The bank refuses to sign and stamp our bank statements

Hi guys,

I've gone to the bank and they have refused to sign and stamp our online savings account statements. They said that the best they can do is either print out statements for us at the bank (with no accompanying signatures or cover letter) or issue statements to us in the post. I do have until mid-July to submit my application so I can wait for them to be posted but I'm worried they won't look official enough when they come. I've already spoken to the manager and he was not willing to help me out. He said that's against their policy. What should I do?

I actually had mine stamped a few times as initially, I didn't know about it having to be done within 28 days of the date of the application, then it just took me a long time to get our application together!

 I found that the result depended on the particular person that I saw.
The first time the girl at the desk just stamped and signed, no problem.
The next time, I saw someone more senior who asked a lot more questions but I got it done eventually.

Go back again, statements in hand, straight up to the counter and just ask them to stamp them as if it's something that's done every day. If that doesn't work, try another branch, and another.

I've seen reports of people having difficulty initially but I believe they've always managed with a bit of persistence.
Incidentally, if it's the signature that's putting them off, that's OK, just the stamp, on every page is enough.

Meanwhile, get them to mail the paper statements to you anyway as a fall back.

Who are you with?

Thanks Larrabee. I'm with HSBC. I even talked to the manager and that was a no-go. I'll keep trying but I'm starting to panic. If I'm unsuccessful, will the mailed statements be sufficient do you think?

Also, when they stamp them, is it some kind of hsbc stamp with the date on it? I wonder if crying will work because I'm about to. So stressed out!

Also, when they stamp them, is it some kind of hsbc stamp with the date on it? I wonder if crying will work because I'm about to. So stressed out!

You might want to try that!
Yes, it'll be the old fashioned ink stamp with the bank logo and the date on it.

This is an online only account?
When I went the first time to get mine which is an online account, I had asked them to print them for me (trying to save ink!) which they could do but they looked really unofficial if you know what I mean. The ones which I could print myself at home were much better. So I went back with those...a few times!

Now dust off your GPS and go looking for more branches.

As I said try the counter first, maybe take a copy of the UKBA guidance with you too.
If you do come across brick walls wherever you go (and I sincerely hope you don't) then go back to that manager and ask him to put his refusal to (co-operate) stamp your statements, in writing, then include that with your application.

Are you trying a bank in a big city? Maybe go to a smaller town.

that happened with both of our checking accounts as well.  I got the business cards of the branch managers and explained in a small note what the bank was willing and not willing to do adding that the branch manager would be happy to answer any questions (enclosing the original business cards).  we didn't have any problems with that.  having said that, i did have the official statements from our savings account, so I'm not sure if that outweighed our checking accounts or if they really didn't need them stamped.

good luck! 

Thanks Larrabee and Amber. Those were some great suggestions. I'll try a few different branches today to see if I have anymore luck.

Just another quick question sorry.

I am submitting bank statements from a checking account that we have. The last statement I recieved was June 13th. Is that fine if I apply hopefully at the latest, next week? Or do I need a more up to date statement printing from the bank?

I am submitting bank statements from a checking account that we have. The last statement I recieved was June 13th. Is that fine if I apply hopefully at the latest, next week? Or do I need a more up to date statement printing from the bank?

Wait, so these are paper statements that you receive in the mail normally, it's not an online only account?
In that case you don't even need them to be stamped! You can just send the originals.
The whole stamping thing is for online only accounts, the ones that don't come with a paper statement option.

(a) Bank statements must:

    (i) be from a financial institution regulated by the appropriate regulatory body for the country in which that institution is operating.
    (ii) not be from a financial institution on the list of excluded institutions in Appendix P of these rules.
    (iii) in relation to personal bank statements be only in the name of:

        (1) the applicant's partner, the applicant or both as appropriate; or
        (2) if the applicant is a child the applicant parent's partner, the applicant's parent or both as appropriate; or
        (3) if the applicant is an adult dependent relative, the applicant's sponsor or the applicant,
        unless otherwise stated.

    (iv) cover the period(s) specified.

    (v) be:

        (1) on official bank stationery; or
        (2) electronic bank statements from an online account (defined as one that operates solely over the internet and sends bank statements to its customers electronically) which are either accompanied by a letter from the bank on its headed stationery confirming that the documents are authentic or which bear the official stamp of the issuing bank on every page.

You would be OK date wise.

(l) Where this Appendix requires the applicant to provide specified evidence relating to a period which ends with the date of application, that evidence, or the most recently dated part of it, must be dated no earlier than 28 days before the date of application.

http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/policyandlaw/immigrationlaw/immigrationrules/appendix-fmse/

We're talking about more than one account?

I found that the result depended on the particular person that I saw.

Same here.  As everyone else says, try different branches.  (Unless it turns out larrabee is right and you don't need them stamped in the first place, which would be cool.)

Gibbygab, we're with HSBC too and we had such problems with them getting bank statements for our ILR!  We had paper statements posted out to us, but all of them had our current address on them even though we had lived at a different address for some of the time they covered. 

We kept getting told that was how the system printed them(found out later this isn't true) and ended up filing a complaint with HSBC (it wasn't a problem using the recent statements to prove wages/finance that we received in the post, but we wanted to use them for proof of address as well). 

But in your case, the paper statements they will post out to you should be fine!

larrabee- did you get your statements stamped from a bank in the US?  I've never had any problems there.  But, I've found that in the UK, it's against bank policy to stamp anything-- At least this has been the case with Lloyds, HSBC, and Natwest. 

To support visa applications I've just sent in paper bank statements (less than 28 days old), and/or had a printoff from a bank with that branch's particular address on it with the most recent transactions.  My OH doesn't get paper statements at all, so for my last visa application we sent my statements and a transaction summary from his local branch.  I'm still here and my visa was approved, so no worries.

i think that date would be fine (but i have nothing that officially states that - I just submitted the most recent ones we had with little regard to the date as long as it wasn't more than 30 odd days before submission). 

also, yes, if your statements are coming in the mail on the fancy bank letterhead, those don't need to be stamped.  that's exactly what we had for our savings account - mailed statements to our home.  the checking accounts we managed online which I felt necessitated the business cards of the branch managers.

larrabee- did you get your statements stamped from a bank in the US?  I've never had any problems there.  But, I've found that in the UK, it's against bank policy to stamp anything-- At least this has been the case with Lloyds, HSBC, and Natwest.

Lloyd's stamped my husband's statements. (But they also printed them off for him.)

I am with HSBC and had similar problems with them in the past. Whatever the branch, they refuse to stamp or sign statements. The best they can do is to print out your statements on their headed paper (with the red logo). Thankfully, UKBA have never had any issues with these. They will not have your address on them, so won't do as proof of address, but as proof of funds they are perfectly fine.