Bank rigmarole

Published on 19/07/2004 03:37

I was interested to read the letter (9 July) from Michael N Crosby regarding his unhappy experience of the incompetence of the Halifax/Bank of Scotland.

Last month, I was the victim of the same treatment when I tried to get my branch to supply me with a new cheque book, which should have been sent to me automatically.

When I dialled the number of my branch, I was transferred from one person (or robot) to another, whether in Halifax or Bangalore I know not. I still cannot understand why HBOS requires to know the Christian name of my mother (born 1878) before it can issue me with a cheque book. Neither can I understand why I was required to invent a secret codename for myself, nor concoct a secret personal number of six digits.

After I had gone through this rigmarole, I asked if my son could collect my new cheque book, as I am old and infirm. But I was told the book had to be sent by post. What imbecility; surely it is safer for my son to collect the book rather than entrust it to the post.

I am too old to be bothered to play HBOS’s childish games of secret numbers, and have transferred all my business to a more adult banking system

DAVID FERGUS

Lennox Gardens

Linlithgow