Bank Of Ireland College Green nincompoops

DubSFO

So, I'm trying to open a non-resident bank account as part of my plans to return home from the USA to live in Ireland. I do some research and learn that boI offer an account expressly for that purpose. Sound, says I, let's do that.

BoI's website tells me this can't be done online and I need to show up to a branch with 2 forms of ID and proof of address. Fair enough! I'm home for a visit right now and show up at BoI College Green with my IDs and electronic proof of address - only to be told I need to have a paper print-out of a bill/bank statement. A bit 20th century, I think, but still fair enough. if they want paper I will get them paper. I head home and download a bank statement, email to the brother and ask him to print out a paper copy - which he obligingly does.

So, I show up at BoI College Green for the second time in as many days with my paper proof of address in hand, only to be told that I can't open the account in person, I must do it online. Oh, says I, the website blocks me from opening an account if I am not resident on the island of Ireland and tells me to go to a branch. "We must update that." says the stony-faced teller, with all the sympathy of an Auschwitz prison guard. Two visits, two fails, two falsehoods and no love from BoI. *sad face*

It's no mystery why online banks are gobbling up BoI's business. It's down to nincompoopery like this. They deserve to lose the business and fail unless they sharpen-up.

Note: I did call and eventually spoke with a person who had the right information and helped move things along. Not every BoI employee is a nincompoop!

Irish Steve

Be thankful you didn't have the experience I did when converting a business account into a private account. We already had an account with the branch, and had run a mortgage there for 25 years, among other things over that time.

A business account can't be converted into a private account. God knows why, it's a flag on a computer record, but that's what the system says.

So we start the new account process. For reasons that defy imagination, given we are long standing existing customers, they want 2 forms of ID, one of which must be a photo ID, and a recent utility bill or similar as proof of address, and here's the next laugh, a BOI statement is not deemed acceptable to BOI as a proof of address, and most paper bills are not acceptable unless they can prove they're not a "home" printed version of the bill. Given that just about every utility company and phone company are offering discounts if you are on electronic billing, so no paper bill, that gets interesting, in the end, I had a Revenue letter regarding local property tax, but that was about the limit of "original" paperwork.

In the end, it took 3 visits to the branch to sort out the mess, and a wait for new debit cards to be issued, and then some more aggravation getting on line banking properly set up to work with both accounts, and only then was I able to actually close the business account and transfer the balance over to the new current account. At some stage, we've to deal with getting a second user number for my wife for on line banking so that she can do things like shop online, with the problems that are now being caused by a bad implementation of second factor authentication.

Bank of Ireland Reps

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058243471/bank-of-ireland-college-green-nincompoops

Hi There,

Thanks for getting in touch with us here today. We are very sorry to hear that this was your experience and we do apologise for any inconvenience caused to you. Please be assured that we do appreciate all feedback we receive from our customers and we will be sure to pass this on.

We are happy to hear that the process has since been initiated for you.

Thanks Jen

The Continental Op

 a BOI statement is not deemed acceptable to BOI as a proof of address, and most paper bills are not acceptable unless they can prove they're not a "home" printed version of the bill.

Hmmmm when BoI were pushing going paperless, I was told that a home printed version of a BoI statement is just the same as the one they send out so there is no difference in them. Double standards I think.

DubSFO

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118986432#Comment_118986432

The really annoying thing is their own staff don't know what the requirements are. I work for a large financial services company in the US - we do our utmost to have all relevant information at the customer-facing representative's fingertips. They are trained and retrained in account oprtations and only need a brief search to find current procedures. BoI account opening is a bit of a bureaucratic nightmare. Maybe Kafka should have written a novel "The Bank" in which a poor sod enters hell for trying to deposit money into an Irish bank account.

DubSFO

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118987169#Comment_118987169

Actually, I am still waiting for the call-back from your team. We live in hope......

Bank of Ireland Reps

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118987370#Comment_118987370

Thanks for getting back to us here, all applications are assessed on an individual basis and timeframes can vary. If you would like to send us a PM with more information we would be happy to request a call back for you.

Thanks Jen

DubSFO

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118987543#Comment_118987543

Thanks. I sent a PM with my contact details.

DubSFO

So just when you think BoI's service nincompoopery has hit rock bottom and can't possibly get any worse, this happens!

The non-resident accounts opening team can't dial internationally. I'm not sure whether their phones are locked down or whether they simply don't know how to place an international call - but I just got a PM telling me they can't manage to call my US number. My seventy-six your-old mother can manage it all too well. Maybe they don't realize that non-residents live outside the country.

I'm beginning to doubt they actually exist. Maybe the non-residential bank account is a lure, a mirage, scotch mist.

Bank of Ireland: Tara

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118989775#Comment_118989775

Hi there,

We're sorry this process hasn't gone as smoothly as it should.

Just to clarify our private message. Our colleagues can absolutely dial international phone numbers and do so on daily basis. They tried calling the number you provided but were unable to get through. We have forwarded your email address as an alternative contact and they will be in touch shortly.

Thanks

Tara

DubSFO

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118991640#Comment_118991640

I look forward to receiving their email. I will point out again that it is now almost a week since I showed up at College Green branch with all the necessary paperwork in hand. It could have been handled there and then and should never have become an issue.