Passport certification for First Direct

grumbler

Smile? Cahoot? IF?

Re "the parameters that have been set by UK law" it's what typically people say that have no idea about what the law actually says.

ColdIron

Investec are all but online only

rnel2158

Archi_Bald wrote: »

Out of interest, which bank is this? I have only been aware of First Direct as a bank with no Branches (if we ignore those of their parent).

I wouldn't like to say but there are a few banks that only operate online or over the phone such as Tesco Bank & Sainsbury's Bank as well as First Direct.

fox1402

I was applying for a First Direct account. I got my passport certified at a solicitors. (I had no HMRC letters). They charged me £30. I sent it to First Direct who rejected it. They rejected it because the solicitor used a notary stamp with the name of the practice on it, rather than a bog standard ink one. Of course First Direct like all organisation receiving a lot of correspondence scans in the paperwork into an ADW system. On a scanned copy the stamp did not show up - hence rejection.

By the time they got through to my phone the application had expired. I'm now reapplying and trying to find out how I get HMRC to resend a tax code letter - any ideas?

Hope this is useful.

jonesMUFCforever

You phone up and ask for one.

Wouldn't HSBC branch staff confirm the validity of your documents?

grumbler

jonesMUFCforever wrote: »

Wouldn't HSBC branch staff confirm the validity of your documents?

sscott5581 wrote: »

Documents can not be certified in HSBC branch I was told this when I spoke to First Direct.

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nearlyrich

FireWyrm wrote: »

Half of your problem is that they dont exist as a physical bank and so there is no chance of speaking directly to a person in order to get help. .

Are you aware that FD have a telephone service that answers with a real person within 3 rings 24/7 and everyday of the year including bank holidays and Christmas day? They have never failed to help me whenever I have called them in over 20 years as a customer.

They are not being unhelpful they are complying with the law and the OP has moved around, a friend recently opened an FD account and he had to get a certified copy of his passport because he had just moved house and the bills were in his GF's name. Fortunately we have someone in the extended family who is on the list of suitable people to certify his identity who kindly didn't charge him.;)

grumbler

nearlyrich wrote: »

They are not being unhelpful they are complying with the law and the OP has moved around, a friend recently opened an FD account and he had to get a certified copy of his passport because he had just moved house and the bills were in his GF's name. Fortunately we have someone in the extended family who is on the list of suitable people to certify his identity who kindly didn't charge him.;)

What law stipulates this list and excludes the most convenient and reasonably priced PO - the company that processes applications for main UK IDs - passports and DLs?
What law says that the originals can't be checked by HSBC branches?
What law says that documents certified by a notary are not acceptable because they don't have an ink stamp and are difficult to scan?

Archi_Bald

fox1402 wrote: »

By the time they got through to my phone the application had expired. I'm now reapplying and trying to find out how I get HMRC to resend a tax code letter - any ideas?

Hope this is useful.

Just ask HMRC for a confirmation of your tax code, then send it on to HMRC.

You most probably wouldn't have had this sort of trouble if you had been registered on the electoral roll. Get registered, avoid trouble.

Notjustamum_2

Archi_Bald wrote: »

You most probably wouldn't have had this sort of trouble if you had been registered on the electoral roll. Get registered, avoid trouble.

Sorry but it's nothing to do with being on the electoral roll these high handed requests are for ALL new customers. I have been on the electoral roll at the same address for 25 years, I have an excellent credit rating and had been with my previous bank for over 25 years. But I still had to get HMRC to send me new documentation. They werent happy as in their rules a document is valid all through the tax year in which it is issued.

It took me some time to jump through the hoops and than my old bank twice told First Direct that I had no DDs or SOS to switch but now that the rules changed it has all gone throughout and, hopefully, I will have no more problems.