Audio Recording of Financial Appointments in a High Street Bank

MickyPalTaog

I would like to raise an issue I have encountered with the HBOS Banking Group. I had an appointment with an advisor in branch. I was intending to move a sum of money from a standard savings account to one with a higher interest rate. I have been banking with this High Street Bank for more than twenty years.

The Advisor informed before we started the consultation that the discussion would be recorded (audio) and could I give consent to this. I declined to give consent, as I see no need for a discussion around a simple financial transaction to be recorded. The Advisor then stated that the consultation could not then proceed. I asked what the purpose of the recording was and was told "training and monitoring". I again declined to give consent, citing my own case of being a former NHS clinical practitioner, and that it would simply not be allowed to record a medical consultation, regardless of how useful it may possibly be in training, identifying issues etc.

The Advisor then referred the issue to a senior manager in the branch, who also explained to me that the consultation would not proceed as I had not given consent to the recording.

I have placed this as formal complaint with HBOS, emphasising that I was being denied access to HBOS Services (higher interest rates) due to declining to be recorded. I then requested that the bank respond in writing to me and also detail ; 

1. Who has access to these audio recordings

2. How are they stored, and in which format

3. For how long are they stored and retained

4. How are these recordings destroyed and what is the process/timetable to ensure that they are not retained further than required 

. 

I received a call the next day, the objective seemingly, to close the issue / complaint down as having been resolved ? The resolution from the bank's point of view, being that as they had relayed their policy of compulsory recording there was nothing further to add. I then made it clear that I did not agreed to closing this complaint as I had not received anything in writing explaining their policy and justification for withdrawing service from customers who do not consent to audio recordings. Yesterday I received an e-mailed letter stating ; 

"We didn’t refuse or decline your request to open a Savings account Your recent email advises you’ve been denied access to higher interest rates as we refused to allow you to open a Savings account. I’m unable to agree with this statement as it was yourself who refused to allow us to record the interaction which in turn led to you being unable to open an account in branch" 

I do believe HBOS are legally allowed to record financial appointments. I also believe customers have the right to decline recording and that this does not preclude access to HBOS Services.

What do the forum feel about this ? 

born_again

MickyPalTaog said:

I would like to raise an issue I have encountered with the HBOS Banking Group. I had an appointment with an advisor in branch. I was intending to move a sum of money from a standard savings account to one with a higher interest rate. I have been banking with this High Street Bank for more than twenty years.

The Advisor informed before we started the consultation that the discussion would be recorded (audio) and could I give consent to this. I declined to give consent, as I see no need for a discussion around a simple financial transaction to be recorded. The Advisor then stated that the consultation could not then proceed. I asked what the purpose of the recording was and was told "training and monitoring". I again declined to give consent, citing my own case of being a former NHS clinical practitioner, and that it would simply not be allowed to record a medical consultation, regardless of how useful it may possibly be in training, identifying issues etc.

The Advisor then referred the issue to a senior manager in the branch, who also explained to me that the consultation would not proceed as I had not given consent to the recording.

I have placed this as formal complaint with HBOS, emphasising that I was being denied access to HBOS Services (higher interest rates) due to declining to be recorded. I then requested that the bank respond in writing to me and also detail ; 

1. Who has access to these audio recordings

2. How are they stored, and in which format

3. For how long are they stored and retained

4. How are these recordings destroyed and what is the process/timetable to ensure that they are not retained further than required 

. 

I received a call the next day, the objective seemingly, to close the issue / complaint down as having been resolved ? The resolution from the bank's point of view, being that as they had relayed their policy of compulsory recording there was nothing further to add. I then made it clear that I did not agreed to closing this complaint as I had not received anything in writing explaining their policy and justification for withdrawing service from customers who do not consent to audio recordings. Yesterday I received an e-mailed letter stating ; 

"We didn’t refuse or decline your request to open a Savings account Your recent email advises you’ve been denied access to higher interest rates as we refused to allow you to open a Savings account. I’m unable to agree with this statement as it was yourself who refused to allow us to record the interaction which in turn led to you being unable to open an account in branch" 

I do believe HBOS are legally allowed to record financial appointments. I also believe customers have the right to decline recording and that this does not preclude access to HBOS Services.

What do the forum feel about this ? 

To protect you & them from a claim of miss selling.

In the end it is only the same as telephone banking.

You could always do it online, & take HBOS out of the equation 👍

eskbanker

MickyPalTaog said:

Yesterday I received an e-mailed letter stating ; 

"We didn’t refuse or decline your request to open a Savings account Your recent email advises you’ve been denied access to higher interest rates as we refused to allow you to open a Savings account. I’m unable to agree with this statement as it was yourself who refused to allow us to record the interaction which in turn led to you being unable to open an account in branch" 

I do believe HBOS are legally allowed to record financial appointments. I also believe customers have the right to decline recording and that this does not preclude access to HBOS Services.

What do the forum feel about this ? 

They're making the valid point that declining consent to recording doesn't preclude access to their accounts, but if you want those accounts then you either consent to recording or open them via other channels, such as phone (which would also be recorded of course!) or online.

DullGreyGuy

The ombudsman doesn't take well to cases where a customer says they were told X but the bank/insurer cannot evidence that they told them Y instead. Recording conversations makes for a very easy way to avoid these disputes ending up in the ombudsman's lap. 

You get your first high interest statement and say the interest rate is wrong and not what you were told. They pull up the conversation recording and can then either say you are absolutely right and they'll correct or apologies if you miss understood the conversation but you were clearly told you'd be getting the rate you are getting. 

GDPR/DPA does not consider information about account openings, interest rates etc to be as sensitive information as medical information so there isn't really parallels to recording NHS consultations. Personally I think doctor consultations should be recorded too as I am bored having to keep reminding them of things I've told them in the past. Certainly in London however it seems to be common for doctors to dictate letters and so whilst no a recording of me discussing itchy balls doesn't exist they do then record themselves talking about my nob rot. Certainly at least 1 hospital for a time at least were using an offshore typing service to transcribe those dictations to actual letters. 

Section62

MickyPalTaog said:

I do believe HBOS are legally allowed to record financial appointments. I also believe customers have the right to decline recording and that this does not preclude access to HBOS Services.

What do the forum feel about this ? 

The angle I'd come from is HBOS should have advised you that their compulsory recording of the appointment was non-negotiable at the time (or before) the appointment was booked.

Having waited to tell you about it until you were there sat in the room has resulted in you wasting time and travel costs to get to an appointment that served no purpose.

So the question is whether you were given any information before the appointment that advised that an audio recording would be made?

Bear in mind though that not wanting to be recorded may lead LBG to assume you have something to hide and as a result terminate your existing banking relationship (if any) with them.

ColdIron

I welcome these recordings. Twice now I've had issues resolved in my favour by going back to them

dunstonh

1. Who has access to these audio recordings

2. How are they stored, and in which format

3. For how long are they stored and retained

4. How are these recordings destroyed and what is the process/timetable to ensure that they are not retained further than required 

Probable answers are:
1 - Bank staff
2 - Electronically
3 - indefinitely
4 - probably not destroyed.  There is no long stop in financial services.   Advice class business typically doesn't see data destroyed.

MrFrugalFever

dunstonh said:

1. Who has access to these audio recordings

2. How are they stored, and in which format

3. For how long are they stored and retained

4. How are these recordings destroyed and what is the process/timetable to ensure that they are not retained further than required 

Probable answers are:
1 - Bank staff
2 - Electronically
3 - indefinitely
4 - probably not destroyed.  There is no long stop in financial services.   Advice class business typically doesn't see data destroyed.

Would this not be 'for as long is relevant whereby a relationship exists between customer and bank and for up to 7 years post account closure'. I do believe that recordings are held for different time periods (shorter) than electronic mail and physical paper documents but I could be wrong.

A recording is made on telephone calls to a very large proportion of businesses now, especially those within the financial services sector so I guess the way to look at it is you'd be recorded on the phone when you query something so whats different about being recorded in person. You're recorded on the banks CCTV when you enter the building so why not go the whole hog and let them hear your euphonious voice!

Bigwheels1111

Love a phone call or meeting to be recorded. Especially the 4 Pip interviews I attended with friends.

Where so many lies were concocted by the assessor.

But recording is not permitted.

So someone NOT ME recorded them. I know very bad thing to do.

Catch the govenment lacky lying.

Who would have thought.

Tribunal were not pleased with them or the client.

Client provided a word for word transcript of the interview.

Bank telephone recordings have got me over £700 in compensation so far.

Where they have given the wrong info or lied.

dunstonh

Would this not be 'for as long is relevant whereby a relationship exists between customer and bank and for up to 7 years post account closure'. I do believe that recordings are held for different time periods (shorter) than electronic mail and physical paper documents but I could be wrong.

No.   Data protection allows data in respect of liability to be retained as long as the liability exists.   As there is no long stop with financial services, that means financial firms can hold onto the data indefinitely.

Some bits of data may have time periods (e.g. emails or call logs) but anything used for liability would not be included in that.

If the person is no longer a customer, then it can still be retained.

Albermarle

ColdIron said:

I welcome these recordings. Twice now I've had issues resolved in my favour by going back to them

You have reminded me that I had a dispute with a pension provider over the  discount level on charges.( it had changed for no obvious reason.  After ping ponging a few e mails, they checked a phone transcript from a couple of years earlier. An apology and £200 soon followed !