Skipton lol

Bigwheels1111

Could be a simple mistake.
I applied for the Coventry building society easy access 6.
They asked for id, I’ve never had this happen.
Called to ask why.
Lady on phone looked and said the system had not run the id checks.
She run the check and account was opened

expansion

TheWoodler said:

Nothing changed at *your* end, but something might have changed at the other end. For example, you’ve been at your address a year longer, so score higher on whatever criteria they use for electronic verification; or the dataset they use for that purpose has been changed or updated. 

Verification often prompts cries of “useless institution” when further ID is requested, “but I passed without quibble at competitor” or “nothing’s changed from one year to the next so they’re inconsistent.” I know this from experience. Different organisations will be working from different datasets and processes, but it doesn’t make them useless or incompetent. Quite apart from anything else, a standardised protocol would, I’d imagine, be a hackers’ paradise. 

Some of the language used on these forums can be quite intemperate or disparaging for these relatively minor matters, eg when impatient to see rates rising at an institution you save with. It would be better to reserve highly critical language for instances of really poor customer service, over-zealous procedures or downright incompetence. 

It was not literally 12 months ago. It was last year as in 2022, I checked September. My address has not changed in almost 15 years. Do you really think a few more months makes a difference to open a savings account? During this time I opened 4 other savings accounts, 2 current accounts, and took out a credit card without problems all with electronic verification. Only Skipton had a problem. A few months later they don't. I agree with you it was at their end. Maybe they forgot to run a check as Bigwheels1111 has experienced. Don't reduce what I said to something I didn't say. I understand the necessity of checks. I understand if a bank doesn't want to have someone as their customer. That's not what I'm adding to this conversation. I am adding my experience with Skipton. Skipton has been an outlier compared to the rest. Skipton has been inconsistent in a short time. Based on these facts yes I find Skipton clueless.

TheWoodler

I find there are occasional outliers in opening accounts, yes, but I don’t berate the organisations for it. The same small thing that meant you needed to be verified may have meant someone else didn’t. 

It could be as simple as the way your address appears on their systems - my postal address appears under three or four different counties/authorities in deliveries, depending on the system used by the sender! I don’t call the sender clueless for recording my address by the city or the county in which I live, both are valid, but I do call DPD clueless if their driver gives me the runaround as happened recently!

 I still get my deliveries. Same sort of thing - one bank may have your postal address recorded slightly differently and that could be enough to make them double-check. 

In those few months something may have changed, that would be sufficient time for a system change to be implemented, for example. Skipton were not refusing you an account. They were satisfying themselves as to your ID/address or whatever. That doesn’t make them clueless. It’s an annoyance to you. There’s a difference. 

Section62

expansion said:

It was not literally 12 months ago. It was last year as in 2022, I checked September. My address has not changed in almost 15 years. Do you really think a few more months makes a difference to open a savings account? During this time I opened 4 other savings accounts, 2 current accounts, and took out a credit card without problems all with electronic verification. Only Skipton had a problem. A few months later they don't. I agree with you it was at their end. Maybe they forgot to run a check as Bigwheels1111 has experienced.

Perhaps you aren't appreciating the point that it doesn't have to be an actual change in any of your personal circumstances, but merely a change or difference in the way the information is recorded or processed.

Those changes can come into effect (or be removed) in a matter of days, e.g. between opening accounts with different financial institutions.

expansion said:

Don't reduce what I said to something I didn't say.

....Based on these facts yes I find Skipton clueless.

Maybe it would help everyone if you didn't reduce the complexities of KYC and how it is implemented in different situations into one organisation being "clueless" because on one occasion their system didn't work to your satisfaction?

This situation isn't unique to Skipton.  I had 20+ savings accounts with Virgin Money and never had a problem with their electronic ID check... until one day it didn't work and I had to produce paper ID on every subsequent occasion I wanted to open an account in branch, yet simultaneously could use their online system to open and manage accounts without issue.

This is just a normal run of the mill occurrence with KYC - nothing to do with any one bank or building society being "clueless".

Gers

My experience with Skipton is so good, lovely helpful staff on the phone and ease of use. KYC can be a pain a random times and with other organisations- try HSBC for thoroughness.

My address had has three versions, council tax one, Royal Mail one and the actual one.  No street or numbers are not well liked by officialdom.

If you're not happy go somewhere else. There's a lot of choice out there. Being rude is no way to behave. 😄