How to change cheque signatories (or not) – a diary
Back in May, I became Treasurer of the Glossop Labour Club. There were other changes to the Committee as well, so we needed to add 3 new signatories to our bank account (and take off 3 as well). No problem, I thought; just pop into the bank and get a form. But it wasn’t that easy. They told me it was all done electronically now, so I had to ring their Business Team to get an electronic form.
21 May. I rang them, and they sent me an email with a PDF attached, into which we had to insert signatures (as a jpg), and attach PDF copies of photo ID (passport or driving licence) and proof of address. Taking a photo of my signature was a pain, but eventually I got something I thought was OK. I then needed to pass it on to the others to do the same. But neither of them could get the form to work. So they passed all the details to me and I finished filling in the forms. That all took about a month.
I also got them to send me a form to apply for online banking, which was simpler – just print it out and fill it in, then return it by post, which I did on 19 June.
28 June. What do I do with the signature forms now? There was a button marked Submit. But all that did was create a gmail account that I didn’t want. So I rang them again. “Oh” they said, sounding surprised. “Well, then email it to us.” “But you haven’t given an email address.” So they gave me one, and I emailed it to them.
At the same time, I asked about the online banking form. It had been received, but they couldn’t process it because I wasn’t a recognised signatory.
9 July. As I hadn’t heard anything, I rang them again. “You sent an e-mail? We get so many e-mails we don’t bother to read them. You had better print it off and post it.”
16 July. Still no news, so I rang them again. “We received it yesterday. Ring again in a week’s time,” (Their website says it usually takes a few days).
24 July. “We’re still working on it, Ring again next week.”
30 July. One of the signatures is unclear. So I did some electronic enhancement on it, and sent it back by post.
7 August. We received a letter saying the other two signatures are unclear. They provided a piece of paper for us to sign and return by post, which we did.
9 September. No news, so I asked at the local branch if the new signatories were now OK, which they weren’t. So I rang them again. The problem now was that the Chairman, who signed the form to say that we had passed the appropriate resolutions wasn’t a recognised signatory (he’s one of the ones being added) so he had to go into a bank branch to verify his identity.
3 October. So that’s where we are now. I’ve been Treasurer for coming up to 4 months and I still can’t sign cheques. I wonder if we will get this finished before the next AGM when we might have to start all over again. And online banking is still a dream – that process can’t start until the signatories have been changed. I hope that doesn’t take as long.
An update:
11 October. I rang the Business team: ther’s a bit of a delay. Call back next week.
21 October. The business team have not heard from the local branch about our Chairman’s identification.
November. Our Chairman confirms that he has presented his documentation to the Branch. So I checked with the Branch – they say they have no way of passing the information to the Business Team.
10 December. I rang the Business Team again (Every time I do this, I get a recorded message saying they are having a higher than normal number of calls!). He said that there seem to be no further deficiencies, and he is trying to get ‘them’ to activate it.
17 December. I asked at the Branch, and they said it had not yet been done. So I am still waiting.
Further update, January 2020.
I can’t believ it! It’s been done! I can now sign cheques – after over 7 months trying.
Now to try to get them to allow us online banking.
Jeremy Dale 