... all I want to do is pay ...

Let me pay this bill or I shoot....

I wanted to send some money to my daughter. I use the Woolwich Open internet bank, for the household accounts. It is OK although I prefer first direct for my personal account.

Woolwich has a good system on the internet for adding new accounts of people to pay. This is an ever increasing list of people wanting my money. I am afraid that they will be sending around the boys at some point.

Anyway I go through the process of setting up the account 5 or 6 times and each time I get rejected. The codes and account numbers I am using are from my daughter's Nationwide statement. The statement does not include the bank sort code but does include branch and account numbers. I try all combination with no success. Phoned nationwide and was told the sort code was correct, or possibly not, but I could try another couple of codes.

I phone up the Woolwich, get through the automated systems typing in accurately account number and the approriate security codes. As I use a cheap phone I usually have to do this two or three times. Easy with the Woolwich, but not with O2 mobile, later today.

Eventually I got talking to a human and she went through the process of trying all the codes. None worked. She worked out that the Nationwide account number had the last number of the sort code put in front. It worked, so either a complete stranger has just been given a gift, please thank me, or my daughter's account has some cash in it, well, will have some day. (Aside. why does it take longer to transfer money between banks now, then it did when we had less technology - stupid question really, the answer's in the question.).

I've had similar trouble at least three times this year with banks, building societies and large companies. Can they not standardise the format of accounts. It would make someone like myself a much better payer of bills etc.

Better than ATMs

How to Rob a Bank

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