Halifax Bank insists my address is different to that shown in internet banking and banking app

marksthespot

I moved house and updated my address mid-July on their banking app, as I couldn't do it online. All was fine and my new address showed correctly in the app and online, and postal preferences.

Yesterday I found out that Halifax had sent my credit card statement to my old address. I checked that the address is still correct on online/mobile banking and sure enough it is. So I phone up to query the issue with the statement going to the wrong address and am told by the nice lady that all three of their address databases have my old address and that the current security level wouldn't allow her to update the address.

Rather annoyed I politely requested that a complaint is raised. After some delay I am told that her manager said the complaint couldn't be upheld because what I was saying was impossible. Despite offering screenshots to show that the only address shown anywhere was the correct new one, they insisted there was nothing they could do apart from elevate the complaint, although it would definitely be rejected due to the impossibility of what I was saying.

Annoyingly at the time of the call I had assumed (and incorrectly suggested) that I'd updated my address online (I forgot I had downloaded the app to do this), however this was a minor detail error and I had focused the call entirely on the fact that my address shows correctly online, albeit different to what they said was my address.

Life is short, so maybe I should just call another number to change my address in their other databases, or maybe I should change credit card (to another with 0 fees abroad)?

However, it's annoyed me that their response to a complaint is to say they won't raise or uphold any complaint that they consider impossible at the outset, despite offering proof! Also, it concerns me that I'm with a company that isn't able to manage my personal data appropriately.

So is this even worth my effort to keep pursuing?

mab3000

Do you hold any other products with Halifax? Has the address changed on those products? 

From what I can see from the app changing the address through the app should change your address on all products. I cannot really see why Halifax are not thinking they are at fault here. 

Maybe log a complaint via one of the methods here;

https://www.halifax.co.uk/contactus/how-to-complain.html

tacpot12

I would recommend that your persevere with your complaint. It is completely wrong to refuse to log the complaint because "it cannot be true". The decision-maker here doesn't and cannot have a complete understanding of Halifax's IT systems. My expereince, having worked in the IT departments of a number of banks, is that no-one has a complete understanding of the different failure modes of the IT systems. What has happened to you is entirely possible.

Write and complain, and if they refuse to log the complaint, write to the Financial Ombudsman.   

GrumpyDil

I'm really surprised that they didn't offer to investigate further as I would expect them to want to get to the bottom of the issue and see what has happened. Their IT staff will have access to data which they won't be able to see and might be able to spot an issue. 

I would ring again, explain the issue and point out that this is a potential GDPR issue which they should want to get to the bottom of.

If they won't look into then tell them you want to raise a formal complaint. 

marksthespot

mab3000 said:

Do you hold any other products with Halifax? Has the address changed on those products? 

From what I can see from the app changing the address through the app should change your address on all products. I cannot really see why Halifax are not thinking they are at fault here. 

Maybe log a complaint via one of the methods here;

https://www.halifax.co.uk/contactus/how-to-complain.html

Thanks, I only have a Halifax Clarity Card (because of the zero fees abroad), although I have had one or two (now closed) savings accounts in the past, which are not visible in either online banking or the app.

My complaint was elevated by the polite and understanding lady on the phone, but she warned it could be some time before I get any sort of response, which she said according to her manager was basically a foregone conclusion.

GrumpyDil

Ah,

Didn't spot she was going to elevate it. Hopefully that means raise a formal complaint.

As tacpot12 and I have said front office/call centre staff will not have access to fully investigate this and I would expect their IT depts to be asked to investigate rather quickly because of the potential GDPR implications. 

marksthespot

GrumpyDil said:

I'm really surprised that they didn't offer to investigate further as I would expect them to want to get to the bottom of the issue and see what has happened. Their IT staff will have access to data which they won't be able to see and might be able to spot an issue. 

I would ring again, explain the issue and point out that this is a potential GDPR issue which they should want to get to the bottom of.

If they won't look into then tell them you want to raise a formal complaint. 

Yes, I had tried their twitter team but got nowhere despite quoting my complaint number and offering screenshots. I stopped short of threatening a DSAR, referring them to the ICO and the financial ombudsman and figured I should take a deep breath and post on this forum!

colsten

Definitely persist with your complaint. They cannot refuse you raising a complain, and they need to respond in writing to it. If they fail to do this, you can escalate to the FOS.

In the meantime, you'd be well advised to change all your Halifax account and communications methods to paperless.

GrumpyDil

marksthespot said:

GrumpyDil said:

I'm really surprised that they didn't offer to investigate further as I would expect them to want to get to the bottom of the issue and see what has happened. Their IT staff will have access to data which they won't be able to see and might be able to spot an issue. 

I would ring again, explain the issue and point out that this is a potential GDPR issue which they should want to get to the bottom of.

If they won't look into then tell them you want to raise a formal complaint. 

Yes, I had tried their twitter team but got nowhere despite quoting my complaint number and offering screenshots. I stopped short of threatening a DSAR, referring them to the ICO and the financial ombudsman and figured I should take a deep breath and post on this forum!

This is where I am getting confused. If you have a complaint ref they have clearly raised a formal complaint which you need to give them time to investigate. In fact the ombudsman will not investigate anything until either they have completed their investigation or have exceeded the time limit for handling a complaint. 

If they need further information such as screen shots as part of their investigation the complaints team will contact you to ask for them.

You do need to give them time to investigate which will take time to complete. 

marksthespot

GrumpyDil said:

marksthespot said:

GrumpyDil said:

I'm really surprised that they didn't offer to investigate further as I would expect them to want to get to the bottom of the issue and see what has happened. Their IT staff will have access to data which they won't be able to see and might be able to spot an issue. 

I would ring again, explain the issue and point out that this is a potential GDPR issue which they should want to get to the bottom of.

If they won't look into then tell them you want to raise a formal complaint. 

Yes, I had tried their twitter team but got nowhere despite quoting my complaint number and offering screenshots. I stopped short of threatening a DSAR, referring them to the ICO and the financial ombudsman and figured I should take a deep breath and post on this forum!

This is where I am getting confused. If you have a complaint ref they have clearly raised a formal complaint which you need to give them time to investigate. In fact the ombudsman will not investigate anything until either they have completed their investigation or have exceeded the time limit for handling a complaint. 

If they need further information such as screen shots as part of their investigation the complaints team will contact you to ask for them.

You do need to give them time to investigate which will take time to complete. 

Yes, I was given a complaint ref number, but the manager had insisted the outcome was a foregone conclusion and could never be upheld, even if elevated. I was told in no uncertain terms that the result of the month+ long wait could be nothing other than the complaint being rejected.

Either the manager's handling of this (to imply the customer is wrong/confused/lying) is bad customer service or perhaps the manager understands how their complaints procedure works.

I was left feeling that I'd be a fool to wait the 4-6 weeks for, what I was told, would be the inevitable rejection of my complaint. Of course, in the meantime, they have my old address on their system.

GrumpyDil

In which case I would raise a second complaint specifically about the call itself and the fact that the person you spoke to indicated that the outcome of your complaint was a foregone conclusion. They will be able to pull any recordings and verify what exactly was said during the conversation.