How to get a bank account - if you're unbanked - basic bank accounts

chambta

I would hazard a guess that if you take the UK's population as a whole then close to 50% wouldn't have a current, valid passport.

debbie1157

I've been with Lloyds Bank.....I was fed up of them phoning my work to tell me I was £3 overdrawn so I left and went to Nat West Bank. I had a problem with being overdrawn so I just left them and got an account with Barclays Bank. I was doing really well with them until I got involved with some idiot from Nigeria who sent me a cheque for £4000.00. I took it to the bank to pay it in. At the time I was awaiting news from my car insurance as someone had reversed into my car whilst it was parked outside my house. The cheque said it was from an Insurance company in London. Well, I thought it was to do with my car accident so I paid it into my bank and asked if I could have £400 from the cheque that day. They said I could and gave it to me. When I tried to use my card about two days later, it wouldn't go through so I went straight to Barclays and asked them why. They called me into their office and asked to see my debit card. As soon as I handed it over they confiscated it and said that what I did was fraudulant and that my account would be suspended until I paid off the overdraught. I was gutted! I'd been had. I ended up paying off a £1 per month from the beginning of last year with the help of the CAB. This year I received a letter saying that a Debt Collection Agency had taken over the debt and that I had to pay off all of what I owed. Gutted again! I was doing so well! I sent them a letter asking them what their best price would be to pay off the debt completely. It went from £278 to £104.04 in one fowl swoop! Woohoo! I paid it off and now am waiting for a letter of confirmation. I never want to see a bank let alone have a bank account again. I'm now with Yorkshire Building Society who let me have Direct Debits if I want them and if I want to pay a bill by cheque, I just have to ask for a cheque for the amount I need to pay the bill. It's free! Brilliant! Who needs Banks.......not me!! Ha!:rotfl:

pmduk

glider3560 wrote: »

AFAIK British citizens can only apply for an ID card when you apply for a passport. They must live in Manchester or work at Manchester or London City airports. Nationals from outside the EU can apply for an ID card wherever they live, without a passport.

That's certainly what my pack says and confirmed by their helpline. Surely nationals from outside the EU must have a passport to be here?

glider3560

pmduk wrote: »

That's certainly what my pack says and confirmed by their helpline. Surely nationals from outside the EU must have a passport to be here?

Yes, sorry, I worded that really badly! I meant they didn't need to buy a passport at the same time. It now appears they've changed the conditions for UK nationals so they don't need to buy it at the same time as a passport.

usedandabused

benoit wrote: »

Why? Is it compusory to have one? I don't have one. I don't go abroad & never have done so i don't need a passport. You will be surprised how many people don't have a passport.

You don't need to justify yourself, it is perfectly normal that people may not have a passport, especially if you dont fly or are on a low income, i don't have a passport any more.


good riddance!!!!

usedandabused

debbie1157 wrote: »

I've been with Lloyds Bank.....I was fed up of them phoning my work to tell me I was £3 overdrawn so I left and went to Nat West Bank. I had a problem with being overdrawn so I just left them and got an account with Barclays Bank. I was doing really well with them until I got involved with some idiot from Nigeria who sent me a cheque for £4000.00. I took it to the bank to pay it in. At the time I was awaiting news from my car insurance as someone had reversed into my car whilst it was parked outside my house. The cheque said it was from an Insurance company in London. Well, I thought it was to do with my car accident so I paid it into my bank and asked if I could have £400 from the cheque that day. They said I could and gave it to me. When I tried to use my card about two days later, it wouldn't go through so I went straight to Barclays and asked them why. They called me into their office and asked to see my debit card. As soon as I handed it over they confiscated it and said that what I did was fraudulant and that my account would be suspended until I paid off the overdraught. I was gutted! I'd been had. I ended up paying off a £1 per month from the beginning of last year with the help of the CAB. This year I received a letter saying that a Debt Collection Agency had taken over the debt and that I had to pay off all of what I owed. Gutted again! I was doing so well! I sent them a letter asking them what their best price would be to pay off the debt completely. It went from £278 to £104.04 in one fowl swoop! Woohoo! I paid it off and now am waiting for a letter of confirmation. I never want to see a bank let alone have a bank account again. I'm now with Yorkshire Building Society who let me have Direct Debits if I want them and if I want to pay a bill by cheque, I just have to ask for a cheque for the amount I need to pay the bill. It's free! Brilliant! Who needs Banks.......not me!! Ha!:rotfl:

If you were 'had' why not inform the banks and police at least that way it wouldn't look like you're a fraudster

AndyNorwich

Good news !
Ive been turned down by every bank and buliding society as my credit is bad. I was refused by natwest for a step account. Ive just called them and the man explained i could open a "first reserve" account. This is a savings account with a debit card. They do NOT do credit checks for this account and hes just opened me one up over the phone. So for anyone else having problems getting a bank account go to natwest and ask for a first reserve account. IM SO HAPPY !!!

robegee

Rang up Co-op Bank and asked for a Cashminder account - first person was slightly pushy saying it was only for bankrupt people and i should get their current account. Finally accepted I wanted this one - I said I didn't want any credit checks done. Actually got cut off on phone......

rang back and immediately said to operator I wanted Cashminder Account because I didn't want any credit checks done and had very bad credit history - this operator was very helpful and took all my details. He confirmed no credit checks were to be done and confirmed that the account had been ok'd but it was then going to be reviewed as standard practice so they could do all their checks to make sure I wasn't setting up a fraudulent name account. That was on tuesday - now on friday I rang them with my reference number and they say the account starter pack will be with me next week - AWESOME!!!!!!!!!! THANKS MSE FOR YOUR ADVISE - I'VE NOW GOT A DEBIT CARD - NO WORRIES ABOUT GOING OVERDRAWN AS THERES NO OVERDRAFT AND I CAN PAY DIRECT DEBITS AND STANDARD ORDERS

KimYeovil

robegee wrote: »

THANKS MSE FOR YOUR ADVISE - I'VE NOW GOT A DEBIT CARD - NO WORRIES ABOUT GOING OVERDRAWN AS THERES NO OVERDRAFT AND I CAN PAY DIRECT DEBITS AND STANDARD ORDERS

Why are there no worries about going overdrawn? You can still be overdrawn and receive penalty charges on a Cashminder account. Unless you don't use standing orders or direct debits or your debit card at a shop that takes three weeks to process your payment you have all the same risks (and penalties) as a standard current account. The only difference is that you do not have an approved overdraft with cheap costs (when under the approved limit) - if you are prone to idiocy then a Cashminder account will be more expensive, not less expensive, than a standard current account.

tiff

Is "unbanked" even a word? (in the title)