I have found here in the US, that the govt agencies have been the easiest, and most of the banks just as easy, as long as they are presented with the name change documentation (here, it is in the form of a court order, signed by magistrate and notarized by county clerk). The credit card companies have been more troublesome. One would think they were the Department of Homeland Security, but I managed them eventually, with repated faxes and escalations to customer care supervisors.

The one that got me was, of all things, Paypal. Those people think they are the fecking arbiters of all that is proper! Just ask Katie Glover! With Paypal, I eventually escalated to "Executive Escalations" before I found someone who had the authority to just click the right button on my account and make it happen.

I suggest you continue to escalate. Write and fax and ask for supervisors and threaten until you reach the one person who will help you.

PS: In America. they are not entitled to a letter from your shrink or endo, as this would violate the Health Information Privacy Protection Act, as well as doctor-patient confidentiality, which I believe is pretty much an international ethics thing.

Wow, have I hit a problem here - Barclays were fine, relisting me as Tina Marie and being very undertanding. Nationwide B/s actually list gender change and state that this will only be allowed on presentation of a birth certificate or gender cert. I am meant to be living in role and find it soooo annoying that Nationwide cause me discomfort and seem to have things around the wrong way. Are they being discriminatory given that other financial establishments have no problems with this issue. (and no I cant change banks because - alas - al my overdraft is with nationwide. Help please

Hi Tina
Actually I'm surprised with the outcome of your dealings with Nationwide. I went into the Oxford branch and explained that I often dressed as a girl and they actually offered to get my account card changed from Mr Alan J Wicks to A Wicks (no gender indication at all). This is because the account name did not actually change. I had my new card within 3 days.
When I started to transition I had to fill in a change of account details form (available from the Nationwide web site). This was then sent to their head office with a copy of my deed poll. Again changes made with no problem. Once again I have a forename on my account but its Alina not Alan.

Alina

Here you need also the official draft from the population register. Until your official name change you just have to survive somehow. My external habitus had changed so much before my name change that I needed desperately some document with my pic on it just to prove who I am until my name change. So I ordered a national health care id-card with a pass pic on it. When I brought my pic along the clerc run to her boss in order to ask if she "may put a woman´s pic on a man´s card". The boss answered: "It is not our concern how people look like as long as the pic fulfills the technical regulations". And that was it.

Laura

The one official document I had trouble with was my driving licence. Although DVLA accepted my deed poll they would not accept a photo of me wearing a wig - a wig in their opinion is a hat and hats cannot be worn in licence photos. I had to wait until my hair grew to get a pic. I now have a licence in Alina's name. Yippee!!!!!!

Nationwide are a pain in the a*se with anything.

You can legally call yourself anything as long as it isn't for freudulent purposes.

And if you go to a different bank, they will transfer everything across from Nationwide.

hi you ae not alone with having problems with your bank, the aliance and leicster giro are just as much of a pain, 5 weeks after asking them to change my details i still have not got a new card or chq book and when asked what they are playing at i was told that they are whaiting for some outside firm to complete credit checks, a right pain when my wages ae paid direct into the acount.
the dvla are as bad if you do not update your details there is a £1000 fine when they recived my documents they reterned them and told me a legal copy of the deed pole was not proof of identerty.
to quote a old protest song we will overcome.
dont let them grind us down paula

Also, can't you just start an additional little old savings account with some other bank while keeping your Nationwide account, despite the overdrafts? This way, once the overdrafts are paid down, you can tell Nationwide to stuff it and transfer your direct deposits to the other friendlier bank.

Thanks for all of your help girls - I persevered and smiled a lot and now have 3 accounts in my name.
Only change to do is passport and they have promised that the only prob is 70 quid charge for a nw one I duly arrivewd in Ibiza in sundress and heels with old passport, flight ticket as mr and accommodation as miss. Swallowed the feeling of bile with the former and gritted my teeth - last time I will use that passport so heyho. In fact my big worry was that I could fly at all looking so obviously different - shoulder length hair, dress etc and that I was carrying syringes for my diabetes in hand luggage with no doctors note. I was asked to take off my boots but that all!!!!!
love and kisses from rain soaked ibiza tina

Tina, i myself had the problem that you are now facing.My Branch of Barclays in lowestoft wouldn't alter my bank details until they'd seen my change of name by deed poll, which i recently acquired. I called back in & within 20 mins, they'd altered all my Details to read "Miss Anna-Marie Trindall" & a few days later i recieved my new card & Cheque book with my new name on it. It Worked for me, so just persevere & it'll all come right in the end.

LOL xxxxxxx
Anna-Marie