Who'd be an Executor?

polymaff

Gosh, how bad financial institutions are.

I asked a certain BS (BS - how appropriate!) to open an Additional Allowance Isa - and specifically, could I do it electronically.  No.  So I create a printed application, print it, sign it, enclose an original Grant of Probate, an original Death Certificate and  a document from their acceptable ID list and send it off by First Class 8am the next morning.

A week or so later I call them and ask for a progress report.  No progress.  Why?  Well we'll need an application to close the closing ISA.  Can I do that electronically?  No.  But you've got the GoP as the gold standard of what is needed to deal with this. Plenty more of this, so I ask to speak to the agent's manager.

After a lengthy delay whilst the agent gets her side of the story in. (that was a guess, confirmed when, after a long delay (glad is was an 0800) the manager(?) comes on the line.  "you don't want to conform to our way of doing things."

  Huh, that's a crime?  So I explain that I can't complete an application to close as that form requires that I know the account number of the Additional Allowance Isa.  Possibly a bit more self-aware than the previous agent. She pauses before resolutely running even further into the quick-sand of illogicality.  She tells me to sign and send the form with that item left blank.  I tell her that I don't like signing blank cheques.  Perhaps she likes the analogy and she tells me that I'd have to fill in, sign and post the form in order to instruct the BS just how much I want to pay into the new account.

And where do I do that?  On the form.  Where on the form?  Of course there's nowhere to enter this.  I'm not familiar with this form she says.  So much for me asking to be connected with the previous agent's manager.

Enough of this.  I explain that both herself and the agent are abusing me by making official statements that are completely false and not responding when I ask a question which will completely rebutt their statements - and to which they just refuse to respond.  I also explain that I've no intentionof signing off a form full of warnings about signing off the form. Now, what about getting on with that application you've not been processing.  You call back in a week, Mr P, and we'll tell you what's happening.

With the greatest of restraint, I explain that she should take the responsibiliy for tracking this delayed-by-BS-incompetence, by expediting the applicationand contacting me asap with the information I need.

And their "Mission Statement"?

All together, better

From the little to the life-changing, we make it all add up

Just delete the word "add" and it all makes sense.

And there are four institutions behaving like this.  One has admitted their errors and paid up, one is under instruction from the Ombudsmen, the third I need to chase the Ombudsmen up about tomorrow.

Who'd be an Executor?

[That's better ! ]

msb1234

I’m confused! Also, how did you manage to send off the original death certificate along with the certificate of probate when in order to obtain probate you have to send the original death certificate and it doesn’t get returned?

Keep_pedalling

Isn’t it down to the deceased spouse to open the ISA rather than be the responsibility the executor?

polymaff

msb1234 said:

I’m confused! Also, how did you manage to send off the original death certificate along with the certificate of probate when in order to obtain probate you have to send the original death certificate and it doesn’t get returned?

A senior moment?

I wrote "an original Grant of Probate, an original Death Certificate"

You read:"the original death certificate along with the certificate of probate"

Incidentally, I did waste £22 on two Registrar death certificates.  When I found out that a Coroners Certificate of Death was free, I got his office to send me 16 and used them throughout.

A worthwhile tip?

Flugelhorn

msb1234 said:

I’m confused! Also, how did you manage to send off the original death certificate along with the certificate of probate when in order to obtain probate you have to send the original death certificate and it doesn’t get returned?

you can get several "original" ie certified copies of death certificates, they are all equally valid and people are advised to get a few for this very circumstance 

polymaff

Keep_pedalling said:

Isn’t it down to the deceased spouse to open the ISA rather than be the responsibility the executor?

I guess that that is down to the level of support which a firm has contracted to provide.

But in this case, I'm both.  And pretty browned off at the lack of simple, common processes.

Apart from the four rip-offs that I've mentioned another institution demanded six couriered paper documents - which, to be fair, they agreed pay for - in order to release £2.10.

Newly_retired

I am sorry about all these problems you have encountered.
As spouse I had no problem whatever in transfering my late husband's ISA to an Additional ISA. I opened it online. The only bother was having to go into a branch to complete a form, once it was open and the money transferred.  Admittedly the guy I spoke to was helpful but had not done one before. He thanked me for the learning experience! This was with a high street bank not BS.

polymaff

Newly_retired said:

I am sorry about all these problems you have encountered.
As spouse I had no problem whatever in transfering my late husband's ISA to an Additional ISA. I opened it online. The only bother was having to go into a branch to complete a form, once it was open and the money transferred.  Admittedly the guy I spoke to was helpful but had not done one before. He thanked me for the learning experience! This was with a high street bank not BS.

Apart from the four organisations still delinquent.  I tried to deal with a fifth by going into a branch.  Again, a complete disaster.  When I contacted the BS Headquarter they said that visiting the branch was the worse approach I could have chosen.

Great!

polymaff

Just to update this mad, mad story:

At the end of my call with the Coventry I was promised a call back.  Midday on the 15th October.  It never happened - but I did send off the paperwork they asked for - again - along with all of the proofs they'd returned to me.

On the 14th October, Coventry wrote thus: "All the funds from account <my late wife's ISA a/c number> will shortly transferred into account <the new additional allowance ISA in my name> as requested."

Checking my Coventry accounts this morning there is no additional allowance ISA, and - of course - no sign of the tens of thousands of pounds owing.

I called them this morning and got the usual stroppy response.  When I told her that the call of the 15th didn't happen she was very apologetic.   Ho! Ho!

No she wasn't - instead:  'We called you on the Thursday but you didn't reply'.  I pointed out that my telephones log incoming calls, answered or not, and there were no logs of any missed calls that entire week.  'Well, he called!'  Did he try again?  No answer, other than: 'Well he is not in today, can he call you tomorrow?'  Yes, as early as possible, please.  'Well he may already have meetings tomorrow, so he may not call you.'

What appalling training have these people had?  The Adolf Hitler School of Customer Care?

All that has happened since the 8th is an electronic payment of 6p and one of 10p - and two unexplained cheques.

One oddity about these cheques - beyond what on earth they represent - is that they are both signed hff8137.  Well, it might not be hff as all it looks like is three linked verticals, the second two extending below the Signatory line - BUT, can the bulk of an "Authorised Signatory" be digits?