Telling Banks etc, that you have moved house

yangptangkipperbang

What a pantomime this has now become !!!

I wrote (an old fashioned letter !) to about 20 banks/building societies/insurance companies/pension providers telling them that I had moved house - a few hundred yards in the same town.
I am now starting to wish that I had stayed put ! A couple responded saying that they had changed my address in their records. Others said the same but sent this letter to both my old and new addresses - fair enough - BUT some organisations seem to have dreamt up the most amazing ways of driving their customers to distraction !

Tesco bank: who ignored my letter completely - then when I rang, told me that they ignore letters because they expect you to do it by phone
Capita: who wrote back saying that I had to give them my pension number - I already had and they had actually given it as the reference on their letter
Santander whose change of address form asks for your old address and your new one then asks you what country you reside in.....

You seem to get trapped in an endless loop - no one will accept your new address until someone else does - but they won't until someone else does, etc, etc..............


The "best" one has to be the Nationwide:
In response to my letter I got a letter back from their "Change of Personal Details Team" (wow !) telling me that I have to 'phone them (0845 of course) AND visit a branch where they will "discuss" my new address with me - I am left wondering what they want to discuss, perhaps they don't like the house number or perhaps the street name doesn't go with my surname or perhaps they would like it painted a different colour !!
The crowning glory is the final line of their letter: "Please be aware that your address will remain the same until any new instruction is received from you"

Nationwide - are you listening ?? THAT is just what I did in my first letter to you :mad::mad:

StacFace

To be honest a letter is the last way I would have handled this. How much is it costing you in stamps!?

When I had to do this back in September last year I changed addresses online where I could as that was easiest. Banks don't let you do this so for them I went in branch when I was next in town. Took a few minutes in each.

Letters are an old-fashioned way of communicating now and to be honest I'm not really suprised that some banks don't change addresses via letter.

If you're ringing them check if there's an alternative non-premium number here: http://www.saynoto0870.com/

Edit: Quick internet search brings up that Nationwide require you to show ID before changing your address if it isn't an online/mysave account. This is why they will want you to come in branch and they probably want you to ring to discuss what proof you have to make sure you have everything to avoid a wasted journey to the branch. I'd advise searching the 0845 number they gave you on the above website as there's a few different results for Nationwide on there. Then ring the landline alternative and speak to them.

System

Yep I agree with above you shouldn't be able to change by letter. You need to pass security questions before they change your details. Otherwise anyone could just send a letter changing your address.

I am more surprised that some organisations have changed your address! I would guess the double letter is because if it is fraudulent then the original address holder will be informed someone has changed your address.

Azari

I agree that they should not change your address purely on the basis of a letter received but just ignoring such letters is reprehensible.

battleborn

I agree, as the letter could be from any old tom !!!!!!.

The banks are right on this occassion.

dodger1

goater78 wrote: »

Yep I agree with above you shouldn't be able to change by letter. You need to pass security questions before they change your details. Otherwise anyone could just send a letter changing your address.

I am more surprised that some organisations have changed your address! I would guess the double letter is because if it is fraudulent then the original address holder will be informed someone has changed your address.

The ones that allow you to change your address by letter are normally the ones that write to both the new and old address.

yangptangkipperbang

Actually ventured into my local NW branch today..................

They had a "hybrid" of my old and new addresses in their system !!

They had "****** road" instead of "****** court" (which is the other end of town), plus the post code from my old address !!!

fluffnutter

Which I guess tells you it's a good idea to follow each organisation's change of address process rather than pursuing your own. They'll probably have a unique template which has a greater success of ensuring your details are correctly updated.

If you write a letter, firstly it's doubtful that the banks etc. will act on it, but even if they do, you run the risk of some numpty manually inputting any old rubbish.

securityguy

dodger1 wrote: »

The ones that allow you to change your address by letter are normally the ones that write to both the new and old address.

How does that help? You don't live in the old address any more, and the new address may be the location the fraudster is planning to use. Yes, if you've got effective mail forwarding running it might be secure, but many people, particularly those living in rented accommodation, don't.

System

securityguy wrote: »

How does that help? You don't live in the old address any more, and the new address may be the location the fraudster is planning to use. Yes, if you've got effective mail forwarding running it might be secure, but many people, particularly those living in rented accommodation, don't.

I imagine it helps so that if your address has been changed fraudently you are still at your original address so will receive notification your address has been changed.

I imagine all the letter says is your address has been changed.

It seems a sensible precaution.

giraffe69

When I changed addresses most did it competently and I did it online where possible. I had mail forwarding so frequently got two letters, one to new address and one forwarded from old address. Given how common a thing it is two things surprise me
1. that more people don't get mail forwarded for a period whilst addresses are being changed. It is hardly that expensive.
2. Some financial institutions responsible for our money can't devise any sensible scheme for getting this right.