Natalie and I have banked with the
Nationwide Building Society for many years. All our accounts with
them are in joint names. Now they want Natalie to prove her identity
before allowing her to open an ISA: they didn't ask me to prove my
identity before opening my ISA. How insulting is that to Natalie?
On the 18th March 2013 we
applied to open a Web ISA in each of our individual names; as an ISA
can only be in one person's name; via our on-line banking facility.
The Nationwide current account details given in both of our on-line
Web ISA applications related to our joint account. The same day we
received two emails confirming receipt of our applications. Each
application was allocated a separate reference number but no
indication as to whose application it was.
On the 20 March we received an email
stating “Thank you for applying for a Nationwide Web ISA. I am
pleased to tell you your account is now open. A welcome letter is on
its way to you confirming the account details ...Your ISA xxxxxxx is
open and should be available online in 3 days”. [No letter has been
received to-date.]
On the 22 March on accessing our
on-line banking facility we found that a new account under the 'Tax
Free Savings' heading had appeared with the title of Web ISA Issue 2
account xxxxxxxxx. There being no indication as to whether this is
mine or Natalie's I telephoned the ISA team on 0845 6028781 [given by
Nationwide as the ISA telephone contact number] to clarify this
matter. I quoted the reference number, stated in the email of the
20th, to the gentleman who answered my call but understood
from him that this number was of no value as he couldn't access our
records by it. Using a different route he was able to confirm that
the Web ISA Issue 2 account that had been opened was in my name.
I asked him to check on Natalie's
application reference xxxxxxx given in the email of the 18th
March but was again told he couldn't check as the reference number
was irrelevant to him. I was instructed to wait a few more days as
although the applications were made together they wouldn't
necessarily be actioned together - fair enough.
Now today Natalie has received a letter
from Peter Heron, Customer Service Administrator, Web ISA Team 1,
Savings Processing, dated 20 March 2013 quoting reference xxxxxxx
stating “Thank you for your recent request to open a Nationwide Web
ISA. I'm afraid we are unable to continue with your request at the
moment because we haven't been able to complete our identification
checks.”
What does the bank mean “we haven't
been able to complete our identification checks”?
I am disgusted by the Nationwide's
treatment of my wife's application and rudeness towards her by
questioning her identity status.
The account details given in both of
our on-line Web ISA applications relate to our joint current account.
All our other Nationwide accounts are joint accounts in our names. If
the ISA team had bothered to check they would have seen that they
have the identification details for me and for Natalie.
So why did my application go through
without any problems but Natalie's has been rejected at this time?
Why has she been asked to verify her existence and address when
Nationwide already have the details on their system?
If the Nationwide is not satisfied with
the details they hold for Natalie; why have we both independently
just received Nationwide 'Telephone Banking' security pass number
notifications dated 20 March at our joint, marital, home address?
This is the address that the Web ISA Team 1 want Natalie to verify
she lives at before opening an ISA. But it is alright to send her a
security code that gives access to our accounts to this address.
Does one hand of the Nationwide
Building Society not know of, and have access to, information held in
another hand?
I have lodged a complaint about this
action of the 'Web ISA Team 1' with the Nationwide, via their secure
on-line message service. I await with interest their reply.
