No, EE my 80 year old mil doesn’t have photo ID

[Comefromaway]

They took her driving licence off her because of her dementia. She hasn’t been abroad for 30 years. No, she can’t speak to you on the phone to authorise her account because as we just explained she’s in a care home with severe dementia. She doesn’t even remember our names most of the time.

Yes of course we can bring a copy of the Lasting Power of Attorney but we can’t bring photo ID. No, she doesn’t have a military or police or ID card.

This is all so we can transfer the two mobile phone contracts for which they are paying £35 per month for way too few minutes and far too much data into father in laws name without him having to change his number.

And by the way, signing off with I hope she gets better soon is a tad upsetting to read as we already explained, she’s got dementia and no one gets better from dementia.

Bloody awful! Please complain - perhaps tweet? They should have a Vulnerable Customer policy, I would ask them about it and what they are doing to support your PIL as vulnerable customers.

Why do they need her photo ID if you have a POA? Surely it would be your photo ID they would need if any to go alongside the POA?

One telecomms co wanted to speak to my uncle, who had just died, to change the account to his wife's name. They didn't understand why we got upset and angry and kept saying that the bill payer had to make the request.

So, I can completely sympathise.
Check what is legally required (POA and your ID should be sufficient). Tell them in writing what you are legally required to provide (with a link to the information if necessary).
If that doesn't work, Twitter with tags usually works quite well, as can involving your local MP.

Fil came round to ask if we would help him sort getting better deals on bills. But the mobile phones have always been in mils name, not his. He and dh jointly have POA.

Anyway, dh managed to contact a different person via live chat and he’s now emailed a copy of the POA to their accounts Dept.

I just couldn’t believe the hope she gets better soon comment. I know these people are probably based in a call centre somewhere like India or Poland, but still......

Sorry to hear you’ve experienced similar at a very upsetting time weather.

I agree that it's annoying and frustrating computer says no type banging your head against a wall situation but I think you're being very unfair on the writer of the email. They aren't medically trained, you can't expect them to know the prognosis of every condition that a customer might have. The person quite probably was being kind.

Good that you've got it resolved now.

I contacted British Gas to cancel my father's Homecare account after he passed away. They wrote back to ask if he would consider remaining a customer if they offered a discount! The word"dead" didn't seem to register!

I'm not sure about EE, but with BT and Three, I just filled in a form on Quidco to sign up to the new service (BT or Three) and Quidco did the rest for me. They just needed a name, address, debit card number, mobile phone number that I'm keeping, PAC code. No photo ID was needed! Perhaps go down that route if EE are still being arsey.

EE claim ds's (17)phone is in someone else's name but can't tell me who's.. He has had his number for 10 years.. But apparently it wasn't me or his df who set it up. Or any of his siblings. Or any of his dgps. But they won't tell me who. Data protection.. Doesn't stop them taking my money every month. And denied his top up has ever been on an automatic top up each month as that isn't allowed when it isn't ds's actual account.. It has been auto for the 4 years he has lived here.. I asked if they could give me the first initial to give me a clue (clue to who I really don't know!?). The call ended with me losing my cool and saying we were going to Vodafone

Apparently I can't close the account as it isn't mine /ds's to close!!
Truth absolutely..

@FlyingBurrito

I agree that it's annoying and frustrating computer says no type banging your head against a wall situation but I think you're being very unfair on the writer of the email. They aren't medically trained, you can't expect them to know the prognosis of every condition that a customer might have. The person quite probably was being kind.

Good that you've got it resolved now.

No, but dementia is pretty basic, I’d say everyone knows what it is. Dh also stated she had no mental capacity to handle her own affairs (drs opinion)

My DM is having no end of trouble with EDF.
Despite her having signed written instructions sent by post to them, they won’t act on them, instead they are insisting she ring them (she’s hard of hearing) or WhatsApps them (she doesn’t have WiFi or mobile).

The shits!

Go public on Twitter. The ‘hope she gets better’ is fucking shameful.

Sorry, OP

When my dad died and we wanted to transfer his Sky account to my mum's name and get rid of all the sports channels they were absolutely brilliant. I said at the start that the account holder had died, and they immediately offered condolences, then asked me to wait a short while while they transferred me to the right department. Turns out they have staff trained to handle accounts with bereved relatives and it really was very easy to talk to them.

it's a pity other companies don't benchmark that.

It’s so annoying isn’t it? We recently lost a family member and when changing their mobile contract to be in their partners name they demanded we show a death certificate and when it was presented to them they asked for a photograph OF THE CORPSE! We then visited their bank to accept the terms of their will, and the bank asked for a copy of the death certificate, a photographic ID and proof of her will, despite the person asking to cancel the account was actually a JOINT ACCOUNT HOLDER. It makes me so angry.

Sky get a lot of bad press but I have to say when we were with them at our previous house we never had any issues with them.

Toffee 😡

I worked for EE when they were still Orange and had a customers family come in to close their account after they had passed away. I actually had to go into the back office so that I could very bluntly tell the (overseas) call centre operative that the individual in question was dead and so no, they would not be confirming their identity... "they've passed away", in earshot of the family was not doing the trick. I am not sure what it is with mobile phone operators but they seem uniquely useless in their ability to deal with people and changes in circumstances. I am still in my maiden name with mine as it was just too complicated and painful to change it, despite being able to get a new driving license, passport and change my bank detail relatively easily!

I was fuming needless to say.
We eventually sorted it by informing the bank that any payment from EE was now unauthorised.
It was a bloody stupid work around but we managed it!

When I rang a financial services company to inform them of my Mum's death they wrote to me to say they were very sorry to hear of my Dad's death. And stopped his annuity payments.

They have a very simple policy. You write into their head office in Doxford Park with a copy of the Power of Attorney and this will be added to the account within 72 hours to the named person taking over the affairs of the account holder, Should you not wish to do that you can drop a copy to any of the stores reopening and they can scan the documents to the Life Event team that manage these cases. Unfortunately DPA law is strict and has to be adhered to to the letter

That's pretty shit Comefromaway.

I am in the process of sorting probate on my DM's will. 3 weeks ago I received a letter from a building society addressed to "DM's name (decd)".
The opening sentence was May I first say I hope you are well
!

Complain via Twitter. I find this a very effective route for resolving issues. You can direct message them - you don’t have to complain in public, as it were.

And yes, the response from the adviser falls short of the mark. He / she might benefit from better training.

As awful as the situation is. It is likely the operator is young and genuinely has no idea what dementia is. It's only when you are in the care sector or supporting a loved one that you become familiar with terms such as 'lacks capacity' 'dementia' training in call centres from my experience does not teach you such terms.

They are utter insensitive cockwombles.

My DM took out an Orange/EE contract for a phone for my father when he was in hospital with untreatable cancer but in her name as he was unable to do it by himself at the time. When he passed away, they wouldn't allow her to cancel as it was in her name not his (she also had her own contract with them).

Technically, they were correct but they could have shown some compassion and the way they handled it was awful. The call handler basically accused her of lying to get out of the contract then threatened that if she didn't pay they would send debt collectors. DM hadn't said that she wouldn't pay, there were no late payments so it was totally uncalled for, she just asked to be released from one of the contracts. I took over the call when she started to cry and asked to speak to a manager who laughed at me when I suggested their staff ought to have training in dealing with vulnerable customers. He scoffed, "Why, we aren't bereavement counsellors"?!!

It seems they haven't improved.

Some places accept LA free senior bus passes with photos as photo ID @Comefromaway.

It’s awful, I know just where you’re coming from.
The whole point of an LPA is that the individual DOESNT have to authorise anything.