Passport certification for First Direct

louieleeds

Anyone used a provisional driving liscence? am i right in thinking they will only accept a full liscence? I really do not understand why if this is the case seeing as it is the exaxct same checks and id needed for both.

Thanks

ColdIron

louieleeds wrote: »

Anyone used a provisional driving liscence? am i right in thinking they will only accept a full liscence?

Have you read the first post in this thread?

henm2

For anyone 18 and over only a full licence is accepted.

quainton15

I decided to transfer my current account to First Direct and then discovered that despite having acceptable id of driving licence and current proof of address, that they could not accept the HMRC Child benefit letter because it did not show my full name even though it had my title, initials, NI number and full address.


They said the only alternative was for me to contact HMRC and try to get them to change the letter with a month :rotfl: or get a certified copy of another document, which meant a visit the GP just to get him to certify.


I can understand them needing to prove someone's identity but that is JUST RIDICULOUS! :mad: Even the passport office requires less than that if you want a new passport!


Doesn't being a UK citizen since birth, holding my last current account for 13 years and living in the same house for 12 years count for anything?

Hominu

quainton15 wrote: »

Doesn't being a UK citizen since birth, holding my last current account for 13 years and living in the same house for 12 years count for anything?

No, you could still be a terrorist. A terrifying terrorist.

</jeff dunham>

jonesMUFCforever

henm2 wrote: »

For anyone 18 and over only a full licence is accepted.

I don't think this is right - photo provisional driving licences are accepted by a lot of banks for either ID or address confirmation.

Archi_Bald

jonesMUFCforever wrote: »

I don't think this is right - photo provisional driving licences are accepted by a lot of banks for either ID or address confirmation.

FD seem to be asking specifically for a full Driving Licence. As they are part of HSBC, nothing would surprise me.

Having said this, I have several accounts with both, FD and HSBC, and never had to provide any ID as I passed based on electronic information they found.

Doc_N

It's even worse than you might think. First Direct are now sending out letters to long-standing customers saying this:

"As you'd expect at first direct we set ourselves the highest possible standards, but we're sorry to say that in the past we have fallen short of this in some areas and we now hold incomplete proof of identity and address for a number of our customers. We have to put that right, as it's only through having the most up to date customer information that we can do the best possible job of keeping you and your money safe from fraud and financial crime."

What they're asking for is certified copies of two documents - one proving identity and another proving address. No mention of taking these documents into a HSBC branch - presumably because the branches wouldn't be able to cope with the additional work.

There's a list of possible certifiers (including solicitors, doctors etc, many of whom will charge a fee) and lists of acceptable documents.

First Direct are being very coy as to exactly why they are doing this to customers like my aunt (90 years old - and a First Direct account holder for 20+ years) but I'm guessing they're being forced to do it by a regulator.

It's impossible to provide the proof they need in her case (no passport, no driving licence, nothing from HMRC or DWP dated within the last 4 months) and she's really annoyed that after 20 years they're coming along with this demand - and expecting her to pay the costs involved! The result's likely to be a profitable account (large balance, no interest) lost to FD.

meer53

Doc_N wrote: »

It's even worse than you might think. First Direct are now sending out letters to long-standing customers saying this:

"As you'd expect at first direct we set ourselves the highest possible standards, but we're sorry to say that in the past we have fallen short of this in some areas and we now hold incomplete proof of identity and address for a number of our customers. We have to put that right, as it's only through having the most up to date customer information that we can do the best possible job of keeping you and your money safe from fraud and financial crime."

What they're asking for is certified copies of two documents - one proving identity and another proving address. No mention of taking these documents into a HSBC branch - presumably because the branches wouldn't be able to cope with the additional work.

There's a list of possible certifiers (including solicitors, doctors etc, many of whom will charge a fee) and lists of acceptable documents.

First Direct are being very coy as to exactly why they are doing this to customers like my aunt (90 years old - and a First Direct account holder for 20+ years) but I'm guessing they're being forced to do it by a regulator.

It's impossible to provide the proof they need in her case (no passport, no driving licence, nothing from HMRC or DWP dated within the last 4 months) and she's really annoyed that after 20 years they're coming along with this demand - and expecting her to pay the costs involved! The result's likely to be a profitable account (large balance, no interest) lost to FD.

Shutting the stable door............

http://www.theguardian.com/business/2012/dec/11/hsbc-bank-us-money-laundering

You can call HMRC and the DWP and they will reissue information so it meets the "within 4 months" criteria. No need to pay for certified documents.

grumbler

meer53 wrote: »

.....http://www.theguardian.com/business/2012/dec/11/hsbc-bank-us-money-laundering....

What's the point in keeping quoting this and similar articles about "Mexican drug traffickers" depositing "hundreds of thousands of dollars" and about "transactions with sanctioned countries" when it's a 90 y.o. longstanding UK customer who surffers and who surely doesn't make many cash deposits and international transfers? It's like quoting DPA left, right and center to fob customers off.

Stupid overreactive zeal and low-level functionaries' eagerness to demonstrate some activity, whatever useless it is, spring to mind.