TSB statements - PDFs and paper craziness

wallofbeans

Hi all,

I've just had a crazy conversation with TSB and wondered if the same applies to all banks...

I am with TSB and have gone fully paperless. My online account has an 'inbox' with messages that include PDF statements (looking exactly as the printed versions would) for the past 6 months. But now I'd like some statements previous to that.

They say that they can't give me PDF versions on older statements, but can send me paper copies for free. I argued that surely the paper copy must have an electronic version somewhere that has to be printed to be sent to me. So why can't they just cut out the printing bit and just either email me the PDF versions, or put them in my online account inbox for me to download.

It's crazy that I have gone paperless, surely to save wasting paper, but when I want a copy of something as easy as a statement they will not create a PDF but will happily send it in the post. So I can then scan it and create a PDF!

Is this the same with all banks. Or are there some that aren't needlessly printing paper?

BooJewels

I can't say what my banks would do in the same situation, as I've never asked the question. But Halifax certainly make 6 years worth of monthly pdf statements available to download from within online banking. I know because I recently systematically dowloaded them all into a new digital archive I'm creating, so that I can reduce my own paper mountain.

But you're right, it sounds preposterous to approach it the way you've described.

EachPenny

wallofbeans wrote: »

They say that they can't give me PDF versions on older statements, but can send me paper copies for free. I argued that surely the paper copy must have an electronic version somewhere that has to be printed to be sent to me. So why can't they just cut out the printing bit and just either email me the PDF versions, or put them in my online account inbox for me to download.

Depending how a bank's system is set up, older transaction data might just be provided in a list form rather than a formatted 'statement'. Nationwide do this for example - if you ask for old data you just get sent a printout of data from the back-end system.

The way their IT system is set up may prevent old data from being produced in an electronic form, e.g. for security reasons.

And since it is TSB, there is a very good chance that nothing prior to their IT 'upgrade' will reliably work through the new system to produce PDFs.

At least they don't want to charge you for paper statements.

wallofbeans

EachPenny wrote: »

Depending how a bank's system is set up, older transaction data might just be provided in a list form rather than a formatted 'statement'. Nationwide do this for example - if you ask for old data you just get sent a printout of data from the back-end system.

The way their IT system is set up may prevent old data from being produced in an electronic form, e.g. for security reasons.

And since it is TSB, there is a very good chance that nothing prior to their IT 'upgrade' will reliably work through the new system to produce PDFs.

At least they don't want to charge you for paper statements.

I can put in dates online and get a excel type file of all the transactions, and then save that as a pdf. But what I'm after is the monthly statements that I have for the past six months, on the headed paper and with the total incoming and outgoing at the top etc.

I'm going to check with them whether what they send me in the post is that or the excel style documents printed out...

wallofbeans

BooJewels wrote: »

I can't say what my banks would do in the same situation, as I've never asked the question. But Halifax certainly make 6 years worth of monthly pdf statements available to download from within online banking. I know because I recently systematically dowloaded them all into a new digital archive I'm creating, so that I can reduce my own paper mountain.

But you're right, it sounds preposterous to approach it the way you've described.

That's exactly what I thought I'd be able to access. I would be happy with less than 6 years worth too. I like the sound of Halifax in that regard...

NotRichAtAll

are you not able to view the electronic version and just print page?