Another bank, another problem!

[Soobee]

I have just spent 30 minutes ranting to someone in my local branch of a well known High Street bank (who are making 2000 staff redundant)

I am trying to register my mum's LPA and two weeks after they have sent it to head office, the branch assistant has phoned me to say there is a problem with the third attorney who they think is a replacement attorney.

He is not a replacement attorney he is the same as me and the 2nd attorney it is just that there is no space on the form to add him except as an additional page. If they have no problems with the 2nd attorney (not mentioned) then they should have no problem with him. On the first page of the form it says
Number of attorneys - three
Number of replacement attorneys - none

The assistant was trying to tell me that he was a replacement attorney and insisted the LPA form said so. I asked her to point out where it said that and she couldn't, because the form doesn't say that. She said she would send the form back to head office (so I have to wait another two weeks for them to dream up another stupid error?) confirming that I said he was not a replacement attorney and that I deal with all the finances so I don't need to register him or the 2nd attorney.

I have just asked to speak to the manager and/or head office and didn't get put through to either. The head office don't speak to members of the public even if they have our contact details and the branch "have done everything they should do". I was having to rant at someone who couldn't do anything about the damn process.

I was thinking of closing my current account, now I am DEFINITELY doing so, and the letter of complaint is just waiting to be written.

In contrast, another building society got the same forms on the same day, dealt with them in 15 minutes, sent the forms off to head office who registered me within a week. If they can do it (clue: their name means all across the country) why am I screaming and pulling my hair out with my OWN DAMN BANK!

 

[Onlyme]

If this is the bank that used to listen but doesn't any longer then we had fun and games with them. They closed accounts, decided that we needed to bring MIL in to see them (she couldn't read, write or hear by then. If she had have been able to what was the point of the LPA?

I do hope you have loads of certified copies. Could the problem be that the last sheet has not been certified?

 

[Soobee]

yes, they used to listen! The whole form is there, they took a copy of the office copy. I suppose they could say all attorneys have to register (this would be a nightmare) but that defeats the object of jointly and severally.

 

[Onlyme]

Every time DH used the account to pay things like heating bills the bank would put a stop on it. He would have to go back into the bank and yell at then to open it again. We were seriously thinking of moving to the building society that belongs to the place that got bombed in the war. They seem to much more helpful and do a current account.

I forgot to say that some staff just don't seem trained to understand what the POA means. DH got to know the name of the person that did and speak to her.

When MIL passed away we got sent to three different branches before someone knew what to do with probate forms.

 

[nitram]

Also in contrast I made an appointment to open an ISA in my wife's name at a branch of the 'white rose county' bank. The lady took a copy of the office copy of the LPA, showed it to a manager who stamped and certified it. Job done account opened.

I don't see why a manager cannot certify a copy of an LPA if it does not contain any special conditions that might require legal scrutiny.

 

[Nannybus]

I am sorry, but I am going to mention the name of banks here, so pull my post if you feel the need to.

I had the old style POA for my mother. Cost me £100 to be drawn up by the solicitor (mind you it was in 2004). When it came time to use it, Nationwide photocopied it and set up a POA account for me to use, plus internet banking. Sweet as a nut.

Then I wanted to deposit some of her money in HSBC. A completely different story. I spent two days at branch, two hours per time, to be met with complete incomprehension as to what to do with the POA. Head Office was contacted several times and the upshot was that they would not take mother's money into a POA account, but could deposit it in my own name only, which defeated the object in that I was her attorney and the account should have been in my mother's name.

Fast forward to 2011 when mother died. I obtained the probate and Nationwide sorted it out in a matter of one appointment, no problem at all.

I am in the process of setting up an LPA for myself. They have made them extra complicated now, but as long as I've got all the appropriate signatures, there should be no problem when it is registered (I hope), I also hope that by then all the banks get a grip. Mind you it will be my children's problem by then, unless I register it myself beforehand.

 

[Onlyme]

Then I wanted to deposit some of her money in HSBC. A completely different story. I spent two days at branch, two hours per time, to be met with complete incomprehension as to what to do with the POA. Head Office was contacted several times and the upshot was that they would not take mother's money into a POA account, but could deposit it in my own name only, which defeated the object in that I was her attorney and the account should have been in my mother's name.

Please see my post and Soobee. They seem totally incapable of dealing with POA. Someone needs to train them.

 

[graybags]

Just thought I'd say that Mum banks with HSBC and no problem getting the POA registered some months back, could just be a branch issue that you are encountering.

 

[dingly]

dare I share and vent!

A bank, very dear to all here, failed to carry over POA on the current account around the time of their alliance+leicester merger 2 years ago. Made POA current ac. into a joint ac. I didn't even realise this had happened. I was merrily transferring and spending 'her money' using my 'attorney' debit card and all in my name (eek). They were very cheeky to me when I discovered the error just last month. I'm still awaiting an explanation. However cannot compare with Royal Bank several years ago who, after a 2 hours of completing mums ISA forms in Princes Street branch, taking copies of all documents including POA, passport Birth certificates etc. and cheque for 3k, then didn't open the ISA account! Found out when contacted them to query whereabouts of account details/documentation/statement etc.THEY HAD NO RECORD. Documents and cheque finally traced well after start of financial year and mislaid due to 'a' staff member moving along to main branch in St Andrews Square. Phoned to say they'd sent me flowers to appologise. Pity I was stuck in hospital,sadly they rotted on doorstep. Data protection - security- diligence - HE HAW.

 

[Onlyme]

Our branch of Nat West wouldn't let you open an account using a POA without you wheeling the person in to see them. They have to talk the person so we gave up and went elsewhere as MIL was past that stage.

It looks like we were not alone with having problems with certain banks.

http://forum.alzheimers.org.uk/showthread.php?35523-Opening-a-bank-account-with-POA

 

[Maizy2]

Omg!!! Do you know what a comfort it is to hear others have been failed by the banks? I'm so sorry that it's a perverse comfort, but I can not count the lost hours I've had trying to get someone to understand that an EPA is NOT an LPA. I had the woman in the local branch, sit there and tell me all about how the account holders can still do this that and the other, because I was disputing a card payment that had been authorised by the bank, but not authorised by me ( sole attorney). They were totally insensitive, telling me my dad ( who was in and out of consciousness at the time and who died less than 24 hours later) could have authorised the payment. All his cards had been destroyed by the bank 2 months earlier, when the EPA was registered with them ( I watched them cut them all up) they'd stopped the car insurance being taken within a week, but then allowed a card payment.

Two hours I was sat in there (again). she rang head office while I was there and they hung up on her. We had to leave to collect my son so the clerk said she would ring me the next morning. When she did, she said she had multiple phone calls but finally got it sorted and the account was credited. I pointed out to her at the time it was an EPA ( old rules pre- April 2007) NOT an LPA. She was so arrogant and dismissive and it wasn't far off a full blown shouting match. They don't read the documents, just assume they are LPA's. They don't know what to do with them at all. Even my solicitor said she'd been told to put the account holders on the phone, as having a POA wasn't enough to discuss client details. These people have a massive training need, POA's are supposed to help cut through the 'confidentiality' red tape, not make things worse. Every time I have to deal with a bank, my heart sinks, it's worse than pulling teeth.

I don't get why it's hard. I used to have to deal with POA's in my line of work and it's not difficult. Relatives have a tough enough time without dealing with arrogant and ill informed banks. I have to agree with Nationwide users, bar far the most pragmatic and helpful. Avoid Black horses and the HSBC like the plague!

 

[Soobee]

Arggggggghhhhhhhhhh!

Now they've waited a further week to tell me that my siblings (the other attorneys) will have to go into an HSBC branch and identify themselves even though we are joint and several. And they didn't photocopy the document correctly 3 weeks ago so they are missing a page. I have to go in AGAIN. I am even more angry than before which I didn't think was possible.

 

[dingly]

that's unbelievable soobe. I bet your about to explode! As if you don't all have enough on your plate. Dx

 

[Saffie]

I

have to agree with Nationwide users, bar far the most pragmatic and helpful.

Nationwide have been great with my Deputyship. They have even sent me an extra card and checkbook for husband's flex account under my name as his Deputy - as well as those which the sent when I opened the account a month or so ago. They said this was in case I used his in a shop when the chip and pin machine wasn't working and my signature would not match the name on the front.

To be fair, Lloyds have been ok too.

 

[Onlyme]

I think it depends if you get staff that have been there a while. They have probably met the problem before and can sort it out. Its the ones that read the instruction sheet once with a coffee and never seemed to bother again you have problems with. They will stick you out that jointly and severally means all on the form. NO IT DOESN'T

 

[Soobee]

As an update, I went in to speak to one of the managers at my branch yesterday. She was very helpful and understanding, which is how it should have been from the start. We established that there were two pages that her colleague had not photocopied from the LPA and these were what Head Office were questioning.

She agreed that the process was poor and that they had let me down, will try to get it sorted on my behalf, compensated me for the cost of travelling into town again and acknowledged my reasons for closing my current account. If her colleagues had been as professional I would not be pulling my hair out or changing the bank I've used all my adult life.

Also, I went into the Post Office who were utterly unhelpful, gave me the wrong forms for my mum's savings account, told me to ring a phone number because they didn't know what they were doing, told me they could not ring the number for me whilst I was at the branch, that I'd have to do it myself. When I did ring, I had been given the wrong number, and the right number was a 15 minute wait to tell me that I will have to send the certified LPA to them. And they won't send it back by Special Delivery like other organisations have said they would try to do.