Why does my wife keep needing ID?

BernardE

When I open a new savings account, I am usually validated online without needing to send ID documents. My wife ALWAYS has to send ID documents. But she is UK-born, is a joint houseowner of many years, has other savings accounts, a job, etc etc. Why is she a non-person?? Any ideas please as it is beginning to worry her!

Lokolo

She on electoral roll?

dunstonh

its not uncommon for a spouse to fail the electronic ID checks if the husband has all the bills and credit applications in his name. The spouse never builds up any records to compare against.

BernardE

Yes, she's on the electoral roll.

She has also been registered to pay our council tax for years and was a joint mortgage holder until it was paid off a few years ago. Fair to say that my name is on most of our bills though!

OneADay

Some banks are nurky like that.

A&L have really taken the P - over the last 7 days I have to produce id to close a savings bond (which I thought would be done automatically) and then more hassle and trips to tranfer money into an Isa account.

I was fuming and really wanted to say stuff it and close all accounts.

Little wonder A&L are one with Abbey - they both have same lousy service and rip customers off with delays.

Hungerdunger

A similar thing happened with us, except that it was me who had to verify his identity.

I ended up subscribing to Experian to check my credit rating and after some investigation, it appeared that it may have been due to a duplicate entry on the electoral register. (Although I couldn't really understand how that would have happened). Eventually Experian told me that they had amended their records, and the last two accounts we have opened have gone through with no problems.

It annoys me that we have to pay to extract the info held on us by these agencies, but it may be worth it just in case they hold incorrect info.

LilacPixie

halifax don't seem to like me for that very reason. I thought initially it was because I had got married and changed name they wanted more ID than just marriage cert but 3 years down line it's the same. most recently opening a reward account to run along side my existing joint account.

Annisele

Definitely worth getting a copy of your wife's credit report from all three of the credit agencies.

If any of them can't find her, that will be your problem. Sometimes that will be for really dozy reasons - for example, you live at "1 Oak Hill" but the address has been recorded as "1 Oakhill", or her name is "Linda" but it's down as "Lynda".

Exocet

I have had the same problem with my wife. She has only been in the country for a few months and we don't yet have all the paperwork the website promised us. So I have to give her cash when she goes shopping, and it is hard enough with the language as it is to explain what I need.

Dillence

This has happened to me as well. I have recently inheirited 4 different types of unit trusts and am getting really frustrated when I have to prove who I am and my brother doesn't.

Apperently I failed an experian check - but I have a credit card (paid in full each month), am on the electoral roll and have a mortgage. I guess at some point I might have to pay for a check on my score.