Leeds bldg society discriminating

amstel2

Hello

Just had a very bizarre phone call with the Leeds BS re opening a Regular Savings a/c.

In the small print is states intial deposit must be by cheque to create a link between the savings a/c & bank a/c. This even applies if you operate the a/c online.

As i have a basic bank a/c that i am perfectly happy with, i explained i do not have a cheque book. She then said the only alternative was a bankers draft i explained my bank charges for this.

I pointed out i have other savings a/cs with other providers & had never encoutered such an archiac policy before. I sated that a cheq has an a/c number & sort code the same as a debit card or online banking transfer.

I then stated this was blatant discrimination against people with basic bank a/cs & that i would take it to the regulaior. She then started hiding behind security policy.

Has anyone else come across this & which regulator should i take this to. It seems a very strange way to do business.

Gadfium

Do they have an obligation to take your business? If not, then they are basically saying that you do not fit their criteria. It's not a regulator issue.

As for being discriminated against? You haven't. You've just been told that they do not want to do a certain type of business. Thats not discrimination.

eskbanker

Leeds haven't even said they don't want the business, they've just said they need a cheque. In response to OP saying they don't have a cheque book, they've said they'll accept a slightly different form of payment instead but OP doesn't want to pay the charge for that, which is entirely his/her choice, but in turn he/she can't now play the discrimination card when Leeds have made it clear they will take the business - it's hardly their fault OP doesn't have a cheque book!

MARTYM8`

Their savings terms and investments refer to a personal cheque being preferred - so clearly not essential just preferred. Do you have a local Leeds branch you could visit instead - and bring your bank statement along too?

Surely if you pass their identity checks the need for a cheque seems a bit officious?

http://www.leedsbuildingsociety.co.uk/_resources/pdfs/savings-pdfs/GIC_2016.pdf


"Opening your account
To open an account at one of our branches or by post you will need
to provide the following:
1 a completed and signed application form; and
2 a deposit for your investment (for postal applications, a personal
cheque is preferred)."

PeacefulWaters

Truly pathetic. And I don't mean the building society.

[Deleted User]

I suggest that you sue them for half a million at least!

EdGasket

>>>Non cheque-book holders lives matter<<<

bigadaj

Is it because I is a basic account?

Kim_13

I think you should be taking this up with your current account provider. As far as I'm aware, the majority don't charge for a cheque/banker's draft to be made out from your account when you have no alternative (i.e. no chequebook to do it yourself.)

Westie983

Kim_13 wrote: »

I think you should be taking this up with your current account provider. As far as I'm aware, the majority don't charge for a cheque/banker's draft to be made out from your account when you have no alternative (i.e. no chequebook to do it yourself.)

This is correct where I work, if you dont have the facility to write your own cheques then fee is waived, also the same case if you hold a savings account, most of the time the fee can be waived by transferring the money into the savings account and then processing the bankers draft transaction, and thus the fee is not taken or applied as the system knows the account is a savings account.

amstel2

PeacefulWaters wrote: »

Truly pathetic. And I don't mean the building society.

Obviously talking about yourself.