£714 - How much??
Discussion
Some years ago I put £500 into a Post Office savings account in one payment. I used to get statements occasionally - and then a couple of years back they wrote to me saying that as the account was unused they were closing the account. Despite letters from me, I can get no answer from the PO. They've effectively nicked my £500 and I can't seem to find a way to get it back.
James_B said:
threespires said:
My building society want me to prove I am who I say I am.
They already have copies of my passport and other docs.
They ask me to go to a solicitor with my passport.
Why a solicitor & not my local building society branch is beyond me.
I go to solicitor with my passport and other docs to prove that I am me.
They write to the building society & confirm that they've seen my passport and I am me.
Cost £714..
You may have missed HSBC being fined $1,900,000,000 recently for not being diligent enough in their anti money laundering checks.They already have copies of my passport and other docs.
They ask me to go to a solicitor with my passport.
Why a solicitor & not my local building society branch is beyond me.
I go to solicitor with my passport and other docs to prove that I am me.
They write to the building society & confirm that they've seen my passport and I am me.
Cost £714..
Financial institutions, not being staffed by morons, noticed this, and have responded.
HSBC were not trying to facilitate financial crime, they were trying quite hard to stop it, but they were found to be not quite diligent enough, he centre the nearly two billion dollar.
Two billion dollars. Two thousand million dollars.
That's the sort of penalty that makes everyone decide to just tighten things up a bit.
Yes, it's annoying to have to prove your identity, but not half as annoying as a fine with the word billion in it.
CraigyMc said:
James_B said:
You may have missed HSBC being fined $1,900,000,000 recently for not being diligent enough in their anti money laundering checks.
Financial institutions, not being staffed by morons, noticed this, and have responded.
HSBC were not trying to facilitate financial crime, they were trying quite hard to stop it, but they were found to be not quite diligent enough, he centre the nearly two billion dollar.
Two billion dollars. Two thousand million dollars.
That's the sort of penalty that makes everyone decide to just tighten things up a bit.
Yes, it's annoying to have to prove your identity, but not half as annoying as a fine with the word billion in it.
They were fined $1.92bn for failing to vet $670bn and you think the fine is big?Financial institutions, not being staffed by morons, noticed this, and have responded.
HSBC were not trying to facilitate financial crime, they were trying quite hard to stop it, but they were found to be not quite diligent enough, he centre the nearly two billion dollar.
Two billion dollars. Two thousand million dollars.
That's the sort of penalty that makes everyone decide to just tighten things up a bit.
Yes, it's annoying to have to prove your identity, but not half as annoying as a fine with the word billion in it.
They could have had a fine ten times bigger and it'd still have been good business.
Could this be another of those summer holiday wind-up threads?
Tam1 said:
I'd have found another building society / bank at that stage.....
ThisAnd, why did you not simply go into a solicitors office and get them to simply witness your signature and check your passport to verify who you are? £12 last time I checked.
You're either lying or insane.
James_B said:
HSBC were not trying to facilitate financial crime, they were trying quite hard to stop it , but they were found to be not quite diligent enough, he centre the nearly two billion dollar.
If you knew how much of a basket case HSBC's AML systems and controls were (and still are), you wouldn't have made a statement like that. They aren't the only bank though. NDA said:
Some years ago I put £500 into a Post Office savings account in one payment. I used to get statements occasionally - and then a couple of years back they wrote to me saying that as the account was unused they were closing the account. Despite letters from me, I can get no answer from the PO. They've effectively nicked my £500 and I can't seem to find a way to get it back.
When we sold our house, we had this 'anti-money' laundering thing. I don't remember big solicitor bills though.NDA said:
Some years ago I put £500 into a Post Office savings account in one payment. I used to get statements occasionally - and then a couple of years back they wrote to me saying that as the account was unused they were closing the account. Despite letters from me, I can get no answer from the PO. They've effectively nicked my £500 and I can't seem to find a way to get it back.
Financial OmbudsmanYou absolutely should be able to take it into a branch. The key thing is that a staff member should be able to see the original document. We only ask for certified copies when the customer can't get to a branch for some reason.
Even then, we don't require a solicitor to do it - can be doctors, other banks etc.
Kick up a stink with the building society - they are being overly obstructive in my opinion.
Even then, we don't require a solicitor to do it - can be doctors, other banks etc.
Kick up a stink with the building society - they are being overly obstructive in my opinion.
As suggested its less than £100 to write a letter like that.
I got a barrister to review a commercial construction contract on a 6 figure claim and provide a counsels opinion for £2k which was several days work.
We can get a solicitor to write to a main contractor with our hole case for £200-300.
Using that info I got a 6 figure payment from a well known construction company.
£714 for one letter is a joke!
I recently change my account with HSBC to a better one after 3 years with them. They then made me drive to the nearest branch in my lunch time and provide proof of who I was! After 3 years banking with them!
I got a barrister to review a commercial construction contract on a 6 figure claim and provide a counsels opinion for £2k which was several days work.
We can get a solicitor to write to a main contractor with our hole case for £200-300.
Using that info I got a 6 figure payment from a well known construction company.
£714 for one letter is a joke!
I recently change my account with HSBC to a better one after 3 years with them. They then made me drive to the nearest branch in my lunch time and provide proof of who I was! After 3 years banking with them!
And there was me moaning 2 days ago about potentially having to pay the Post Office £10.50 to use their certification service 
Similar scenario - BS that we have a mortgage with wanting me to prove who I am, and can't do that via the mortgage details as their investment and savings arms aren't linked. But I can use a mortgage statement as a supporting ID document...
Similar scenario - BS that we have a mortgage with wanting me to prove who I am, and can't do that via the mortgage details as their investment and savings arms aren't linked. But I can use a mortgage statement as a supporting ID document...
NDA said:
Some years ago I put £500 into a Post Office savings account in one payment. I used to get statements occasionally - and then a couple of years back they wrote to me saying that as the account was unused they were closing the account. Despite letters from me, I can get no answer from the PO. They've effectively nicked my £500 and I can't seem to find a way to get it back.
If you have sufficient prove, could you start a small claim via the courts. Love to see the PO on "The Bailiffs Are Coming"Sorry this just sounds like BS or at least something you can challenge to get back.
You can get your passport or identity verified by any public notary or commissioner for Oaths (which includes notaries) and when I had to do 2 documents last year the set fee was £5 per document http://www.commissionerofoaths.co.uk/page4.htm
Even if you take London Corporate city levels of charging at a ludicrous £1,000 per hour for their top PARTNER this is still indicating it took three quarters of an hour of their time for a letter which would be billed at no more than 15 mins tops. Even £71.40 and it would seem overcharged so please post the invoice and also ask the lawyers for a breakdown of their costs.
You can get your passport or identity verified by any public notary or commissioner for Oaths (which includes notaries) and when I had to do 2 documents last year the set fee was £5 per document http://www.commissionerofoaths.co.uk/page4.htm
Even if you take London Corporate city levels of charging at a ludicrous £1,000 per hour for their top PARTNER this is still indicating it took three quarters of an hour of their time for a letter which would be billed at no more than 15 mins tops. Even £71.40 and it would seem overcharged so please post the invoice and also ask the lawyers for a breakdown of their costs.
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