Unable to open a bank account

Interesting_Ian

AirlieBird wrote: »

The only thing to be looking for on a credit report for the purposes of opening a savings account is to check your personal details are correct and then have correct electoral role history for you.

Ignore these credit score calculators and any credit score generated by a credit reference agency. They are meaningless. Each organisation that accesses your credit file will generate their own credit score based on their own risk profile and the kind of customer they are looking for.


You don't. I suspect there has been some miscommunication. You are likely to have failed the scoring process to check your identity. Experian have solutions where, as well as checking your credit file for your identity, they will also check numerous other sources including passport data and driving license data. They take all this and generate a score to provide the probability that you are who you say you are, and live where you say you do. If you do not have any official documents you are likely to score low and fail these electronic identity checks.

Well I quoted the letter from the Yorkshire bank. They specified my credit score is too low.

I have lived in my present home for almost 15 years. Why don't Experian know who I am and where I live? Why do I have to pay them money or indeed have anything to do with them??

This is all utterly absurd beyond all measure.

xylophone

This is becoming ridiculous! Write to your MP?

Are you registered with a doctor? Do you have an NI number?

Interesting_Ian

xylophone wrote: »

This is becoming ridiculous! Write to your MP?

Are you registered with a doctor? Do you have an NI number?

Yes I am. But the doctor who knows me and has been seeing me on and off for ~ 25 years, retired about 18 months ago. I haven't seen my new doctor yet.

And yes I have a national insurance number, but having an NI number doesn't count towards what they consider evidence either. Nor even having a current account with them for over 30 years!

I quite agree that it's ridiculous.

xylophone

Does a doctor count as a "responsible person" as far as the bank is concerned? If so, I think I would be inclined to try your former GP for a "reference" and get your current GP to confirm that he took you over from Dr X and that you are registered at the same address?

innovate

Interesting_Ian, you are very lucky that they revealed what stopped your application - - normally they are very secretive about it.

Though their reasoning is partly absurd - - - why do they need a credit score if you apply for a savings account? And why do they need "2 forms of identification and 2 address verifications" for you? It's ONE each anywhere else! So this suggests the email you got is a load of old ballooney.

Have you thought about applying for an ISA elsewhere? There's plenty of outfits who pay a lot better ISA interest than YBS, and you might just sail through their online account application.

grey_gym_sock

a doctor would count as a "responsible person".

getting a passport might be a way forward (though it's bit of a waste of money if you don't want to use it for travel). when i first applied for a passport, the main things they wanted were a a statement signed by a "responsible person" and a birth certificate.

though i don't know if they've tightened it up since then. it's quite possible, because the passport office was also running the identity cards scheme before it was scrapped (the 1 good thing the torylition has done).

Interesting_Ian

grey_gym_sock wrote: »

a doctor would count as a "responsible person".

getting a passport might be a way forward (though it's bit of a waste of money if you don't want to use it for travel). when i first applied for a passport, the main things they wanted were a a statement signed by a "responsible person" and a birth certificate.

though i don't know if they've tightened it up since then. it's quite possible, because the passport office was also running the identity cards scheme before it was scrapped (the 1 good thing the torylition has done).

I think identity cards are a good idea . . . . at least in principle. But the cost and the practical implementation I'm unsure about.

I assume it will be equally difficult for me to obtain a passport . . .

innovate

Interesting_Ian wrote: »

I assume it will be equally difficult for me to obtain a passport . . .

Why?...................................................................................

Interesting_Ian

innovate wrote: »

Interesting_Ian, you are very lucky that they revealed what stopped your application - - normally they are very secretive about it.

Though their reasoning is partly absurd - - - why do they need a credit score if you apply for a savings account? And why do they need "2 forms of identification and 2 address verifications" for you? It's ONE each anywhere else! So this suggests the email you got is a load of old ballooney.

Have you thought about applying for an ISA elsewhere? There's plenty of outfits who pay a lot better ISA interest than YBS, and you might just sail through their online account application.

Yes I'm assuming the information provided in that letter must be incorrect.

I do have an isa at the Darlington. But can't put any more money in it.

xylophone

Interesting_Ian wrote: »

Yes I'm assuming the information provided in that letter must be incorrect.

I do have an isa at the Darlington. But can't put any more money in it.

Because you have filled it for the 2012-13 tax year?
Why not open a savings account with the Darlington?
See post 15 re tax on non-ISA accounts. You can only complete R85 if you will not be liable for any tax during the year -otherwise you must reclaim any overpayment.