"Martin Brown" wrote in message
So I finally succumbed to doing an on-line switch of a joint UK bank
account to a similar one with a slightly better offer. No other
changes.
Today I get all the forms necessary to provide to prove I'm who I say
I am. Why? How come they don't already know?
Because the UK has no credible identity card system or methodology.
It only inconveniences genuine customers too. I doubt that anyone into
professional money laundering will find it hard to get a fake ID and
just about anyone with a scanner can forge a utility bill these days.
Old ladies who have never had a driving licence, passport or utility
bill in their own name find it incredibly difficult to meet the list A &
list B ID requirements to open a bank account when they need to.
Regards,
Martin Brown
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Very much so, an inconvenience to genuine customers.
This year I tried to buy ISAs from HSBC and Barclays, both of whom I've had
accounts for years. Neither bank would open an ISA for me without all sorts
of proof of identity which meant my going home and doing a round trip of
twenty five miles. One of the banks would not take no for an answer as they
'required' a valid passport, I don't have one having let it lapse about two
years ago. In the end I got so frustrated and angry I told both to shove
their ISAs up there arse and bought thousands of pounds of gold online
without a glimmer! Been a damn fine move too, as my gold is now worth
about 7% higher than what I paid and because they are Britannias [UK Tender]
no tax to pay on them whatsoever if I sell.
Also, I remember buying a brand new car online and wanted to pay the
remainder of the price, four thousand pounds in cash, yes all mine and
perfectly legit. The firm in Chesterfield told me they would only accept
£2,000 in cash due to money laundering regulations. By the hell did they
do a turn around when I told them to cancel the order and get what money I'd
paid so far, back to my account. There are money laundering regulations as
I understand but some of the buggas make it up as they go along. I left one
car dealer banging his head on his showroom door after his insistence they
don't do cash, how do you make business with the gypos?
We live in the age of bullshit, I rather fancy we should challenge it far
more often, after all, it is we who are the customers!
omega
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