Not upheld: security procedures breach and identity verification failure complaint against Metro Bank plc

Decision detail

Summary

Mrs K complained that Metro Bank allowed her unauthorised husband to access a restricted banking area containing her safety deposit box and failed to verify her identity during transactions. Metro responded that the husband had been authorised as a visitor for one box prior to the visit and that Mrs K completed authorisation for both boxes during the same visit. The ombudsman found that although Metro made a procedural mistake, Mrs K would have granted the same authority during the visit, she raised no objection to her husband's presence until staff pointed out the breach, and Metro implemented corrective measures immediately. The complaint was not upheld.

The Ombudsman's reasoning

The ombudsman assessed whether Metro followed its processes fairly and reasonably. Although Metro made a procedural mistake by allowing unauthorised access, the ombudsman determined that Mrs K would have granted the same authority during the visit regardless, as she subsequently did so willingly. The ombudsman noted that Mrs K raised no objection to her husband's presence in the restricted area until a staff member pointed out the procedural breach. Metro implemented corrective measures during the same visit to ensure proper authority was documented for future access.

How this compares

Source

Read the original decision on the Financial Ombudsman Service website