Nightmare trying to open a Harpenden Building society account.

Frances63

I have been in the process of opening a mini-cash ISA with £3,600 at the Harpenden B-Soc. I sent the application off with a Barclays cheque, a certified copy of my passport and 2 x household bills.

It has come back as they apparently need 2 x 'Group A' documents. They said I could get a copy of my driving licence photo-card certified at any Post Office. I have trudged around three post offices this afternoon and no-one would certify it. It can only be done by a sub-postmaster or postmaster and apparently they are never in!

They only need to certify that that the photocopy is a true copy of the actual licence, not that they know me personally or anything like that. Why can't a counter clerk do that?

The lawyer that certified my passport copy did a couple of them for me last year (when I opened a Derbyshire account) but is no longer around to certify the driving licence and I don't know any teachers or banking officials to ask. Why is it so ridiculously difficult to open an account?

The Derbyshire only required 1 x group A document (the passport copy) as I believe do most postal accounts (along with the 2 bills). Why is the Harpenden being so over the top?

I don't know what else I can do?

savetilibleed

Could you not go into any high street building society and get your driving licence copy certified as such by them with a branch stamp? Even if you found a sub-postmaster, they are not going to know you any more than a building society person.

Frances63

According to Harpenden's leaflet it has to be a UK lawyer, banker, authorised financial intermediary, accountant, teacher, doctor or postmaster/sub-postmaster. Why only these people I don't know.

I guess the staff at another building society might fall under the financial category, however, I would feel very cheeky asking them to do that as it's to open an account with a rival! Why would they?!

Milarky

Why don't you make a formal complaint to the Harpenden? This would be amusing if it wasn't so frustrating because, in acknowledging that you are dissatisfied, and replying to you, they would have to also acknowledge that they 'know' who you are.

The way that some organisations chose to interpret the 'money laundering' rules over strictly exposes them to ridicule. The legislation never said that they had to 'make the customer feel foolish' merely that they had to 'satisfy themselves'.

As you say, you've had experience of this with other banks etc and none have gone as far as the Harpenden.

evenasus

I had three documents identity certified and stamped at a post office last year, by a post office worker, working on the counter. She wasn't the 'Post master'.
It is only certain post offices that can provide this service, normally your town's main post office.
Go to this link POST OFFICE ID CHECKING and choose 'ID Checking' from the drop down menu, then enter your post code or town.
You do know to take the printed forms? POST OFFICE ID CERTIFICATION FORM

nzseries1

Hi evenasus, unfortunately your links don't work for me.
EDIT: They do now

Frances63

Milarky wrote: »

Why don't you make a formal complaint to the Harpenden?

I did actually write a message to the HBS via their web-site yesterday.

I really didn't want to over-do the complaint on the phone to them as I felt for the poor girl on the phone who's fault it was not and who was very sweet and polite, but didn't have the authority to sort it out. I truly believe that when you complain it MUST be to the right person.

My email got to the head of operations and to his credit he has replied this morning (very quickly) and offered to do a voter's role search instead for me (with my permission). So, I am very impressed with his quick response and willingness to sort it out, and I told him so.

They don't do this as a matter of course as it costs money for each search and they are only a small building society. I still think that they are over the top with their original requirements and it would have been helpful if they could have straight away asked if they could do a voter's role check as soon as they knew of the difficulty and before I had to complain.

Perhaps as a result of this being brought to their attention they will apply this to others in future? Or just relax a little.

evenasus

nzseries1 wrote: »

Hi evenasus, unfortunately your links don't work for me.

Sorry, I'll paste the full links... Choose ID Checking in the drop down list. http://www.postoffice.co.uk/portal/po/finder;jsessionid=3NO1K2AI0UODQFB2IGDUPLQUHRAYUQ2K?catId=20700386&colour=default&mediaItem=null&mvlpTagName=MVLP&mvlpTestActive=false&pageName=finder&default=default&gear=finder

Link for form ftp://ftp.royalmail.com/Downloads/public/ctf/po/IdentityCheck_form.pdf

Frances63

evenasus wrote: »

I had three documents identity certified and stamped at a post office last year, by a post office worker, working on the counter. She wasn't the 'Post master'.
It is only certain post offices that can provide this service, normally your town's main post office.
Go to this link POST OFFICE ID CHECKING and choose 'ID Checking' from the drop down menu, then enter your post code or town.
You do know to take the printed forms? POST OFFICE ID CERTIFICATION FORM

Thanks Evensus, that's very interesting. I didn't know anything about any printed forms (neither did they bother to inform me), I just had the D/Licence and a photocopy of it with the Harpenden leaflet with the phrase "certified to be a true copy" underlined (so that they knew what to write on the photocopy).

It was the main post office I went to first, but they were adamant they couldn't certify it. The first clerk I spoke to was totally gormless and spent ages reading parts of Harpenden's leaflet that had nothing to do with identification as if she would suddenly know what to do by reading 'How an ISA works'. She clearly had no idea and was plain annoying. After my insistance she asked someone else who at least seemed to know what he was talking about but said the post office do certifications of driving licences as it is one of their products but it had to be the postmaster or sub-master and basically you will never find them.

The two other p/o branches just said they weren't authorised. No-one mentioned any forms. Thanks for the information though, perhaps with the forms they would have done it?

Thanks for the links.

evenasus

Frances63 wrote: »

My email got to the head of operations and to his credit he has replied this morning (very quickly) and offered to do a voter's role search instead for me (with my permission). So, I am very impressed with his quick response and willingness to sort it out, and I told him so.

Lets hope they can verify you electronically.
It really is a bind when they can't/won't.
Opened several account last year, with only one building society requesting paper ID.
Surely, if the majority can check electronically, they rest should be able to.

Frances63

Yes, it should work ok. I opened an internet account with A&L on-line (with no documents needed). I believe they did the electronic voter's role search and all was fine, so it shouldn't be a problem. Fingers crossed.