A transgender woman in the UK was unable to access her account for a week after a bank representative misgendered her during a phone conversation.
Drew Dalziel says that despite answering her security questions—Santander locked her account after misidentifying her as a man, the Telegraph reports.
Dalziel told her bank in March that she was transitioning and provided deed poll papers. After her account was blocked she explained to the complaints team that she was undergoing voice training but was told they were simply “following procedure”.
Santander told the 25-year-old that she could visit a branch with photo ID—but her new passport with new name and correct gender marker was in the middle of being processed.
Dalziel was left without money for a week and was forced to borrow cash from relatives.
The bank has since apologised for the “distress and inconvenience” caused by the incident.
"Last year, we worked with our contact centres to develop a process to support customers who are transitioning. Unfortunately, the process was not followed and we caused distress and inconvenience.
“We have offered Miss Dalziel a gesture of goodwill and since being able to verify her identity correctly we have unblocked her account with immediate effect," a spokesperson said.
Dalziel told The Telegraph: "While I can see why this happened, it has been stressful. I haven't had access to my money and have had to borrow to get by.
“I personally told the bank that I was transitioning and gave them my new deed poll papers, so they knew of my situation. I hope this doesn't happen to other transgender customers."
Earlier this year, banking company HSBC announced that it would be offering 10 new gender neutral pronouns for transgender and non-binary customers to use on their bank card and official correspondence—including Mx, Ind, M and Pr.
Stuart Haire, UK head of retail, said the changes were “part of a broader priority for us to ensure our products and services are relevant for the unique financial needs of all of our customers.
“We want everyone to be able to access simple and smart banking solutions that work for them, and we will continue working with our LGBT+ colleagues and customers to ensure we’re getting it right.”
