Appalling service from Alliance & Leicester

jma_4

God only knows but that's the excuse he gave as a possible reason why "the computer" wouldn't allow the new account. My reply was very similar to yours

garysletters

Oh how i wished I'd read this thread earlier. I just opened a prem plus account for the interest rate and offers.
Firstly, you get reams of paperwork and letters welcoming you, giving numerous different pin numbers, lots of different contacts, it all gets too much.
Then, the main problem as mentioned numerous times on here, the DD transfers.
I was opening a joint account with my girlfriend (hence why so many trees are lost as they send EVERYTHING out in duplicate in seperate letters). We thereore applied for 2 DD transfer forms and duly completed and returned.
A week or so later, we got the "as we haven't recieved anything back........we assume you no longer want to transfer...."
a quick call (where they actually seem to me to be OK) and they tell us it must have got lost, they'll send out 2 more.
Again we fill out and return, at the same time.
A week later, my girlfriend gets a letter "we have not recieved...." a few days later "we have not recieved....."
a week later "your details have been set up and are all in place........blah blah"
I have still heard nothing.
a couple of weeks later I get the "we have not recieved......" then, a week later, "your details have been set up......."
This was a hassle, but not a problem. The problem arises when you go overdrawn because you dont get enough time to move your money about to cover the bills.
I got the "we have not recieved...." letter before Xmas.
I therefore had to leave money in my old account to cover the £100 or so DD due out at the end of the month. I then recieved the letter confirming the DD's set up just after Xmas, so I tried to hastily transfer money into the A+L account to cover the bills leaving this account. All my DD's left on 31/12/04 (Friday). my money to cover this didnt make it until the next working day (4/1/05). I went £2.53 overdrawn, and my money to cover it was 1 day too late, all because I didnt recieve confirmation of my DD set up until a few days before the money went.
THE RESULT
I get charged a £25 "PAID ITEM" fee, for going £2.53 overdrawn for 1 working day, even though I have an authorised overdraft, simply because their DD transfer system, is absolute crap!

How best do I complain about this one?????
It seems scandalous to me!
Their inefficiency has just cost me £25, and I only opened it to make good interest.

TREVORCOLMAN

Marky ...............

Yes I do know that A&L credit card is owned by MBNA. However my credit card says A&L and so does all the other paperwork and the number I ring is A&L.

I have cards with MBNA and have had no problems with them at all.

The whole point is how they have handled it. I know what happened. But they have made no apology for it or tried to offer an explanation.

TREVORCOLMAN

It was also pure coincidence that the second amount was refunded just days after the ombudsman wrote to them! Pull the other one.

MarkyMarkD

Why on earth do you need a credit-check to open a savings account?! Surely birth certificate of your child, or your ID (DVLA, passport etc..) would do?

It's not a credit check.

Financial institutions use Experian/other credit agencies' databases in order to perform money laundering validation checks on new account openings.

This is something the banks had imposed on them by the Government, and it's over-reaction and causes a lot of pointless hassle in 99.999% of cases ... but maybe, might just detect a money launderer opening an account in the other 0.001% of cases.

The online verification is to avoid customers having to provide evidence of ID etc - it shouldn't prevent you opening an account WITH that ID, if you do not get "cleared" by the online check. The theory of the online check is that if you are opening an account in your own name, and you are on the electoral roll at that address, etc., it's better evidence of your identity than an easily-faked gas bill.

Details of this are here.

I think that A&L should have explained that "computer says no" isn't a reason for refusing to open the account ... it should have just encouraged them to go through the manual ID process instead. >:(

garysletters

ACTION TAKEN. RESULT!

I e-mailed the problem above for my ONLINE account via the ONLINE e-mail facility. I got a reply (next day, so it was quick) saying that the internet banking team couldnt deal with my internet current account problems! (seems odd to me) They supplied a number for cust services. (i used the international version- 0113 2541566). I got through straight away to abloke who said it was nothing to do with them (I thought this was customer services) and he'd transfer me to internet banking. (I tried explaining they didnt want to know, but he transfered me anyway.)  waited for about 10 mins with the phone ringing till I was cut off for waiting too long.
I recalled Cust services, and spoke to "Katie" who was wonderful. She listened to my prob, and my insane rantings which was very nice of her, and agreed I couldnt have done any more to avoid the situation and had tried to cover the DD's. She agreed to refund the £25. she also told me I didnt have an overdraft set up, (despite previously being told it was set up automatically), and shes going to start the process for getting one set up. (today is Saturday, so nothing can be done till Monday).

Overall, I would not recommend anyone to open an A+L account, but if they do, DONT USE THEIR DD SWITCHING SERVICE.
However, some of the staff do seem very helpful at customer services, and should not all be tarred with the same brush.
I await my refund confirmation........... tbc

MarkyMarkD

Well done, gary. A bit of perseverance can work wonders!

Definitely, definitely, worth having the o/d set up to avoid a lot of hassle at minimal/no cost.

jma_4

I think that A&L should have explained that "computer says no" isn't a reason for refusing to open the account ... it should have just encouraged them to go through the manual ID process instead.

Explain, please? This was attempting to open an account at a branch, they HAD the ID of the account holders? (in this case, my daughter's birth certificate -- surely he didn't run a credit check on her -- UK passport and a household bill).

If the same checks were in place, surely the same practice is carried out at all banks thus I would not have been able to open a savings account at another bank using the same ID and cash deposit?

edit: What qualifies as "money laundering" with the credit services?

edit 2: Oh, I don't want to come across as angry/arguing a point so apologies if it reads that way Just a little confused as to why and no 'valid' reason from A&L.

MarkyMarkD

I'm agreeing with you! "Computer says no" should trigger the manual verification processes, not lead to an outright rejection.

I don't know what rules A&L applies for children's accounts. For adult accounts, I would expect them to accept the sort of evidence you refer to, if the online checking didn't clear you straight away.

garysletters

Latest in my A+L saga.
Yesterday I went online to check my £25 had been refunded....it had. wonder of wonders someone had actually kept to their word. The only problem was that I now had a note on my account advising me that ANOTHER £25 was going to be taken off my account for being overdrawn. (the same £2.53 overdrawn, caused by them not giving me enough notice of the direct debits being set up, which they have already agreed with).
Another phone call and explaination needed, but again I'm told the money will not be taken.

Is it really worth the hassle???