How Do I Get Around This?

Uneducated_Archie

Hi, every time my wife and I, or my wife alone, has tried to open a savings account online she has NOT been immediately accepted and has to confirm her identity/address. This is very annoying, she can't do it online, the bank has to send her details of the documents required, sometimes the bank sends a package in the post rather than allow us to print it from the web. When the wife completes the documents she can then enclose a cheque for deposit. The whole process can take up to three weeks. My individual applications always seem to go through without a hitch and provided the bank will allow it, I'm able to make an immediate deposit.

As I've written it doesn't happen in the case of my wife. We then have to get someone: bank manager/lawyer/boss of Argyle and Bolton Wanderers etc to verify a copy of her passport etc. It's very annoying.

At the beginning of this financial year we went into Yorkshire BS to transfer our ISAs 59K/60K from our High St ISA bank account. Mine went through immediately. The wife's did NOT go through and the wife had to show the cashier her identity documents. We had anticipated this and took them with us to the BS.

I asked the cashier why she thought mine had gone through without a hitch but the wife's was rejected (until proof was obtained). She stated that the BS used Experion and they had NOT identified the wife. She stated it might be because the wife's name might NOT be on the electoral roll. We had proof that it was, having already written to the local council and obtained a letter on headed paper showing my wife's full name, address etc. So that shouldn't be a problem.

FWIW: The wife is English, she had served in the Armed Forces, local authority, the NHS. She took voluntary redundancy from the NHS in April this year. She gets tax codes from IR, is named on our High St bank and is a secondary person (if that's the correct term) on my Visa Credit Card.

Today having received the MSE email regarding joining the MSE Credit Club, I thought I'd try to enroll the wife with Experion, then hopefully if she applies for online banking in the future she might get recognised.

She filled out the application and surprise, surprise Cilla, she wasn't accepted/recognised.

I notice from the Experion web site that one can join for free and provided one cancels within the 30 days future payments of £14.99 a month (yeah) will NOT be taken from our account.

Could someone please advise me if they believe that if the wife manages to enroll/join Experion (outside of MSE) that her details would then be held on Experion's system and if the wife tries to open a bank account online in the future it should go through?

As such neither myself of my wife have had much credit, we've paid cash for our last three new cars. We don't have a mortgage. I have a direct debit to pay off what we spend on Visa, but I'm forever sending money to Visa in advance. I checked today on my Visa Barclaycard, which has a link to Experion and my credit score is shown as EXCELLENT - I'm actually in credit with them.

Alternatively is there anything the wife can do to get herself recognised?

Thanx

dunstonh

Hi, every time my wife and I, or my wife alone, has tried to open a savings account online she has NOT been immediately accepted and has to confirm her identity/address.

This would suggest her credit data record does not hold sufficient records to meet the standards. The credit records form a good proportion of the data, in addition to name on the various utilities. and the electoral roll.

Could someone please advise me if they believe that if the wife manages to enroll/join Experion (outside of MSE) that her details would then be held on Experion's system and if the wife tries to open a bank account online in the future it should go through?

No. That is unlikely to be sufficient.

Alternatively is there anything the wife can do to get herself recognised?

Mobile phone in her name. Car insurance in her name. Credit card in her name. Any credit in her name. Include her name on the utilities.

teddysmum

My husband and I have opened six current accounts and two savings accounts, between us, recently and chose to do so at the bank/building society, so we could pay in cash, not have to send or take in documents and have immediate setup.


I have been retired for seven years and he still works. I have never had a loan or overdraft (worked for LEAS), whereas he did once have a car on interest free finance.


All our searches were done online by the clerk, at the time, and were no problem (except that Nationwide's system failed, so we had a return visit to make.).Only TSB asked to see documents.

greenglide

Alternatively is there anything the wife can do to get herself recognised?

You need to obtain a copy of your credit from experian or one of the other credit reference agencies to check that it is correct. If some of her data is wrong (not properly linked to you, home address is wrong, entry for electoral roll has been lost) then you will have a chance to get it corrected.

Uneducated_Archie

dunstonh wrote: »

This would suggest her credit data record does not hold sufficient records to meet the standards. The credit records form a good proportion of the data, in addition to name on the various utilities. and the electoral roll.

Thanx. It's hard for me to understand, in the case of Yorkshire BS, she was trying to transfer an ISA, she wasn't trying to take out hire purchase, a loan etc. I would have thought that as long as her name was on the electoral roll that Experian would have identified that part of it for identification purposes. She will have no credit data history in her own name.

dunstonh wrote: »

No. That is unlikely to be sufficient.

Thanx. I won't bother trying to enroll her.

dunstonh wrote: »

Mobile phone in her name. Car insurance in her name. Credit card in her name. Any credit in her name. Include her name on the utilities.

She did have car insurance in her name but we sold one of the two cars off about three years ago.

I bought her a new mobile phone using cash and pay for a SIM only deal for her at £12 a month in my name. I'll take your advise and try to have her name placed on the utilities. I didn't want to attempt to take out a contract phone in her name believing that she might NOT get credit based on no credit history but thought her name on the electoral roll would suffice for a deposit account.

Thanx again. I've learnt a lot.

libra10

My husband used to experience similar problems to your wife. While my details showed on banking computers, my OH's did not.


In our case, it was that I even though bank accounts, current accounts, debit and credit cards were in joint names, it was me who dealt with all the financial transactions. My card used at ATM machines, my credit card used to pay for most things, etc.


We started using my OH's card at ATM machines, and made sure his details hit the radar, resulting in fewer problems occurring these days when opening new accounts.


HTH

Uneducated_Archie

teddysmum wrote: »

My husband and I have opened six current accounts and two savings accounts, between us, recently and chose to do so at the bank/building society, so we could pay in cash, not have to send or take in documents and have immediate setup.


I have been retired for seven years and he still works. I have never had a loan or overdraft (worked for LEAS), whereas he did once have a car on interest free finance.


All our searches were done online by the clerk, at the time, and were no problem (except that Nationwide's system failed, so we had a return visit to make.).Only TSB asked to see documents.

Good for You! There are only a finite number of banks/BS in the city where I live, hence the reason for applying online.

Indeed when we've gone into a BS in the city with the necessary documents and cheque books we've been able to open accounts (provided we've booked an appointment). As I wrote above with Yorkshire BS, my application went through without needing additional evidence but the wife's didn't.

This financial year we opened online accounts with Coventry BS with our full ISA allowance each. The nearest Coventry BS is probably in Coventry and I live in the North West. We've already got money invested with Virgin (well over the 75K each), Lloyds 130K between us, Principality 70K each in ISAs, approx 60K each in Yorkshire BS. We took out 2 x 10K bonds (?) each with Nat Savings and money in Post Office savings (had the same problems online with the Post Office, mine went through, the wife had to provide documentary evidence of address and being alive!)

Good for you!

Uneducated_Archie

greenglide wrote: »

You need to obtain a copy of your credit from experian or one of the other credit reference agencies to check that it is correct. If some of her data is wrong (not properly linked to you, home address is wrong, entry for electoral roll has been lost) then you will have a chance to get it corrected.

Thanx - would you be kind enough to advise me how this is done?

As I wrote, today the wife filled out the MSE Credit Club application, when Experian Checked it gave the following message:

Sorry, but you have failed the Experian identification process. This means that Experian was unable to verify your identity from the details you provided. The information that it holds on you is very sensitive so it can't allow access unless it's sure you are who you say you are.

Then it just says to check that the correct information has been entered, which it has................

We recently checked with the Local Authorities to ensure that the wife is entered on the electoral roll, they sent us back a headed letter with her full details, so I'm NOT sure where the problem lies.

ColdIron

Try Noddle?

jamesd

Uneducated_Archie wrote: »

I thought I'd try to enroll the wife with Experion, then hopefully if she applies for online banking in the future she might get recognised.

Not going to make a difference. I have two Barclaycard accounts and for one Experian electronically verified me and for the other they said send documents.

Banks look at the data held by Experian and having a credit reporting account will not change the data that they hold.

You could look at some bills that show up on your credit report and switch them into her name.

Uneducated_Archie wrote: »

is named on our High St bank and is a secondary person (if that's the correct term) on my Visa Credit Card.

The bank account might show up, if not she could open an account in her name that would, with some low overdraft limit. An additional cardholder does not show up on their credit report in the UK, though it will in the US.

Uneducated_Archie wrote: »

I bought her a new mobile phone using cash and pay for a SIM only deal for her at £12 a month in my name.

That's unfortunate. Phone companies are relatively willing to do phone purchase contracts and those are likely to show up as a low value personal loan. By not getting it done in her name you accidentally deprived her of the regular loan payments on her credit report that would have helped.

Uneducated_Archie

ColdIron wrote: »

Try Noddle?

Thanx we just did:

Unfortunately we can’t give you access to your credit report right now as we’ve not been able to verify and validate your identity. As your credit report contains such personal and sensitive information we have to make sure we only show it the right person.

I feel like a hamster in a wheel. Local authority says the wife is on the electoral roll. I don't know why.

I myself have an Experian Score through Barclaycard. After entering the wife's details and getting the message above I entered my details and got the same message!