So what's with the phone numbers

Squire_Fulwood

jamespir wrote: »

alright love

Well it's a long time since I was called love but thank you.

I was merely thinking how silly this could all get like one rule for those with computers, another for mobile phones and another if you have both.

On Google they said that if I did not give them my phone number I might not be able to access my account ..........but I am not paranoid ...honest

Squire_Fulwood

jamespir wrote: »

no need to get paranoid

Isn't it paranoia when you actually have a mobile phone but are frightened of giving out the number in case "They" do something nasty to you.

If that were the case then I would admit to paranoia.

The problem is in the perception of this problem by some of the readers. It's a fine point but an important one and it's this .....

I don't own a mobile phone to give them the number of.

There I typed that in lower case just to give the impression that I don't shout when misunderstood.

lindabloo

Squire_Fulwood wrote: »

That's not funny since I think it could be true.

This whole thing has got me thinking of disaster scenario's.

I understand that a bank and Google are pressing this on the grounds of security etc. They send you a text code every time you move money and you have to enter this into your computer.

Could it be possible that there is someone out there who does not even own a computer? I remember that before I banked on line I would wait for a paper statement every month and do my mid month accounting myself. Later I was able to phone a number, enter my pin and get a balance statement.

So my question is ....is there someone out there who not only does not have a mobile phone but does not have a computer either.

Obviously they won't be able to reply to this post themselves but someone may know someone etc.

I wonder how they will get on.

They send you a text with the security code only if you are banking on line. Therefore you woud have to own a computer. Therefore if you are moving money via telephone banking you wouldn't be sent a text.

Squire_Fulwood

lindabloo wrote: »

They send you a text with the security code only if you are banking on line. Therefore you would have to own a computer. Therefore if you are moving money via telephone banking you wouldn't be sent a text.

Thank you lindabloo, it's getting clearer all the time. So while I have your attention may I ask a further question for the purposes of clarification.

How is this text of any use when you don't have a phone and why did they refuse my brother access to his account when he couldn't give them the non existent phone number?

He has a computer by the way, just no phone.

lindabloo

Squire_Fulwood wrote: »

Thank you lindabloo, it's getting clearer all the time. So while I have your attention may I ask a further question for the purposes of clarification.

How is this text of any use when you don't have a phone and why did they refuse my brother access to his account when he couldn't give them the non existent phone number?

He has a computer by the way, just no phone.

There lies the problem If you brother had an online account and wanted to transfer money to someone he would put in the details of the transaction on to his computer and then a text would come through on the mobile phone, if he had one, containing the security code. I assume your brother can't get access to his on line account because he would need a mobile phone number for this very purpose.

I personally think the way this works is ridiculous. As like your brother, not everyone has a mobile phone. I don't see why the code can't be sent to an email address.

I hope this has made things a bit clearer.

Squire_Fulwood

lindabloo

The fact that you agree that it is ridiculous is enough for me. It doesn't clear up the point that one or two service providers seem to behaving like lunatics. You are correct in your description of my brother's circumstances and mine also. We both have on line accounts so the presumption is made that we have phones also.

The only difference between us is that he could not actually access his account and had to go to the high street office. I crashed the browser when it kept insisting the the phone number was a red asterisk requirement.

I feel as though I am on borrowed time with this silly problem and will lose service somewhere over it before long. As I have already mentioned Google/Youtube are also behaving oddly over mobile phone numbers.

Still, enough from me. I made my point and now I have drains to dig. Probably find a mobile phone down there.

the_big_fact_hunt

i rarely give a number out, but when i do i use a flextel number, it costs them more to call and i can shut it down or even redirect it to them if they annoy me enough

flossy_splodge

the_big_fact_hunt wrote: »

i rarely give a number out, but when i do i use a flextel number, it costs them more to call and i can shut it down or even redirect it to them if they annoy me enough

What's a flextel number please?:eek:

Squire_Fulwood

1. For those of you who don't like multiple threads on the same subject .....I have taken the trouble to find the original thread and have re-cycled it.

2. For those of you who think that some threads are just bumped ..............see 1. above.

Logging on to my bank today I found an invitation to join the new on-line banking system with some new features one of which is the One Time Password (OTP). Despite it being called One Time they mention it being used when setting up new payees and some other functions so it may have been mis-named. The idea is that they send a password via SMS to your mobile phone for this purpose and to this end they are quite pushy about you giving them you mobile phone number.

This entire thread is based on the fact that I don't own a mobile phone so I cannot comply and I am unwilling to buy one just to satisfy Santander.

So in an attempt to highlight my problem to them I wrote to them this morning thus:-

"I read with interest your plans to move to Internet banking and especially the bit about OTP. Since I don't own a mobile phone I can't see how I can take part.

Is it the case that you are going to provide a mobile phone at your expense so that I can comply with your new system or is it the case that there is another system for us people with no use for a mobile phone"

For the MSE viewers, you should understand that I have no objection to owning and using a mobile phone, it's just that I object to funding one just so that I can comply with someone elses ill thought out security system.

Google are also going through a similar exercise and I wrote something similar on their board but I have not found a way of contacting their customer services yet so I don't expect a reply from them.

Out,_Vile_Jelly

I personally resent the assumption that it is your duty to be contactable 24 hours a day. There is no legal obligation to own a mobile, and in many professions it is not possible to have it turned on whilst at work. My bank has my office landline, which they use to verify certain online transactions. I always put made up details in answer to any non-urgent questions (ie 99% of them); inventing rude names is a small pleasure in life.