Nationwide Building Society insults my Wife

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 18^th 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 20^th, 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 18^th 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.