Lloyd's TSB Account Opening Experience

I still get paid in $$$ from my U.S. employer and getting money from my U.S. account involves fees and other inconvenient things.

I'm freelance, and one of my main clients is a US company that pays me in dollars to a US account.  I agree, it's a major pain in the a$$.

As for getting an account, I'm with Lloyds, and like many of y'all I had a few things in my favor.  I applied in a small town (Stroud, out in the Cotswolds), and I was also applying for a joint account with my girlfriend (a UK citizen, who'd lived in Stroud for 20 years or so).

I've been happy with Lloyds for the most part.  They were cool about stamping statement printouts at my local branch, so that's a big plus.  

On the down side, there's a lot of extraneous security in their online banking.  I appreciate it because it's keeping my money safe, but there are times I wish they'd make it a bit more streamlined.

Carl

historyenne:  Does your provisional license have your address on it?  I wonder if maybe they counted that as proof of address?

It does, but the only reason I gave them the license is because my passport is in my maiden name.  It's possible that the address on the license helped, though. 

On the down side, there's a lot of extraneous security in their online banking.  I appreciate it because it's keeping my money safe, but there are times I wish they'd make it a bit more streamlined.

Ugh. If you mean that "memorable word" thing, it drives me nuts. It's no safer than a password, except that it would protect against someone looking over your shoulder. Which is not an issue for me.

Next time, I'm picking a shorter memorable word...

Ugh. If you mean that "memorable word" thing, it drives me nuts. It's no safer than a password, except that it would protect against someone looking over your shoulder. Which is not an issue for me.

That, plus the fact that my log in is some random 9-digit number they assigned to me.  I'm sure it makes it safer than me picking my own user name, but it's just one more thing I have to remember.

Then there's the fact that my phone banking code number is different from my internet banking memorable word, so that makes 4 separate code numbers or phrases I have to keep track of to bank at Lloyds.

Carl

I think a good takeaway from this thread is if at first you don't succeed, try try a different branch, a different bank, or even just a different shift in the same bank branch.

After hearing so many "I had no problem opening an account in X bank/ OMG opening an account at X bank was a nightmare and a half!" stories, it seems that there either aren't uniform standards, or managers just apply these standards as they see fit. Maybe trying someone else will get a better result?

After hearing so many "I had no problem opening an account in X bank/ OMG opening an account at X bank was a nightmare and a half!" stories, it seems that there either aren't uniform standards, or managers just apply these standards as they see fit. Maybe trying someone else will get a better result?

My husband worked in retail banking for one of the big High Street brands, and he fully agrees with you.  He also believes you shouldn't be afraid to ask for someone more senior if you believe you aren't being handled correctly.

I've been with Lloyds-TSB for about 9 or 10 years now, and even then they wanted not just proof of ID but also something with an address on to open any sort of account, even the most basic.

Ugh. If you mean that "memorable word" thing, it drives me nuts. It's no safer than a password, except that it would protect against someone looking over your shoulder.

And the way that the website demands that you input the selected characters.  You can't just type them in quickly, but have to go through the whole ridiculous drop-down box, scroll & select nonsense for each character.

Then there's the fact that my phone banking code number is different from my internet banking memorable word, so that makes 4 separate code numbers or phrases I have to keep track of to bank at Lloyds.

A friend who is with NatWest recently signed up for online banking, only to discover a little later that doing so automatically cancels the existing telephone banking arrangement, so I guess we should be content that at least Lloyds-TSB doesn't do that.