Establishing an identity

looksee

Its getting more and more difficult to prove who you are, now that service providers are going to online billing.

If you want to open a new bank account (despite having been with the bank for any number of years and having several other accounts with them) or hire a carpet cleaner, or any number of other things in between, you need identification. Not just a drivers license or a passport but also proof of address.

This has to be a service provider or state document with your name and address on it. I am now down to bank statements (which I don't feel inclined to share with hire companies) and the eircom bill which happens to be in my husbands name, and is no use to me. Long established statements from such as a home heating fuel firm, a business invoice, or an appointment for the hospital are not considered reliable evidence. (hospital appointment letters are sometimes ok, if you happen to have one, but they are also none of anyone else's business)

Even if we had identity cards, they would not establish address any more than a passport or a drivers license, so what is the alternative?

_Kaiser_

Good point OP... like yourself I get pretty much everything online (fuel/toll bills, TV/BB, bank statements etc). Luckily I still have the mobile bill but that's about all.

I'd imagine that it'll move to biometrics like fingerprint scanners next

The Corinthian

Registering your residency is the norm in continental Europe. Child or adult, native or foreign, everyone is in the system. When you do so, you get an ID card. Many will have your address, but even if not, a bank or other institution will accept the ID as it can be cross checked if necessary. It also means that you have to be over a certain age to use cigarette machines in many countries, as many modern cards have a chip which will give the machine this information. And when you move apartment, things like post and the like can be automatically redirected.

However, you're in the system. Your address, financial, insurance and credit records are all linked. And you need to bring your ID everywhere otherwise you'll end up being fined.

Anglophone countries, like Ireland, don't like this kind of loss of privacy. They've tried introducing it in the UK on numerous occasion and it's always failed. And so until we'd no longer rather go through hoops to open a bank account than be tracked in any way, I suspect this is not going to change.

Akrasia

A picture of you mowing your own lawn naked while holding a copy of todays newspaper.

Nothing less is acceptable

The Master

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5AGkC4OeXaY

syklops

I was opening a bank account in the Czech Republic.

Bank teller: Can I see your ID
(I give my passport)

Bank teller: Can I see your national ID card?
Me: We dont have ID cards in Ireland.

Bank teller: Can I see proof of address in Ireland?
Me: Heres a recent bill

Bank teller: Theres no post code on it. Whats the Post code?
Me:We dont have Post codes in Ireland.

Bank teller: Thats it. Im moving to Ireland.

kneemos

We need a national i.d. card though in fairness.

biko

Learn to drive, get driving licence.

kneemos

biko wrote: »

Learn to drive, get driving licence.

A lot of people don't drive.

Nichololas

kneemos wrote: »

A lot of people don't drive.

You don't even need a car to get a license, though.

snubbleste

Electoral register is proof of address

SEPT 23 1989

Revenue documents are fine

hardCopy

biko wrote: »

Learn to drive, get driving licence.

Still need proof of address though.

OP, most online bills can be downloaded as a pdf and printed. I had to do it a couple of weeks ago to open a bank account.

chupacabra

hardCopy wrote: »

Still need proof of address though.

OP, most online bills can be downloaded as a pdf and printed. I had to do it a couple of weeks ago to open a bank account.

I do the same. Just print out your esb/eircom bill and thats usually enough. I mean, those are exactly what the company does anyway when they send you your printed bill.

kneemos

Nichololas wrote: »

You don't even need a car to get a license, though.

But you have to do theory tests and sho1t.plus it costs and doesn't last very long.

keithclancy

snubbleste wrote: »

Electoral register is proof of address

It is in its hole... there are shed loads of people on the electoral register that haven't lived at the address in years, are dead or don't even live in Ireland

Wacker The Attacker

Go on the proof of address.

jimgoose

This kind of thing is a pain in the arse, but I can usually drum up correspondence from that thar god-dam Revenoo (sp'too) when necessary. I do sometimes wonder how folk with no passport/driver's license/social services card manage to identify themselves though.

keithclancy

jimgoose wrote: »

This kind of thing is a pain in the arse, but I can usually drum up correspondence from that thar god-dam Revenoo (sp'too) when necessary. I do sometimes wonder how folk with no passport/driver's license/social services card manage to identify themselves though.

What address do Irish Travellers put on their Vehicle Registration Forms ?

jimgoose

keithclancy wrote: »

What address do Irish Travellers put on their Vehicle Registration Forms ?

Um, I dunno - Dark Side of the Moon?? :pac:

strobe

Bills from service providers don't exactly come with holograms or watermarks or any other anti counterfeiting measure whatsoever. Take any bill addressed to anybody at any address, scan it in, photoshop in whatever details you like, and print it out.

syklops

Nichololas wrote: »

You don't even need a car to get a license, though.

You need to pass the test though.

syklops

strobe wrote: »

Bills from service providers don't exactly come with holograms or watermarks or any other anti counterfeiting measure whatsoever. Take any bill addressed to anybody at any address, scan it in, photoshop in whatever details you like, and print it out.

A friend of mine was moving home and the new landlord asked him for a work reference. He was out of work at the time so he took the invoice from a dell server he'd just bought and scanned it. Changed the invoice details and did some creative writing, kept the header, footer and logo and sent it off.

He's there 2 years now.

strobe

syklops wrote: »

A friend of mine was moving home and the new landlord asked him for a work reference. He was out of work at the time so he took the invoice from a dell server he'd just bought and scanned it. Changed the invoice details and did some creative writing, kept the header, footer and logo and sent it off.

He's there 2 years now.

I like the cut of his jib. Inform him of my jib admiration.

The Corinthian

keithclancy wrote: »

What address do Irish Travellers put on their Vehicle Registration Forms ?

The address of the car's owner?


Sorry, I know, I know...

NachoBusiness

I have been without a driving licence for a few months now as I don't have a passport and no Guard or solicitor knows me and my GP has emigrated to New Zealand. I have my long birth cert and that's it. I was willing to fork out for a Passport but the Passport office asked me to get a Identification form signed and it's this form that needs either a Guard, Solicitor or GP to sign it and confirm that they know you personally. My bank manager said he would sign it but would need either a passport or driving licence to confirm I was who I said I was

jester77

keithclancy wrote: »

What address do Irish Travellers put on their Vehicle Registration Forms ?

Their number plate

wretcheddomain

keithclancy wrote: »

What address do Irish Travellers put on their Vehicle Registration Forms ?

A picture of a horse.

_Kaiser_

NachoBusiness wrote: »

I have been without a driving licence for a few months now as I don't have a passport and no Guard or solicitor knows me and my GP has emigrated to New Zealand. I have my long birth cert and that's it. I was willing to fork out for a Passport but the Passport office asked me to get a Identification form signed and it's this form that needs either a Guard, Solicitor or GP to sign it and confirm that they know you personally. My bank manager said he would sign it but would need either a passport or driving licence to confirm I was who I said I was

Really? Mine is up for renewal next year.. Passport expired a year or two back, don't have a GP, don't know any Gardai and have never needed a solicitor. My bank account is in a branch I haven't been in in years as I do everything online... feck!

jimgoose

NachoBusiness wrote: »

I have been without a driving licence for a few months now as I don't have a passport and no Guard or solicitor knows me and my GP has emigrated to New Zealand. I have my long birth cert and that's it. I was willing to fork out for a Passport but the Passport office asked me to get a Identification form signed and it's this form that needs either a Guard, Solicitor or GP to sign it and confirm that they know you personally. My bank manager said he would sign it but would need either a passport or driving licence to confirm I was who I said I was

Surely a Garda will sign it seeing as you have a birth-cert?

corner of hells

Get yourself sent to prison , there you get a prison I.D. card with your picture on it , your address becomes care of Mountjoy prison or if female care of the Ladyjoy prison.
Compliment the above with a snazzy neck tattoo of your name.......you may all bask in my reflected glory.

Thank you.
Anto.

Depraved

It was a nightmare trying to open a bank account here (Philippines). In the end I had to 'pay a optional fee' to a guy in the bank so he would open the account for me.

Mass corruption has its benefits!

daheff

I agree with the op....had to do this a number of times recently.

Bank: address & I'd verification please
Me: here's my driving licence..has both.
Bank: Sorry can't accept one document to verify ID & address.
Me: here's my passport.
Bank: sorry can't accept driving licence for address verification
Me: OK...here's my mobile phone bill
Bank: Sorry can't accept mobile bills as its not proof of a service to that address
Me: WTF!!
Me: Heres printout of gas bill.
Bank: Sorry this isn't an original bill
Me: Its an online account..like most of the 21st century utility providers.
Bank: Compliance wont allow it
Me: So what will you accept?
Bank: original utility bills, bank statements or revenue communication issued within previous 3 months.
Me: Utility bills are all online, bank statements are online & revenue write to me once a year...can't provide anything..what can I do
Bank:........
Me: ????
Bank: eh.....OK I suppose we can take the printed utility bill.

Me: You know the address on that bill is only where the service is provided to....I could live somewhere else
Bank: Really?
Me: Yeah.
Bank: eh.....


In fairness its the fault of the implementation of most recent version of CJA....and a load of overly cautious banking compliance teams....still absolute pain in the ass

darkpagandeath

Papers Please !!

Zippie84

When I moved to the UK and tried to open a bank account they wanted proof of address. Obviously I had none as I'd just moved here, but they were really strict, and said they'd only really take something like a bank statement from another bank etc.

I was just renting a room in an owner occupied place for a few months until I got myself sorted so couldn't even get any household bills in my name. Also needed the bank account as a priority to get my salary paid into.

So... they said they'd accept proof of address off my Irish bank if I got them to change it to the UK address, except... yep... you've guessed it.. the Irish bank wouldn't change the address to my UK one without proof of UK address, ideally from a UK bank....

They don't make it easy, do they?

Thankfully on speaking to my HR department about the problem, discovered they had an arrangement with a local bank who would accept a letter from the company (large well-known organisation) confirming your address.

Not sure what I'd have done otherwise...

beyondbelief67

Had trouble like this when first moved house, I needed to change address.
Only the bank wouldn't do it without seeing a utility bill at my new house !
Informed them that could be 2 months. Sorry but that's policy, I asked what happens if I was with the pre pay meters, no answer, I asked could they not send me a statement to my new address so I could bring that in as proof. Oh no can't do that !
I ended up getting an ml10 form from the garda station, which was lucky as they didn't know me but understood the problem.
Now the public service I'd card solves a lot of problems and is accepted most places.