Co-op are driving me crazy!!!

marmalady

I sent an application intially a couple of days before going BR but needed to send proof of ID, so thinking it would be quicker to take passport into my nearest branch (25 miles away!) I did that and the lady was lovely. I waited a week and heard nothing so rang co-op who said they hadnt recieved ID and rang the branch for me who had forgotten to post it. Waited another week and still no ID sent thru to head office and application has expired. Tried again today with new application number and fingers crossed will get it sorted, I cant believe how long this is taking. Ive had to get my wages sent to my mums account but cancelled all my direct debits and now getting requests for full payment from Water company, insurance, and elec/gas company. Going to have to ring round them all and hope they will wait bit longer for new details, its not even as if any are due yet!! Im really surprised at how the companies have reacted i could understand if payments had been missed but they havent.

SInce Barclays are shut will go in on Monday and hopefully they might be a bit quicker, just didnt need all this feels like one big mess!

confused76

argh no marmalady sounds very stressful and it certainly shouldn't need to be like this! i hope you get it sorted soon....x

alastairq

At the time of your visit to the Co-op branch, [whilst I'm not excusing slack admin]...it may have helped if you had got the counter clerk to actually phone head office there and then.

I had a similar problem of ID.....it actually could have been posted to HO, however,I chose your route, thinking it would have been quicker......the local branch then had issues with my ID!

This despite my having the letters/instructions from HO in front of me!

A phone call later, and profuse apologies on their part and I went on my way.

Apparently there are real problems for banks, with people applying for accounts under false ID......it's not the creation of the bank account that is the issue, but the knock-on effect on other types of ID application, if it is shown one DOES have a bank account!

Whilst I agree, EVERY bank will have its admin shortcomings..[even the great and glorious Barclays]...my personal, gut-feeling is, Co-op are far more 'honest' with their dealings with their customers, than big, commercially-driven banks like Barclays......Barclays have HAD to have a huge, poorer-customer-relations turnaround in the past year.......
[witness the strange idea that, the lower one's income is.the more interest is demanded?..2 or 3 years ago, Barclays [my bank then] seemd to have a definate policy of NOT wanting to encourage low-income customers..]

Co-op have ALWAYS had a good relationship with those of us, less well-off.


but perhaps, I have lower expectations than some ?

bee125_2

Hi all,

Having read about the CoOp and Barclays route, I decided to open both, pre BR.

As my IVA is about to fail, having read all that can be read on these forums and called the CCCS, this is the most sensible route.

CoOp were part of my IVA and thought I would not be able to open a basic account with them - this is not the case - they already had my details on a database somewhere and made sure the new basic bank account was seperate from the old Smile account and not linked to my current bank account which will be frozen next week.

As an old customer, no ID was required as they could verify my details over the phone. So, all in all, CoOp aren't that bad.

No, I'll just have to wait and see what Barclays respond with.

BTW - I agree, opening an account with Barclays was less than satisfactory - the advisors were half my age and totally patronising - all of this in an open plan "Customer (mis)Service" counter which, explaining my current situation made me feel bad being in a bank.

Onwards and upwards with telephone and internet banking with the CoOp... just not too sure about Barclays now.

:money: