A Horror Story About Tesco Bank

brenda10

TO DAVID MASON

I am a recent employee and wanted a tesco credit card, they sent me information to verify my bank account details, wage, address, I had no paper copies so never bothered, rang them up and asked a few wks later if my tesco credit card could be spent on(even though I never sent in the docs) they verified over fone YES and said my pin was on the way out. The reason I got the card was my mum has one and got the 2 mth ago offer of referring me as a friend, getting 1000 points each=£10 in coupons. My Mum looks after my credit card as that was reason she sent for it so we both make points, she spends occasionally on it 80£ and uses it in tesco for food etc, helping to build up my credit score for taking out a mortgage in near future, she pays it off immediatley with her debit card. Hope all works out for you, too bad you are having all this bother, they just gave me £800 max, I have at most only spent 100£ per spend and paid it off immediately as I say using it to build up my credit rating score.

Cornucopia

I'm not disputing their ineptness. If anything, your bad experience could have possibly been improved if you had taken them to task earlier.

Sallyswift

I am finding it a problem producing identity documents for new investments i am arranging. i have just moved in with my partner and all utility bills are in his name. In any case, no paper statements are received in the post as everything is done online. I now have a driving licence showing my current address but then I need to get this certified, at least I know a teacher who will do this for me. Then I am asked to provide original bank statements, not copies printed out online. Isn't everything now done online to save on costs so companies no longer have to post out statements.....I feel I am a disappearing person ah but there is a Passport but no address. Who will confirm I am who I say I am and not charge me for the privilege, even the new doctor I have just registered with cannot confirm as he does not yet know me....and so it goes on. I understand why it's necessary but I am a law abiding person, with nothing to hide who only needs somewhere safe to deposit my savings....

Frxn

I wouldn't recommend you ever send in the original of anything. I find it odd though that a cop wouldn't certify it, they're always listed as somewhere to go for that sort of thing.

david_mason wrote: »

I was reluctant to send the documents through as I receive by bank statements online and there is a charge for receiving paper copies.

Why not just print them from your online banking?

david_mason wrote: »

...and hung up the phone unexpectedly, by banging the receiver down.

Hmm, they use headsets, so not sure how they would have banged down the receiver.

On another note, I used to work at Tesco Bank (sub-contracted to catering) and some of their staff were horror stories, honestly they act like spoilt children (we're talking grown adults of all ages), so wasn't at all surprised to hear one was giggling on the phone.

Anyway, I hope you're able to resolve this issue and have the debt paid off before the 0% ends.

Pound

Frxn wrote: »

I wouldn't recommend you ever send in the original of anything. I find it odd though that a cop wouldn't certify it, they're always listed as somewhere to go for that sort of thing.

I've been to the police station a few times to get them to certify documents. They always did it but they never seemed keen on it, once they kept me waiting about half an hour whilst they read through all the paperwork.

edl2011

They say that a police officer is a good person to certify your identity (as they are regarded as trustworthy), but the person in question needs to know you personally in order to provide a certification.

callum9999

david_mason wrote: »

Thing is, what is the point of doing any further checks once the money has been used already? The matter is done and dusted. My experience with other banks is that, they called me up and asked me if I made the transaction (if they had any suspicions) and if I confirmed I did make them, that would be the end of the matter then and there.

Even though I did not agree with their "further" checks, I did everything in my power to satisfy them of my address and identity. Can they not use some human judgement and discretion in the matter?! Why would an identity thief keep making payments to a credit card account and co-operate with the bank to provide documents. Is the identity thief THAT good, that he managed to get replacement IDs within matter of days (by supplying paper version of the Driving Licence)? I just do not understand!

And leaving all that aside, why would they not accept my ORIGINAL DL which they acknowledged they received with my current address and everything? Why are they saying it is not 'certified'? What is there to certify? ITS AN ORIGINAL!!

Because they clearly felt the previous checks were inadequate in your case, and thought doing the checks late would be better than not doing them at all... Your experience with other banks is utterly irrelevant - those calls are to make sure it's you and not someone else using the credit card. This problem with Tesco is that they aren't sure you are actually who you say you are.

Well you didn't did you... You refused to provide the information and then waited for them to block your account before actually doing anything about it - when you then provided them with the wrong ID (which turns out was possibly illegal as well!). I fully agree they have handled this dreadfully (and I'd be pushing for compensation for the hassle/lost driving license) but you haven't done "everything in your power". As to identity theft, yes some are that good... Identities are very valuable, and some thieves will go through a lot of hassle to secure one. I'd imagine this also has something to do with the really strict money laundering checks the banks are forced to do on you by the government.

Presumably the person checking the ID just made a mistake. You should never send original documents through the post for things like this, and it wouldn't surprise me if that's the first they'd received. In fact, maybe the system they were using wasn't set up for original ID and they had to select either verified or unverified. If that was the case though you'd obviously expect some sort of manager to be able to override it.

david_mason

Callum- lets say they did the checks and found out that this was indeed an identity thief...then what? the money is gone isn't it? its rhetorical. my experience with other banks is CERTAINLY NOT irrelevant since Tesco bank should abide by industry regulations set out by the FSA, they cannot sneak things in (e.g. willy neely ID checks) into a STANDARD CONSUMER CREDIT AGREEMENT and expect people to comply! I don't care much for what tesco thinks. I know who I am, I am not a criminal and I do not want to be harassed. It is their burden if they need to verify my ID AFTER in the middle of the credit agreement (not before).

I clearly did do everything in my power. I did not wait for them to block my account, they blocked it before calling me to ask for additional documents. I am curious why you made that assumption? I DID NOT PROVIDE THEM WITH THE WORNG ID (again, I don't know why you would imply that)! it was my DL, ok the address was not where I was staying, but as soon as I became aware that the address needed changing, I did. As far as I know, there is nothing illegal if DVLA can contact me on a given address (i.e. my parent's) and it is somewhere I live every now and then.

Finally, i was advised by a tesco rep to send in the original DL by phone. They said they accept a certified copy or the original, I chose the latter....

Frxn- To clarify your point, again Tesco would not accept printed online copies as from their point of view, it could have been 'manipulated'. The case handler I dealt with is not a call center staff, he was a caseworker in the Fraud department, who I imagine uses a telephone rather than a headset. I am not exaggerating on anything. Everything I have written is a true reflection on what had happened. Thanks.

david_mason

Also, what identity thief keeps making payment to the credit card account and co-operates to send in all documents, talks to them on the phone to resolve the issue at all times?! Also, why doesn't tesco reject my identity when it comes to the ownership of the debt? why are they not stopping taking payments from me?

Isn't there a case to use some Human Judgement and discretion?

[Deleted User]

david_mason wrote: »

Isn't there a case to use some Human Judgement and discretion?

Human Judgement and discretion, in this day and age :laugh: