My boyfriend and I went into the Alliance & Leicester earlier this week t open a joint bank account. He's already got an account with them; my current account is with another bank. We were taken through the whole application, but not once was I asked for any id...is this normal? I would have thought I'd have to give them passport, driving licence, proof of address etc, but I didn't!! This struck me as a bit odd....
2007-02-22 00:22:02 · 12 answers · asked by gotaquestion123 2 in Business & Finance ➔ Personal Finance
The reason it surprised me so much is, a couple of weeks ago I tried to register at ou local video shop and had to provide a ridiculous amount of things to prove who I was.....
2007-02-22 00:31:18 · update #1
That is odd..I would close that account or talk to the manager.
2007-02-22 00:25:46 · answer #1 · answered by KathyS 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
That account should not have been opened without ID for yourself. The bank can do a credit check and also a voters roll search but neither proves that that was the person sat in front of them.
Under regulations, they are required to have that ID on file and you may find that they write to you shortly saying that they want to close the account unless you can produce satisfactory ID.
Scary thought - anyone could go into that branch, pretend to be you, borrow £10k and never pay it back. You would then have the shock of your life when the bailliffs turn up! Speak to the manager and ask for details of their id policy.
2007-02-24 06:01:51 · answer #2 · answered by bubblybassoonist 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is possible to open an account without giving any ID if the bank is able to complete certain electronic checks. Most of the time banks will ask for paper documents anyway because it's too much hassle for them to ask different customers for different amounts of ID depending on how the checks went. Also it's better for them to cover themselves because the fines for getting it wrong are so high.
When I last opened an account with A&L I don't remember giving any ID docs so they are either not checking properly, OR being smarter to save their customers hassle.
2007-02-22 20:27:07 · answer #3 · answered by yfscots 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
that is odd!
If they cannot do something that we would expect the bank to do then I would go to another bank.
But they wonder why people rack up debts and go off to Spain or Australia!
Actually saying that, they check your credit rating and the electors roll.
Back in the day, you needed ID to open an account, but because people tend to rip off banks they get concrete evidence via EXPERIAN and EQUIFAX so they can see how long you have lived at the address you are providing them with.
2007-02-25 01:03:20 · answer #4 · answered by Rebz 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
When i opened a joint bank account with my husband i had to give two forms of ID and my marriage certificate wouldn't count as one. If only you'd used a fake name you could have taken out a huge loan and moved to Mexico.
2007-02-22 00:29:56 · answer #5 · answered by Katy W 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
this is perfectly normal procedure for banks as they still need to make sure you are who you say you are.
since 9-11 the rules of opening a bank account has changed. i also not long ago had my wife put on my bank account and she still had to supply a passport and a utility bill(one to say who she was and 1 to prove she lived at that address).
so if they asked you for one of them then the are doing their job correctly.
2007-02-22 00:32:02 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because your friend had an account, they assumed you guys were safe. I'm sure you had to give them your SSN. By pulling your credit, they can see your address, credit, etc. I'd think they still need to check your ID though. The only thing I can think of is that he forgot to ask you.
2007-02-22 00:36:48 · answer #7 · answered by spot 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
the bank always asks for identification and social security number when you open an account. are you sure you were added to the account under his name? be cautious and check the paperwork that they gave you. did you sign anything? you should have signed some papers and got a copy of everything, account numbers, and how much is the balance on the account, any atm card? please dont let them outsmart you. be safe.
2007-02-22 00:31:48 · answer #8 · answered by Lola 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Every time i have dealt with my bank, loans etc. They have always asked for 2 forms of id.
Somebody is not doing there job properly. Make a complaint to the manager.
2007-02-22 00:28:30 · answer #9 · answered by richard_beckham2001 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
In my opinion the bank was at fault and if anything happens now they are at fault and you can possibly take them to court if they do not admit their mistake. ALL banks have to get I.D. when anybody opens an account.
2007-02-25 23:37:46 · answer #10 · answered by LW N 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋