Easiest bank to open an account with?

fuzzydunlop85

Really need to get an account open here in the next few days, which is the easiest bank to open an account with? Proof of address is proving tricky as I'm crashing with family at the moment whilst job hunting. I have my NI number confirmation, and a tax return letter/cheque, but as these are from the same source I was told I would need another form of proof of address(metro bank). Anyone any ideas? Thanks.

BrokenArrows

For proof of address the easiest thing to do would be to get them to call the council tax office and get your name put on the council tax bill for the house and ask them to issue a new bill. The bill will come out with your name + everyone elses name on it.

This is what ive done in the past for other friends who needed a quick proof of address.

fuzzydunlop85

BrokenArrows wrote: »

For proof of address the easiest thing to do would be to get them to call the council tax office and get your name put on the council tax bill for the house and ask them to issue a new bill. The bill will come out with your name + everyone elses name on it.

This is what ive done in the past for other friends who needed a quick proof of address.

Cheers Broken Arrows, this won't affect my family's council tax bill? Not sure if they would be too happy to get issued a bill either!

BrokenArrows

fuzzydunlop85 wrote: »

Cheers Broken Arrows, this won't affect my family's council tax bill? Not sure if they would be too happy to get issued a bill either!

No it doesnt effect the bill.
They already pay it. They will just be sent out the bill (which they already received) with a new name on it.

shrapnel222

check with the bank if you can just get a letter from your parents confirming you live there or some such. We did that for our au pair and it worked fine

Ponster

fuzzydunlop85 wrote: »

Anyone any ideas? Thanks.

Register to vote. That was good enough for me. The bank (RBS) ignored all letters that I presented them. Until they could confirm my presence online they couldn't open an account.

fuzzydunlop85

Cheers for the advice lads, I'm living with my cousin and she is a single mother so she gets a discount on her council tax so can't go down that route.

I will try the register to vote route.

Need a feckin dbs for new job so not as urgent as I first thought anyways!

Pulsating Star

One of the most difficult parts of opening an acc, I found, is getting an appointment to do just that.

I needed to open one there in a hurry earlier this year. Each bank I went to said I would get an appointment about a month out. I was lucky in that some very helpful folks in a Santander branch fitted me in on a cancellation.

So if you are not getting an introduction I would go to a few an have an apointment booked at the earliest available and ask about filling a cancelation if there is nothing in a useful timeframe. You can get the paperwork together in the meantime. Maybe try branches which you might expect to be quieter than some on the high footfall locations.

BrokenArrows

Pulsating Star wrote: »

One of the most difficult parts of opening an acc, I found, is getting an appointment to do just that.

I needed to open one there in a hurry earlier this year. Each bank I went to said I would get an appointment about a month out. I was lucky in that some very helpful folks in a Santander branch fitted me in on a cancellation.

So if you are not getting an introduction I would go to a few an have an apointment booked at the earliest available and ask about filling a cancelation if there is nothing in a useful timeframe. You can get the paperwork together in the meantime. Maybe try branches which you might expect to be quieter than some on the high footfall locations.

Barclay's at least allow you to book an appointment with their customer service line. They can get all the branches appointment lists so can find the soonest appointment.

fuzzydunlop85

Pulsating Star wrote: »

One of the most difficult parts of opening an acc, I found, is getting an appointment to do just that.

I needed to open one there in a hurry earlier this year. Each bank I went to said I would get an appointment about a month out. I was lucky in that some very helpful folks in a Santander branch fitted me in on a cancellation.

So if you are not getting an introduction I would go to a few an have an apointment booked at the earliest available and ask about filling a cancelation if there is nothing in a useful timeframe. You can get the paperwork together in the meantime. Maybe try branches which you might expect to be quieter than some on the high footfall locations.

I just walked into Metro bank and was on the verge of getting one set up until they discovered that my 2 proofs of address were from the same source. So I think anyone looking to set up an account quickly could go there.

fuzzydunlop85

Llyods require NO proof of address so opened an account with them. Thought it might be useful for fellow/future newbies to know!