tax coding instead before and had that accepted, but I imagine they would accept anything from the Inland Revenue in her name. If you have kids does she have any letters about child benefit or family credit in her name, I think they would accept that too. I used my child benefit book years ago as proof of my address. I know you don't get books anymore but you do get letters from them now and again.

Hi Sue,
Thanks for the suggestions. As you'll have seen from my reply, it's all about the age of the documents. The timing is just wrong, as all the letters are too old

Since we are about to move, I think I'll just give up. Too much hassle.

I wish you all safe banking. Oh and on that subject - how many of you have a good load of anti-spyware running and up to date on your computer ?
If the answer is "Huh ?", then you have much more to worry about....

All free:

Miscrosoft Antispyware
Ad-Aware
SpyBlaster
SpyBot Search & Destroy

And of course AVG for viruses
http://free.grisoft.com

Thanks
Steve