I got a letter from an insurance company yesterday asking for proof that I hold the account into which the money is to be paid. I applaud them for this: due care and attention and all that. But this was the requirement:

A postal bank statement less than 12 months old for the account where you want the money paid to - we don't accept internet bank statements. The statement must have been sent to, and also show your home address

It was followed by instructions on how to get a solicitor or similar to certify copies of the document.

As I say, you can't be too careful. However, how on earth am I supposed to provide evidence it was sent to me? I could, perhaps, send an unopened envelope, but as like as not that is advertising blurb rather than the statement I assume it is. If I get a certified copy, I must have opened the envelope, so I have destroyed any proof it was sent to me. I could, presumably, have walked into the bank and asked for the statement and been given an identical document without it ever going anywhere near a postal system, so possessing an original is not proof it was sent anywhere. And why care? If the bank document can be shown to be original, and they only pay directly into the account, why involve the postal system?

Then, of course, like many people these days I don't get postal statements anyway, so I had to order one specially. I *think* I have done so, and was promised one, but then a PDF appeared from the bank in their secure mail system, so I can only hope they have sent it on paper as well.

Then finally, of course, why do this? There must be easier ways to demonstrate I own an account these days, without this whole palaver of creating potentially forgeable paper copies, involving solicitors and costs for everyone.

So I spoke to their customer assistance, who couldn't explain it either, but said if I send the originals everyone will be happy.


Ok, a bit of a rant, there, but it is an example of official requirements that do not really make sense. I have queried the terms and conditions of a number of things recently and every time the people concerned have not been able to understand it either.   As a rule, the poor hapless helpdesk people are fine and free of blame - they are as stuck with this as anyone else.


Anyone else had problems with such official documents recently? Preferable tales at the level of irritation, rather than life altering problems, to keep this thread fairly 'light'.