Does anyone else hate the Utility bill address verification?

Fr_Fitzexactly

This annoys the sh1t out of me. I was in the UK a few years ago and tried to open a bank account but they needed a utility bill in my name. My full name, I brought one in with just the family name and it got rejected.

I never got utility bills except for the 9 months I lived in an apartment by myself. Horrible, hate living on my own. Particularly in an apartment. Anyway thats beside the point but it annoys me the sheer amount of places that refuse to deal with you unless you bring in a utility bill. Its required for the dole as well which makes no sense, how is a down-and-out supposed to get a utility bill?

Is it all some sort of unofficial trick European countries use to make life difficult for EU immigrants knowing full well they technically can't keep them out? Why can't these places post you a letter with a code in it if you pay for the stamp?


Some day I hope to live off the grid. You might think thats madness or unrealistic but I don't. Location is everything you see and I'll be located close to the "shell go to hell" gas pipeline and I'll be bringing a Makita SDS drill, a tube of silicone and a roll of 10mm plastic hose the day I go over. I'll also be bringing a disused EDF energy gas boiler from the UK, a SuperSer, an Awh-Gaw and a nice little Honda GX120 generator or GX200 .. feck it I might as well go for the GX390 since I won't be paying for fuel with a Garretson propane regulator.

I'll have it all sorted out, might slap a few token solar panels and a windmill on the roof to ease suspicions for the days I don't want to be listening to the Jenny but I won't be able to open an account at the local shop (depending on how strict and up tight things get here) and when I get up to go to the jacks in the local pub I'll here muttering of "that fella there ... no utility bill .. at all .. weirdo"

krudler

No its to show you're actually living at the address you say you do when you get a service, also I wouldn't say everyone on the dole is a "down and out".

Fr_Fitzexactly

krudler wrote: »

No its to show you're actually living at the address you say you do when you get a service, also I wouldn't say everyone on the dole is a "down and out".

I know what its for as the title of the thread says but if you are down and out you might want to go on the dole but you might not have a utility bill. If they want to verify my address they should provide the option of them sending a letter with a pin number on it. I'll even pay for the stamp

shopaholic01

Fr_Fitzexactly wrote: »

I know what its for as the title of the thread says but if you are down and out you might want to go on the dole but you might not have a utility bill. If they want to verify my address they should provide the option of them sending a letter with a pin number on it. I'll even pay for the stamp

Very easy to give a friends address etc. I doubt anyone would be happy to transfer their utilities into someone else's name.

dxhound2005

I remember a time here (and probably in the UK as well) where a person could walk into a financial institution and open an account no questions asked. Then came along some people called money launderers and spoiled it for everyone.

Mrs Garth Brooks

I applied for a loan a couple of years ago. I was stuck for proof of address, it had to be something official. They sent me a letter asking for proof of address and they wouldnt even take their own letter. Eejits

Fr_Fitzexactly

How do the proverbial "10 polish lads crammed into a shoebox apartment" get around this? The ESB in a different fellas name every month so the bill will be ready when he comes over?

shopaholic01

Fr_Fitzexactly wrote: »

How do the proverbial "10 polish lads crammed into a shoebox apartment" get around this? The ESB in a different fellas name every month so the bill will be ready when he comes over?

They use Western Union to send the money home. Mystery solved!

You're welcome.

Arcsin

HardLuckWoman wrote: »

I applied for a loan a couple of years ago. I was stuck for proof of address, it had to be something official. They sent me a letter asking for proof of address and they wouldnt even take their own letter. Eejits

They wouldn't accept a letter sent to the unverified address that you gave them as proof of residence? No way!

fasttalkerchat

I open all new accounts at my mum's address. If its a company I need correspondence from I can change it later.
When I needed proof of address for an Irish bank account they needed a letter from my new Irish address which I hadn't even moved into yet! I just photoshopped one. Shows how pointless it is when any fraudster knows how to photoshop.

Casillas

Moved to a new place and needed to open a joint bank acct. to pay my bills through DD.(Didnt want the bills in my name only paid through my own account) Needed a bill to open an account even though I had my own one. Couldnt pay a paper bill without a e300 deposit (no deposit with DD hence the accnt.) Silly system all in all.

SB2013

fasttalkerchat wrote: »

I open all new accounts at my mum's address. If its a company I need correspondence from I can change it later.
When I needed proof of address for an Irish bank account they needed a letter from my new Irish address which I hadn't even moved into yet! I just photoshopped one. Shows how pointless it is when any fraudster knows how to photoshop.

Good plan. You've committed an indictable offence just to open a bank account.

fasttalkerchat

SB2013 wrote: »

Good plan. You've committed an indictable offence just to open a bank account.

**** them. I tried reasoning with them. Even offered to drive to the house to pick up a letter and bring it back to the bank.
I couldn't get paid without the bank account so no choice.

SB2013

fasttalkerchat wrote: »

**** them. I tried reasoning with them. Even offered to drive to the house to pick up a letter and bring it back to the bank.
I couldn't get paid without the bank account so no choice.

You can **** them all you want. It's still you that'd be going before a judge.

Fr_Fitzexactly

SB2013 wrote: »

You can **** them all you want. It's still you that'd be going before a judge.

What are the chances? Even if it did go to court the judge could see there was no bad intentions.

There are very few people left in this world who actually support all this regulation and would actually throw the book at him over this. There is always one but i'd take my chances

fasttalkerchat

SB2013 wrote: »

You can **** them all you want. It's still you that'd be going before a judge.

The letter I showed them was a payslip. If they called my work to verify, the address they had for me is the one on the letter. No way of ever knowing.

Madam_X

It's not a ruse to make life difficult, it's standard procedure, which the staff have to follow or they'll get into trouble.

Dr. Kenneth Noisewater

Fr_Fitzexactly wrote: »

Some day I hope to live off the grid. You might think thats madness or unrealistic but I don't. Location is everything you see and I'll be located close to the "shell go to hell" gas pipeline and I'll be bringing a Makita SDS drill, a tube of silicone and a roll of 10mm plastic hose the day I go over. I'll also be bringing a disused EDF energy gas boiler from the UK, a SuperSer, an Awh-Gaw and a nice little Honda GX120 generator or GX200 .. feck it I might as well go for the GX390 since I won't be paying for fuel with a Garretson propane regulator.

I'll have it all sorted out, might slap a few token solar panels and a windmill on the roof to ease suspicions for the days I don't want to be listening to the Jenny but I won't be able to open an account at the local shop (depending on how strict and up tight things get here) and when I get up to go to the jacks in the local pub I'll here muttering of "that fella there ... no utility bill .. at all .. weirdo"

She will be one lucky lady

Fr_Fitzexactly

deccurley wrote: »

She will be one lucky lady

Who?

Madam_X wrote: »

It's not a ruse to make life difficult, it's standard procedure, which the staff have to follow or they'll get into trouble.

Too many people "just doing their jobs" makes life difficult for the rest of us. All these people have someone employing them who gets to cause trouble for everyone and never hear about it or suffer the consequences.

Madam_X

Nothing wrong with people just doing their jobs - I don't understand the objections to it. You'd just do your job if there were consequences for not doing so.
The notion that people in poorly paid service jobs should put their job on the line just as a favour to a stranger... is strange to say the least. They really don't want to be having to do all this bureaucratic stuff either - it would make life a lot easier for them if they could just do whatever the customer wants - but it's not their fault, and there's a legal reason for this stuff, it isn't spite.

Fr_Fitzexactly

Madam_X wrote: »

Nothing wrong with people just doing their jobs - I don't understand the objections to it. You'd just do your job if there were consequences for not doing so.
The notion that people in poorly paid service jobs should put their job on the line just as a favour to a stranger... is strange to say the least. They really don't want to be having to do all this bureaucratic stuff either - it would make life a lot easier for them if they could just do whatever the customer wants - but it's not their fault, and there's a legal reason for this stuff, it isn't spite.

Its people being paid to be an arsehole while the actual arsehole is high and dry and probably playing golf in a field somewhere.The legal reason shouldn't be there. It's a bad system

Madam_X

It's not a bad system just because it inconveniences you personally. Proof of identity is important for security reasons. Fair enough it's a pain, but it's not in existence just for the laugh.

gingernut125

Fr_Fitzexactly wrote: »

Its people being paid to be an arsehole while the actual arsehole is high and dry and probably playing golf in a field somewhere.The legal reason shouldn't be there. It's a bad system

Well it's the law, get used to it

fasttalkerchat

Madam_X wrote: »

It's not a bad system just because it inconveniences you personally. Proof of identity is important for security reasons. Fair enough it's a pain, but it's not in existence just for the laugh.

Proof of identity is very different from a document can only be produced by someone who has lived at the same address for a month and has bills in their name or a bank account which sends out statements monthly.
Taking your address from a driving licence should be perfectly acceptable.

SafeSurfer

fasttalkerchat wrote: »

Proof of identity is very different from a document can only be produced by someone who has lived at the same address for a month and has bills in their name or a bank account which sends out statements monthly.
Taking your address from a driving licence should be perfectly acceptable.

Why? A valid driving licence can be 10 years old. How many people are living in the same place now they were 10 years ago?

fasttalkerchat

SafeSurfer wrote: »

Why? A valid driving licence can be 10 years old. How many people are living in the same place now they were 10 years ago?

But its much harder to get a fake one. A bill can be faked in 5 mins.

SafeSurfer

fasttalkerchat wrote: »

But its much harder to get a fake one. A bill can be faked in 5 mins.

What about people that don't drive?

fasttalkerchat

SafeSurfer wrote: »

What about people that don't drive?

They will be stuck trying to get utility bills. But this solution would help the majority of adults who have a perfectly good ID with an address on it.

wonski

Fr_Fitzexactly wrote: »

How do the proverbial "10 polish lads crammed into a shoebox apartment" get around this? The ESB in a different fellas name every month so the bill will be ready when he comes over?

They use payslips/tax credit letters... Even pps letter is enough(if not working).
Can't believe hard working citizen doesn't have any of these...
Same in UK. In countries where freedom is limited, and their people have an official ID with an address all you need is ID.

And - btw - days of 10 polish lads crammed into a shoebox appartment are gone - most of them live normal life, the rest is gone.

wonderfulname

TV license anyone? Instant official proof you're living at the address you have been without waiting for utilities to kick in, thought it was the only perk of the thing.

wonski

wonderfulname wrote: »

TV license anyone? Instant official proof you're living at the address you have been without waiting for utilities to kick in, thought it was the only perk of the thing.

Cost - 160Euro...

wonderfulname

wonski wrote: »

Cost - 160Euro...

You're meant to have it anyway so that's not a valid argument, but if you're on SW it may be free, you can always get it on stamps, and utilities bills by their nature aren't free, either way beg, borrow or steal, it's not impossible.

SB2013

Fr_Fitzexactly wrote: »

What are the chances? Even if it did go to court the judge could see there was no bad intentions.

There are very few people left in this world who actually support all this regulation and would actually throw the book at him over this. There is always one but i'd take my chances

Perhaps. I just find it amusing that he thinks he has some victory over them when all he did was commit fraud.