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HSBC complaint
denla
Posts: 417 Forumite
I was trying to transfer money between two bank cards. At the time both cards didn't have my signature. I previously signed both cards so something like sweat must have removed the ink.
The staff asked for my ID which I think is reasonable since my bank cards are not signed for. He processes the transfer and asks me to sign on a paper... I did that, and he says it doesn't match my passport's signature. Well, surely everyone's signature changes over time. It's the original UK photo passport. It's easy to falsify a signature, but very difficult to create a fake passport. He goes asking me a number of security questions but later says they're not enough, despite I answered them correctly. Still refuses to serve me if I ask could I withdraw some money from the ATM proving I know the pin number too. Both bank cards are in my name and matches the name on the passport, and photo is recent so anyone with some common sense can tell those bank cards belong to me.
Really !!!!ed off now. What use is a passport if the bank refuses to acknowledge its existence just because of a difference in signature? I'm going to make a complaint on this staff member. Anyone know the most effective way to make the complaint?
The staff asked for my ID which I think is reasonable since my bank cards are not signed for. He processes the transfer and asks me to sign on a paper... I did that, and he says it doesn't match my passport's signature. Well, surely everyone's signature changes over time. It's the original UK photo passport. It's easy to falsify a signature, but very difficult to create a fake passport. He goes asking me a number of security questions but later says they're not enough, despite I answered them correctly. Still refuses to serve me if I ask could I withdraw some money from the ATM proving I know the pin number too. Both bank cards are in my name and matches the name on the passport, and photo is recent so anyone with some common sense can tell those bank cards belong to me.
Really !!!!ed off now. What use is a passport if the bank refuses to acknowledge its existence just because of a difference in signature? I'm going to make a complaint on this staff member. Anyone know the most effective way to make the complaint?
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Comments
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Are you suggesting banks should move money around when any Tom, !!!!!! or Harry signs a form, even if the signature cannot be verified?
Well for the purpose of moving money around with your bank it's no use whatsoever.What use is a passport if the bank refuses to acknowledge its existence just because of a difference in signature
Seriously, your complaint is that they tried to protect your money and you don't think they should do?0 -
opinions4u wrote: »Are you suggesting banks should move money around when any Tom, !!!!!! or Harry signs a form, even if the signature cannot be verified?
Well or the purpose of moving money around with your bank it's no use whatsoever.
Seriously, your complaint is that they tried to protect your money and you don't think they should do?
I'm suggesting banks should allow money transfer if the person has a photo passport to verify who they are. Signatures are easily faked. Passports cannot be faked easily.
Anyone with half a brain can confirm someone's identity when they see a photo passport. I'm talking about the original, not a copy.
Oh and I signed both of my cards again then went to another branch. Wasn't asked for ID. Anyone can pick up my bank cards, erase the signatures, and write theirs on them. That's how secure signatures are.0 -
I'm suggesting banks should allow money transfer if the person has a photo passport to verify who they are. Signatures are easily faked. Passports cannot be faked easily.
To an untrained person, they can be faked quite easily, but most will not stand up to scrutiny or anyone trained in knowing what to look for.
Bank staff are unlikely to be trained in how to spot fake passports, so they do what there training told them to do.
If the photo is recent on your passport, then your signature should be recent as well, so if they don't match, he has a right to be concerned and err on the side of caution.0 -
To an untrained person, they can be faked quite easily, but most will not stand up to scrutiny or anyone trained in knowing what to look for.
Bank staff are unlikely to be trained in how to spot fake passports, so they do what there training told them to do.
If the photo is recent on your passport, then your signature should be recent as well, so if they don't match, he has a right to be concerned and err on the side of caution.
Have you ever put a passport under a UV light?
The patterns that appear are very difficult to replicate, and fake passports will generally not contain these.
A cashier in a bank should see enough passports to know what to be looking for in identifying a fake passport. I certainly received training on this when I was a cashier.0 -
I was trying to transfer money between two bank cards. At the time both cards didn't have my signature. I previously signed both cards so something like sweat must have removed the ink.
The staff asked for my ID which I think is reasonable since my bank cards are not signed for. He processes the transfer and asks me to sign on a paper... I did that, and he says it doesn't match my passport's signature. Well, surely everyone's signature changes over time. It's the original UK photo passport. It's easy to falsify a signature, but very difficult to create a fake passport. He goes asking me a number of security questions but later says they're not enough, despite I answered them correctly. Still refuses to serve me if I ask could I withdraw some money from the ATM proving I know the pin number too. Both bank cards are in my name and matches the name on the passport, and photo is recent so anyone with some common sense can tell those bank cards belong to me.
Really !!!!ed off now. What use is a passport if the bank refuses to acknowledge its existence just because of a difference in signature? I'm going to make a complaint on this staff member. Anyone know the most effective way to make the complaint?
I can understand that was frustrating, but you can also ask to speak to the manager and see if their advice varies. Other than that, I guess they follow their banking procedures, and fraud is so prevalant nowadays some of them are bound to try to be over-prudent.0 -
I would rather my bank be very over-sensitive and cautious in protecting my money than to be lax and cut corners just to placate me.0
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I can understand that was frustrating, but you can also ask to speak to the manager and see if their advice varies. Other than that, I guess they follow their banking procedures, and fraud is so prevalant nowadays some of them are bound to try to be over-prudent.
I didn't cause a scene at the time. Went away and later phoned up the head office, naming that staff and how I was treated. The complaints handler agreed the employee failed to apply common sense, said HSBC will award me £50 compensation for the hassle, will send me an apology letter, and pass on a message to the branch manager so this situation doesn't happen again. Even if that employee doesn't get disciplined he'll have a customer complaint on his file now.0 -
marathon_man wrote: »I would rather my bank be very over-sensitive and cautious in protecting my money than to be lax and cut corners just to placate me.
Cutting corners is looking at a signature and failing to ask for ID. That's what banks usually do. Failing to recognise a non-expired original UK photo passport is not cutting corners. That's the sign of lack of common sense.0 -
Even if that employee doesn't get disciplined he'll have a customer complaint on his file now.
All because you couldn't sign your signature in the same way as you did on your passport, despite your passport being recent.
But because he didn't do as you asked, you submitted a formal complaint about him.
Bank staff get complained about regardless of what they do. If they don't try to prevent fraud, they are complained against, and if they do, they still get complained about. They can't win!0 -
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