Bank has changed name on my account without my knowledge!

pjhrt

Ok, this is all a bit confusing...

I received a phone call from my father on Saturday asking if I'd set an account up for my newborn son at their address. Obviously I hadn't (no reason to use their address). My father's name starts with a "W", the same as my son and the letter (from the Halifax) said something along the lines of "Dear Mr W Hart, please be advised that we will require a copy of your signature to complete your requested name-change".

He thought this was odd as he hadn't requested a name-change on any account. I had no idea what this was to do with as I had not set any account up at the Halifax for my son (we went with HSBC).

Anyway, when doing my online banking, I noticed that my account name had, indeed, been changed! Only the first name (to my son's name, which is also my father's!).

How on earth can this have happened???? My son has no account at the Halifax (I do). I haven't used my parents' address for anything for YEARS. In fact, when I've done something like an address change, I know I've had to be there in person in to sign things and taken in two forms of ID.

I phoned the bank straight away but they couldn't really tell me anything over the phone. I now have to take time off work to go into the bank as only my local branch can investigate.

THIS IS AN UTTER, UTTER SHAMBLES, not to mention a security worry.

Anyone else ever had anything like this??????

GlamGirlie

ID fraud? And you could have gone into any branch in your lunch hour or other free time.

pjhrt

That was my concern....as for going in to any bank, I work in the country so don't, realistically, have the chance to get to the bank and back in my lunch break (which is 40 minutes). Plus I was told I HAD to go to my own branch. Frustrating!

HarryL

GlamGirlie wrote: »

ID fraud? And you could have gone into any branch in your lunch hour or other free time.

This forum is covered in these kind of responses. Lets not assume we know everything about someone from 1 post eh? maybe the OP works 30 minutes from the nearest Halifax = entire lunch break to go there and back with no time to actually see anyone. Do you know the opening times of the local halifax? do you know which halifax is the most local to the OP? Do you know her working hours? DO you know what transport is available to her?

Now you might think I'm being harsh here but this is how I would have worded it if i felt a need to point out something so obvious.

'no chance of getting these during lunch? sucks you gotta take time off, Isn't Halifax open Saturdays now?

I have managed to imply exactly the same thing as GlamGirlie without seeming to belittle what the OP said and have also offered some advice (maybe she doesnt know halifax is open saturdays)

This snobbish behaviour is evident in almost all the forums here. People post problems and yes this community is very good at helping and offering advice but 50% of the replies off advice + a sarcastic, belittling, snobbish comment regarding the way in which the OP has expressed themselves in the post. Remember everyone communicating via text is terrible when your trying to get a specific feeling or emotion or even complicated story across. So I like to assume that these people come here for help and not the sometimes nasty comments they get.

pjhrt

Thanks Harry! Luckily, having been a forum member of various places for some years, I've seen it all! In GlamGirlie's defence, I didn't take it in the same way as you did!

I know the bank is open on Saturdays but I received the call Saturday morning when I was already unable to get to my branch and I really want something like this sorted before next Saturday. With a fairly newborn baby, nothing is easy! Ha ha!

But thanks again for your comment.

alanq

I am surprised that you have to go to your own branch. Many people do not change branches after they move home. A branch near home may be far from where one works and vice versa. If this catches on pity the poor folks who have moved their RBS accounts with English branches to Scotland to avoid the clutches of Santander when their local branch is sold off.

ChiefGrasscutter

I never understood why on several occassions as described here posters are being required to go to their "own branch".
Its not as if we are back in the early 1900's when the bank staff knew each customer personally!
I can understand why they might want to see ID, but you should be able to go into any branch and deal with these matters. What happens there should be written up against the user's account which should then be visible for appropiately authorised staff in each branch to see.

Edit
Same point just made by previous poster while I was writing this......

pjhrt

I wholeheartedly agree.

Anyway, went in to the branch this afternoon and nobody there could throw any light on the subject...so that was a bloody waste of time.

Really gives me confidence in them!

mikesten

HarryL wrote: »

This snobbish behaviour is evident in almost all the forums here. People post problems and yes this community is very good at helping and offering advice but 50% of the replies off advice + a sarcastic, belittling, snobbish comment regarding the way in which the OP has expressed themselves in the post. Remember everyone communicating via text is terrible when your trying to get a specific feeling or emotion or even complicated story across. So I like to assume that these people come here for help and not the sometimes nasty comments they get.

Off topic I know, so sorry, but I agree wholeheartedly withy this. I was under the impression that forums were to share experiences and help other people. When I received advice of "Phone your bank" on a recent post I was quite annoyed in a "No Sh*t Sherlock" sort of way. I came on here before I rang my bank to find out other people's experiences so the bank couldn't fob me off. The majority of folk on here are genuine & helpful, but there are a minority whose attitude could do with seriously adjusting.

ChiefGrasscutter

Yes, in general I agree
But equally there are also a minority on here who troll.

There was one claiming their bank charged them umpteen £/minute on the phone when talking to them and provoked a long thread - until one blunt poster quoted the regulations and basically said the poster was a liar - end of thread.
Then there are the ones who endlessly claim that if you have a bank problem you can go to the ombudsman service and they will fix it for you within a week - despite been told equally endlessly that until you have exhausted the banks internal proceedures, the FOS will simply refer any direct complaint back to the bank - and STILL they post this rubbish.
There was the person who thought that because the bank entered up a future transaction on a Sunday late afternoon - albeit with Monday's date against it, this mean't they could withdraw the funds on the Sunday afternoon.

Finally there are the ones who simply cannot be arrsed and expect the forum members to do it all for them - why anyone would want to employ them escapes me. I finally lost my temper with one poster who asked a question, another poster did what the OP was clearly incapable of - look for the bank under google and then find the right page on the web site - and it wasn't a difficult page to find. The OP then came back and asked a supplementary question, the answer to which was actually on the exact web page the OP had been referred to...my reply was not exactly helpful as one might imagine.