Banks DD's and Phone Companies

To quote Arlo Guthrie's Alices Restuarant, 'Shrink I want to kill, and I mean kill, I want to blood and gore and guts and veins between my teeth, I mean kill..'

Due to my friend moving out his part of the bills have fallen back to Mum including the phone and broadband that he was paying for from his account. After he cancelled the DD, we got a bill for the outstanding amount which we paid and set up a new DD to Mums account with her account at one of the high st banks, who are named after a port city in Spain. A couple of days ago emails, texts and a letter started arriving saying we had an unpaid bill, when I finally got to speak to a human at the phone company, who really want you to do everything remotely and not speak to anyone, the bank had refused the DD, we don't know why, they didn't inform us they were doing it or phone Mum up and ask if this was a real DD and that she wasn't being scammed. The phone company is a well known high st name, so not some could be fly by night start up, we managed to pay the bill finally after the bank refused to take two remote attempts at payment, we eventually managed with a different account and set up a DD, so hopefully we won't have this nonsense next month.

I'm livid with the bank, I wish Mum could change to a different bank but she can't as she dosn't have two forms of photo ID, she dosen't even have one form being 92, having never held a driving licence and gave up travelling years ago. This bank seems to be very good at protecting peoples money, mostly from themselves. It's very good that they have such stringent antil fraud and bullying measures, but not at the the expense of going about your lawful business with YOUR money.

A bank doing something like this with no contact that they suspect fraud could have had serious consequenses, it could have led to us being cut off, not good when ones 92 and can't use a mobile phone because it interferes with hearing aids, she could of ended up with bailiffs or all sorts of nastiness. It's all stressed me right out!

  • I think it was easy when my Dad died with this one particular bank that we're currently having problems with, as they had another account with them in joint names and we had a death certificate and it was transfered within the same bank. Its getting them to move money to another account that I'm probably unnessercarily concerned about, just because they've proved themselves to be so difficult and awkward before.

    When I take my mum ot the branch and wait in the seating area, they always ask who I am, am I threatening her, who's the money for, are they threatening her, it's great that they're concerned for thier elderly customers, but does it not occur to them they by asking these questions so loudly they could be putting her in danger? Afterall if I'm a rogue trader who's driven her to the bank to get money from her, then I know where she lives, if they refuse to give her money I could turn up at her house at any time and be threatening. If she said yes, how are they going to stop me? Will the bank go into lockdown until the police arrive, and do what? Thats if they can be bothered and have enough people to spare.

  • I don't know how they'll be about me inheriting it all when I don't bank with them.

    I found my father's bank was very good after his death. I may have had to show his death cert but he left no will I could find and that didn't prevent them closing the account and tranferring his money to me.

  • My parents were very organised like that, wills, funeral plans and powers of attourney all ready to go.

    They should have contacted her, but it was the first payment and they just refused to accept it, they were alright about transfering joint accounts to my mum only when my dad died, but I don't know how they'll be about me inheriting it all when I don't bank with them.

  • Direct debits are covered by a guarantee which should be provided to you on setting them up. If they are taken incorrectly you can ask your bank to do an indemnity claim which claims the money back to your account.

  • I managed to get my mother to agree to in the end

    Well done! It can be so difficult with elderly parents.

  • I had a nightmare recently. Setting yo a bank account t with zero photo. I'd 

    I don't like direct debit payments I prefer old paper bills but now it's dd or online knly. But dd can sometimes. Be taken early or late leaving you short or if Tia late and you don't realised same result. 

    And if this happens and you can't get the money and they cut your internet off they tell you yo pay onlinr to reinstate service which is all well and good unless your mobile data js down for any reason

  • Alternatively, a certain bank offers access to a third party, if your mother grants it. This link will take you to the relavant page on their website.

    That's a good tip and is what I managed to get my mother to agree to in the end (mainly so that she could give money away to a family member) but still.

    That was quite a relief.

  • I’m dealing with solicitors at the moment for a land sale, I’ve had to do an online identity verification, this includes scanning my face, it kept saying my face didn’t match my passport, eventually it was accepted,  I really hate myself being photographed, also I don’t have any utility bills as they are all in my wife’s name and mostly online. I spend hours every week finding deeds and documents they require. I’m doing all the work and paying them a fortune.

    I have to do the verification for my mother tomorrow, I just know it will end up in  an argument.

  • The bank should have contacted your mother. Have the two of you considered Power of Attorney for finance? Alternatively, a certain bank offers access to a third party, if your mother grants it. This link will take you to the relavant page on their website.

  • My Scottish friend says that, 'it boils ma p**sh!'

    Maybe the worlds just got more irritating today?

  • Today must be national venting day, my father had a saying, “it’s enough to make your p**s boil!”