Natwest Switching Issues...

a_bloke

Just tried switching to Natwest for their £150 (about the last bank I've never used..) but ran into issues with their automated ID checking "hooyu" that I thought others might like to know about.

It looks like you just need a selfie and "a" photo ID, but just a driving licence is apparently not good enough, you actually need more than 1.... and I don't have a current passport or national ID card, which are the only other options! Spoke to customer services who told me there was nothing else that could be done, so I had to cancel my application :-( I wasn't even allowed to take it into a branch (apparently that's a whole different process...)

So, if you don't have a current passport but are thinking of switching, you may be best going into a branch...

On a related note, they apparently already completed the credit check earlier on in the process, so I'm slightly nervous about trying again / going to RBS instead - do you think the multiple checks in a short period will cause me any problems?

18cc

a few days ago opened a nat west account for a friend and got letter in post yesterday with a digidocs link.

set up digidocs, selected driving licence and uploaded back and front photos as requested

did not ask for passport as well...

eskbanker

a_bloke wrote: »

It looks like you just need a selfie and "a" photo ID, but just a driving licence is apparently not good enough, you actually need more than 1.... and I don't have a current passport or national ID card, which are the only other options! Spoke to customer services who told me there was nothing else that could be done, so I had to cancel my application :-( I wasn't even allowed to take it into a branch (apparently that's a whole different process...)

Sounds like some crossed wires somewhere along the line, because no institution requires a selfie and two separate forms of photo ID (which would make no sense) - the norm is one form of photo ID and one proof of address, although it isn't usually permitted for one document to fulfil both requirements. So, if you used your driving licence for photo ID, there are numerous other acceptable forms of proof of address.

NatWest publish their policy at https://personal.natwest.com/personal/current-accounts/what-do-you-need-to-open-a-current-account.html so if what you were asked for doesn't comply with that then raise a formal complaint....

polymaff

I'd never heard of Hooyu or the need for a "selfie", so I looked on Natwest's website for information:

"Sharing information
As part of the verification process, we'll share your contact details with HooYu and they will share with identity verification information with us."

Once upon a time poor syntax or grammar helped you to spot bad guys.

That was then...:)

claire07

I intended to switch my Bank of Scotland account to NatWest and was asked to download my driving licence front and back but they kept responding that I needed to try again. Their site looked familiar and looking further it said I had downloaded documents when I applied for a NatWest account when they had a previous offer which I had unfortunately totally forgotten about.

So as I wouldn't be eligible for this offer I didn't take it any further but they asked for either a driving licence or passport nothing else.