The long saga of trying to open a bank account for A. has (I hope) finally come to an end. One of the disadvantages of being a teenager who has predominantly lived out of the UK for many years is that it is not at all straightforward to open a student current account.
There are no utilities bills or other types of proof of address available and the fact that he has no drivers licence (provisional or otherwise) seems to count against him to the extent that he had tried pretty much all the recognised High Street banks (despite the fact that he had savings accounts with a couple of them) with a distinct lack of success.
Two months into his first term, he was finally able to convert a savings account into a current account but only after he had applied for internet banking (and been through the rigamarole of getting one time passwords etc) and then applied for a current account.
The strong message we received from all our bank interactions was that it is next to impossible to open a current account in person at a branch and everything has to be done on-line (and woe betides you if you don’t have an acceptable proof of address).
We have certainly learned a lesson, and are already planning ahead for V. if she decides she wants to go to University.
To celebrate our success, A and I successfully procured a new pair of smart shoes (from the one and only Golden Boot - purveyors of fine shoes and personalised service - very much at a premium in this neck of the woods) and some smart shirts so at least he is prepared for any future job interviews!
He is heading back to Uni. tomorrow and it has been great to catch up with him.
No comments:
Post a Comment