Thanks for the contact info. I have most of the emails and will be compiling a spreadsheet with the timeline.

A few years ago a power of attorney was drawn up by my parents solicitors for me to step in if required at a future date. That date has now unfortunately arrived.

My parents have never had a mobile and have no internet so I started popping round and doing their shopping online with my dad using his payment card. Week one it got declined but gave up trying to get through to Barclays customers services. Popped out as they needed cash for their hairdresser and cashpoint worked fine so who knows.
 
Week 2 his card declined again so another call to customer services. My god it's awful, so many options, my dad was very confused but I managed to guide him through until it asked for his mothers maiden name which uses voice recognition. My dads voice is very slurred now so it wouldn't recognise him. Eventually it gave up and put us in a queue for 25 minutes.

Success a human being! There's nothing wrong with the card, it must be a Waitrose problem. Thanks for nothing. A quick call to Waitrose customer services; straight through to a helpful human. The card is failing the security check. An answer at last and one I'm sure Barclays could have told me. Because of the lack of mobile or internet Barclays have no way of sending you a code to confirm the payment so it is automatically declined. Great.

Time for the POA so an appointment made with Barclays as I have a paper copy of the POA. A wasted appointment as I should have known they only do it online and I need a "V" code for them to act. Can we just sort my ID then (my passport has expired and I still have a perfectly legal paper driving license)? No we need to do the POA first.

I now have the "V" code so another appointment made. This time rather than a long trek into Eastbourne which is a real pain their website offered me the hub in Hailsham which they man on a Monday. Sorry, we need to take photos of your ID and we don't have the ability to do that at a hub. You knew why I was coming in! I now have to make the trek to Eastbourne again next week but no idea what ID I will bring as apparently utility bills are no good as they can be forged. Will the letter from the Office of the Public Guardian do as the government seem happy who I am and where I live? Bring it in and we'll see.

You never know, one day I may be able to register the POA with them but I'm not holding my breath!

A sad tale but one only too common these days. Everything possible is done by banks, building societies etc to prevent you speaking to someone who knows what they're talking about.
Having obtained PoA for my (now deceased) Mum a few years ago I was lucky in that I could visit her local bank branch and present the letter for them to take a copy. Needless to say that branch and all the surrounding ones have now been closed.
PoA obviously ceases on the persons passing

Can I just say it's even worse if your Bank or Building Society is taken over by another one.
We just had that issue. Took weeks and weeks, and no-one seemed to know what the rules were just to move the money into mum's current account from her ISA (so she could then give the money away to the care home).
Seems you have to be psychic to have all the paperwork they will ask for on the day AND be physically present AND have originals of everything (which they will ask for but DONT GIVE THEM as they will also lose them the next day).
Raising a complaint with the banking ombudsman always seems to oil the wheels though.

Bob

Hence the collective name of "A wunch"

Quote from: Newportnobby on Yesterday at 03:33:06 PMA sad tale but one only too common these days. Everything possible is done by banks, building societies etc to prevent you speaking to someone who knows what they're talking about.

They've solved that problem completely - they don't employ anyone who knows what they are talking about.