NS&I letter concerning old premium bonds

flintlock67

Hi hope someone can help. My mother has some recently bought premium bonds and she received a letter correctly addressed to her from ns&i saying “following a check on our records we have noticed that a Bond bought in May 1969 didn’t include your date of birth”. The letter goes on to say that she didn’t have to give her dob when she bought it but would like it now to update their records. Being the letter address is correct and the recently bought bonds have her dob why ask? Also the accompanying form they ask her to complete, asks for her current address and her account and holder(s) number, which they obviously know. 

Is this normal and if they know the bond belongs to her why ask the questions. 

She’s tempted to ignore it unless they want the information because she’s won a massive prize!!
Any comments would be appreciated. 

Thank you

BooJewels

I recently bought new PBs, but had some old paper Bonds bought when I was born - and added these to my new online account - for which I had to give my DOB and a witnessed signature - because presumably historically you didn't need to provide as much information as you do now. 

So they're perhaps ensuring that they have the right person and account, to consolidate them into one account?  They have something like 25 million customers, so it's important that they identify people properly.

badmemory

I wonder if I will get a similar letter for the ones bought in 1957.  I wonder if this is all part of the newish two factor authorisation.  Is the return address correct if so I don't think there will be anything questionable about it.  They are all covering their backs these days.  Also if her instructions are to pay any winnings to a particular account she may find that the old bonds do not have that instruction.

IanManc

flintlock67 said:

Hi hope someone can help. My mother has some recently bought premium bonds and she received a letter correctly addressed to her from ns&i saying “following a check on our records we have noticed that a Bond bought in May 1969 didn’t include your date of birth”. The letter goes on to say that she didn’t have to give her dob when she bought it but would like it now to update their records. Being the letter address is correct and the recently bought bonds have her dob why ask? Also the accompanying form they ask her to complete, asks for her current address and her account and holder(s) number, which they obviously know. 

Is this normal and if they know the bond belongs to her why ask the questions. 

She’s tempted to ignore it unless they want the information because she’s won a massive prize!!
Any comments would be appreciated. 

Thank you

Because Mary Smith who bought bonds in 1969 may be the Mary Smith of that address who recently bought bonds, but might be her mother Mary Smith or her grandmother Mary Smith; without the date of birth of the person who bought the bonds in 1969 they can't be sure it is the same person; and unless your mother answers their enquiry NS&I will never know!

Wsb5tails

Be sure that your recently bought bonds and any old ones don't breach the £50k limit.  i discovered 1 bond from birth which pushed me over the limit.  they will reimburse the oldest bonds which for sentimental reasons I wanted to keep.  I don't know if true but media reported that this meant people with over £50k who then had winnings were having winning recovered.