Bank changed my address 5 months ago without my permission

ilovebakeoff

You may find that odd but we live in the middle of nowhere, there really aren't many options open, we are talking 11 years ago, internet banking wasn't accessible as it is today. I've always been told that staff aren't allowed to deal with family/friends (whether they do or not now I guess is questionable). Changing branch would not have made a difference as they can all access the same systems.
Call me trusting (I am), I would like to think that banking staff are only able to access accounts when instructed to do so by the account holder or branch manager for a specific reason, not just to snoop.
I don't feel that I deserve this just because I didn't change my bank at huge inconvenience and at a really difficult time in my life. They still had/have a duty to me as an account holder and they have breached that.

Thrugelmir

ilovebakeoff wrote: »

I have today been handed by my ex mother in law a letter from Lloyds bank with my name and her address on it also my account number sort code. (It was unopened but she did say that she had redirected other ones previously).

Why did it take her so long to tell you? If the mail has been redirected then it would have been written on to readdress it. So surely you would have noticed.

ilovebakeoff

In any case, I am not necessarily saying that a certain individual has done this. I am open to any suggestions as to how this may have happened. What is clear is that somebody in the Lloyds banking group has gone in and changed my address without my consent and caused a great deal of upset. I myself have worked in confidential environments and this sort of thing would not have been acceptable, unintentional or not.

ilovebakeoff

The letter she gave me was not redirected, she brought it to my front door, although she mentioned that she had received others but had put a line through the address with 'not at this address' written on them, of which I have never received.
I don't know what has been sent, as mentioned earlier Lloyds tried to suggest that it was ok nothing has ever been posted, even though I was sat holding a letter!!!

GingerFurball_2

I'll wager on the following:

You still have the joint account open with your ex-husband.

Your ex-husband will have recently changed his address. Whoever changed the address will have erroneously updated the address of the joint account holder as well.

firsttimemover

It may not be foul play or anything to do with the joint account.

Was your bank account previously registered at the mother-in-law's address at all, or was the joint one whilst you were named on it?

When I got married and changed my name, I went into my Lloyds branch with my marriage certificate to change it. About 6 months later when I was expecting a new card through, I discovered that updating my name had somehow triggered their system to revert my account back to my old address (that I hadn't lived at for 4-5 years). There was no other explanation for this than a computer glitch, so wonder if this could have been something similar in your case?

It caused quite a few issues for me - the Credit Reference Agencies update my old address as my new address, obviously security issues with a new card going out to the old address and the hassle of getting it sorted out - and in this day and age with internet banking and not receiving monthly statements it means issues like this can go unnoticed.

ilovebakeoff

Hi, thanks for your replies.
My sole account has never been registered at the mother in laws although when I left my husband he changed the address on the joint account to his mums ( I was under the impression that my name had been removed from it, and will need to make sure this is correct). Just after that I changed my account to be registered at my mums, until about a year later in 2004 when I moved to the address that I am at now. I married in 2010 to my new partner and everything has been coming to this address in my married name. I have not taken out any other products or even requested info from any part of the Lloyds banking group that may have triggered a change. I know that my ex does not live or has not lived at his parents for years and would be really surprised if his mail was going there also. I guess I will have to wait and see what they tell me. My only thing that makes me think that there can't still be a joint account is that if Lloyds update their system whenever you make a change e.g name change, address change, both of which I have done, how is it that I have never received documentation relating to his accounts. Surely the updates would work both ways?

Archi_Bald

Have you checked your credit files yet? noddle.co.uk lets you do it for free (don't sign up for anything with them). Do it now.

ilovebakeoff

Hi, no I haven't yet. I looked into it but was put off by the entering of my bank card details including security strip for them to identify me with my bank. I would have thought my bank account sort code would do the same. Am i being led into hidden charges with them? I only ever put card info like that in for purchases

ilovebakeoff

I've just spoken to lloyds, they are still looking in to it, however I asked if I was still linked to my ex financially i.e. the joint account and I am not. The only lloyds products I am on are the 2 accounts I hold personally.