First Direct want proof of identity years after account opened: anyone else affected?

masonic

Doc_N wrote: »

The scheme was ludicrous from the outset and reflects badly on what is actually a good bank. HSBC, by comparison, as I've found out recently, are awful.

HSBC required me to supply documents even though I was told I was electronically verified when I opened an account by phone a few weeks earlier. That's never happened to me anywhere else. If electronic verification works, it should be all that is necessary.

ChiefGrasscutter

peter999 wrote: »

Why should I get an expensive passport to verify an account, when I'm not leaving the country ?

Well you seemed to have no problem in using your passport to return to the UK through Stansted in this thread, so clearly you have had a passport.
Post no 9 on the page.....
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/576809

Doc_N

ChiefGrasscutter wrote: »

Well you seemed to have no problem in using your passport to return to the UK through Stansted in this thread, so clearly you have had a passport.
Post no 9 on the page.....
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/576809

May I put this as politely as possible? Do you have a life? One that doesn't involve trawling back through someone's posts to see if you can catch them out, perhaps?

That post was made 8 years ago - do you not think it possible that in those eight long years he's ceased to hold a passport?

ChiefGrasscutter

Normal Google search with the relevant terms used my friend (not the MSE previous posts facility)
Less than 1 minute tops - if that.

skintpaul

OP could offer to send copies of FD bank statements, at £10 a pop..

After so long running her account, I feel by default they must have accepted her identity as genuine..

Or have the FCA chosen her a/c as a test case, and FD can't find application info?

masonic

skintpaul wrote: »

OP could offer to send copies of FD bank statements, at £10 a pop..

After so long running her account, I feel by default they must have accepted her identity as genuine..

Or have the FCA chosen her a/c as a test case, and FD can't find application info?

The legal requirements are outlined here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/money-laundering-regulations-your-responsibilities

A bank statement alone would not be sufficient.

xylophone

this was a woman with around £30k sitting in her account earning no interest - almost all of which has as a direct result gone to Santander).

It's an ill wind.......:)

Archi_Bald

Doc_N wrote: »

No, they didn't invite people to phone them - it was very much take it or leave it (and this was a woman with around £30k sitting in her account earning no interest - almost all of which has as a direct result gone to Santander).

Forgive me, but having £30K sitting in FD was a pretty bad move to start with. Your mum should really be grateful to FD that they shook her up and thereby helped her to find a place where her money doesn't lose value to inflation.

Doc_N

Archi_Bald wrote: »

Forgive me, but having £30K sitting in FD was a pretty bad move to start with. Your mum should really be grateful to FD that they shook her up and thereby helped her to find a place where her money doesn't lose value to inflation.

Not my mum - an elderly aunt. Not that that makes any difference. And FD had done nothing at all to point out to her that leaving that amount of money in a current account paying no interest was daft. The fact that the letter annoyed her sufficiently to talk to me about it was pure coincidence - FD deserve no gratitude whatever!

Patr100

HSBC has wrecked our lives, say customers frozen out and unable to switch
A couple believe they have been swept up in HSBC’s ‘de-risking’ process after it was fined for laundering billions for drug cartels, terrorists and rogue states

http://www.theguardian.com/money/2015/oct/03/hsbc-derisking-account-frozen-marie-shaun-langley