Complain... I'll write a letter

December 29^th 2007

Dear Sir,

After completing the process to register my POA to administer my mother’s accounts in November 2007, accounts, I then proceeded to apply to bank online. On receipt of a letter signed by Alistair Thomas of Customer Services, I was told that I would have to register the POA document by visiting my local branch, which is in Barnsley. An appointment was made with Joy Bradshaw for November 28^th.

Shortly afterwards I received a letter dated 29^th November from Mark Banks, Head of Online, thanking me for completing the first stage of registration for POA and issued me with an unique username. I was told, by the letter, that a temporary password would be received by me within the next few days.

By the 11^th of December, I had not received the temporary password. A phone call to 08456 02 00 00, gave me an apology and told me that another temporary password would be issued.

After about 6 days, nothing had been received. On phoning the department, I was told that the process could take up to seven working days. I argued that this was certainly more than a “few days” and that the letter should have been clearer on that point. The temporary password has not yet been sent to me.

However, the password has been sent to my mother. Both the initial and subsequent passwords were sent to her, the first on November 29^th and the second on December 12^th, in letters signed by Mark Banks.

The address used was the former home of my parents, which has been empty for the past 12 months, I discovered the letters on a visit to meet with a contractor to carry out some work in the property. I was quite amazed.

The current address of my mother is quite clearly stated on the application forms I initially completed when having to register POA with her bank accounts. I discovered that the online department have two addresses for the accounts and they cannot explain why the information I received, and was told I would receive, was sent to different addresses.

Now it gets stranger. I asked if I could change the address so that the former home of my mother could be removed. This was made possible by transferring me to discuss security details so that I could change the address by telephone, so that mine alone would be used. After going through the security application to set up the facility, I was transferred to telephone banking. On identifying myself, by the secure process I had just set up, I asked to remove the erroneous address and have just mine as the contact point. I’d like you imagine what I was told. Yes. My home address is the one to which the account belongs.

I was assured that a note would be sent to the relevant department to prevent my mother's old address being used again. I am now online and I think I have achieved my aim, but not without some frustration, some misinformation and a bit of fortune.

I have not the time to go into details about how I received a further application form to open the whole process of registering the POA, after the main, initial POA registration had taken place, prior to this episode. I am simply left with the impression that vital information regarding a bank account and changes to it, do not seem to be moved around satisfactorily.

I would like you explain why information promised to me did not come to me, why a few days as quoted in letters means seven working days when explained by an online staff member, why members of the online staff couldn’t tell me they had sent twice a temporary password, albeit to the wrong address and why they had not got my address which was asked for by your telephone staff to confirm who I was.

I look forward to hearing from you. Etc, etc

And I did hear from them. There was an acknowledgement saying they would respond to my requests and investigate my complaint and in which they said they would include with their letter their leaflet on how they dealt with complaints. I was delighted to point out with a sense of irony that the promised enclosure was absent.