elderly mother given internet account; she doesn't own or use a computer

xylophone

Edgecutter, there seems to be a great deal of confusion round this account. I honestly cannot see how a member of staff can have opened an on-line account for your mother.

Might it be an idea for you and your mother to make an appointment to see a customer advisor at the bank so that the whole matter can be sorted out?

opinions4u

Is there any redress against Lloyds bank for opening an internet account for my 88 year old mother

I think an assistant at the bank opened the account for her - I think to get her a better return than leaving it in her current account

You don't tell us the name of the account (which would actually really help). But if her money has moved from 0% in a current account to something% in a savings account she is slightly better off than before, surely?

So why the need for redress?

Talk to the bank about what the best account for Mum is today. And then do the same each year.

ChiefGrasscutter

All the Lloyds statements clearly tell you the account name.
Its on Left hand side, immediately below your name and address and above the account summary - and is in large letters.

As others have said without the account name/type it is pretty well impossible to tell what might have happened.

margaretclare

There seem to be 2 issues here:

1. Mum hasn't got a computer so therefore unlikely to have chosen to open an internet-only account and..

2. Mum is 'elderly' i.e. aged 88.

Can't answer the first point. I don't know how anyone could have opened an internet-only account without being able to set up e.g. a password, being sent a PIN through the post. Internet-only accounts do give better interest - a current account gives b****r-all as far as interest is concerned.

On the second point, there seems to be an underlying assumption that the bank should not have done this because Mum is 'elderly'. They're not allowed to discriminate on grounds of age. Not! I know ladies in their 90s who are computer-savvy - my DH is a volunteer with a local group and some of them use their touch-typing skills from a former life and have picked it up quite easily. I also know older people who haven't a computer but go to the local library and spend happy hours in there on the library's computers.

WhiteHorse

Although the facts of this case are not clear, I do know that my elderly mother was subjected to great pressure by Lloyds staff to transfer her money to a different account (one that was clearly to the banks advantage).

At one point, a cashier even took her documents off her to try and force the issue. I had to go to the counter and make them hand them back.

iris

margaretclare wrote: »

- a current account gives b****r-all as far as interest is concerned.

What about the following account http://www.lloydstsb.com/current_accounts/classic_and_classic_plus_accounts.asp

which offers up to 3% and easy access

qpop

Having worked for a time at a bank with retail operations I'd say it's not uncommon (and is often requested by customers) for floor staff at a bank to enable online banking, so people claiming this is impossible should consider checking their sources.

A similar situation with a grandparent caused a £100k cheque to an investment provider to bounce, as the local adviser had "helpfully" arranged for the moneys (inheritance) to be put into a "safekeeping" account, without the understanding or express consent of said grandparent. This was Lloyds TSB also.

Needless to say in this situation I made sure the branch covered all fees incurred by all parties, and they also sent her a bunch of flowers by way of apology.

It really depends how far you'd like to take it;

the product is unsuitable and shouldn't have been sold.

Arguably the funds could have been put in the highest paying easy access or fixed rate account on the market and to far better use.

It would not be outside of the realms of possibility to write a letter suggesting this, and requesting redress for the loss of (potential) interest (i.e. the difference between amount of interest paid over the term and the amount of interest that could have been earnt elsewhere).

There's a chance the bank could say no, but it'll cost nothing to complain, and if the bank does refuse, the complaint can be escalated to the Financial Ombudsman, costing the bank a case-fee.

It's a no-lose situation, and would hopefully result in at least a slap on the wrist of the idiot that opened the account for her in the first place.

xylophone

Enabling on line banking is surely not the same as opening an internet account?

qpop

xylophone wrote: »

Enabling on line banking is surely not the same as opening an internet account?

No but imagine this conversation

---

Staff - I notice you've got a large sum in your current account, shall we move it to work better for you?
Customer - Sounds good
Staff - Oh, you don't have online banking!
Customer - On-what banking?
Staff - No worries, easy to set up for you *sets up*
Customer - Uh....
Staff - Now shall we open an account that gives you a good return?
Customer - Ok...

---

If that is how it went then chances are it wasn't done through bonus-chasing or anything (as the account would appear to have been set up by the customer, not the staff member), unless the staff member was particularly devious (placing a retrospective "referral" notice on the system would typically trigger a sale).

Even if it was done out of genuine desire to help the customer, it was incompetent, and the product choice was unsuitable.

ses6jwg

I think we should just wait for the op to post the name of the account