Contacting NS&I - UK Premium Bonds

[Seasider4374]

My son received a small amount of premium bonds from his great-grandmother on his birth 11 years ago. However the handwriting of a 90 year old meant that on the NS&I records his name is spelt incorrectly. I think I tried to correct this ten years ago but found the process cumbersome back then, and then life and other things got in the way.

I believe I managed to get his name, and also his (my) Japanese address changed online a month or so ago. I certainly screen grabbed the confirmation screen suggesting such. At that time I requested to have his bonds checked for any historical prizes. I should hear back by 10th April or so.

However this week I've received a marketing email from them addressed to... the incorrect spelling of my son's name...

Also every time I try to register for an online account to manage his bonds (he's 11yo) I enter all the details, click "next", but am met with a screen saying "for security we had to end your session because you used the back button". I have never hit the back button... And I can't get past this issue.

Has anyone else experienced this? Or have alternative suggestions?

Is there phone support available, and more importantly, is it any good? I wrote a letter last year listing my son's incorrect and correct name and address details and received a reply to the incorrect name basically saying "thank you for your letter requesting name and address changes to be made. Kind regards" but with no changes ever being made...

I'm looking forward to hearing the historical prizes response, but if my son happens to be an unknown millionaire I'd like to get his funds transferred to Japan and saved in better investments than NS&I but will need an online account to do so...

[Beaglehound]

I did manage to successfully change my address with them through the online form a year or so back (they sent me a letter confirming this). But the hoops for registering online from here are challenging, they want certified copies of passport and bank statement showing address. Not sure how they deal with kids. Haven't tried phone support but it is on my to do list as I want to buy more bonds. Will report back if I get around to it before you do.

BTW, there is an online prize checker if you have his holder's number.

[Seasider4374]

I did manage to successfully change my address with them through the online form a year or so back (they sent me a letter confirming this). But the hoops for registering online from here are challenging, they want certified copies of passport and bank statement showing address. Not sure how they deal with kids. Haven't tried phone support but it is on my to do list as I want to buy more bonds. Will report back if I get around to it before you do.

BTW, there is an online prize checker if you have his holder's number.

Thanks, glad to hear I'm not alone. Let's fight the fight together!

Did the posted letter arrive at your updated address (I assume in Japan)? And if so do you remember how long it took to arrive? My screen grab shows my data change as being accepted on March 6th 2024, but 20days later no letter has since arrived with me here in Japan...

I have looked at the online prize checker but it only goes back so many years (7 from memory?) So I'm keen to see if anything was won in the initial 4 years of the bonds being held

[Beaglehound]

Ah, ok that makes sense about checker. Yes, the posted letter was to here in Japan. So definitely possible to change address through simply filling in the online form. I think you will end up needing to call them by the sound of it though.

[Seasider4374]

Okay, thanks for the reply. I'll give it another couple of weeks to wait for the respose of the historical check, before calling.

[CluelessToshika]

That reminds me, I was going through my stuff a while back and found a "Premium Bond Holder's Card" in my name and the address I last lived at in the UK, which was in the 1990s. I have no recollection of how I came to be in possession of it, possibly a present from a relative? I did have a National Savings account at the time, though that's long since closed. Anyway is it worth following up on this?

[Beaglehound]

That reminds me, I was going through my stuff a while back and found a "Premium Bond Holder's Card" in my name and the address I last lived at in the UK, which was in the 1990s. I have no recollection of how I came to be in possession of it, possibly a present from a relative? I did have a National Savings account at the time, though that's long since closed. Anyway is it worth following up on this?

Probably depends on how many bonds you have and whether you may want to add to them, which I believe you can do from overseas. Small chance maybe but you might also have won something since the 1990s...

[david]

I had a fairly frustrating experience with NS and I, I had an old bond number I wanted to trace any wins on as it was registered to an old address and a 2nd holders number I wanted to combine it with and a couple of other things, I sent I think 2 letters with all my information and got sent several "we need your signature to do X" forms / countersigned a couple of things, which I sent back. Called twice as this seemed to be taking months to get sorted and just got told to wait. Called 3rd time early this year spoke to a very pleasant an knowlegeable lady who seemed very confused about what NS and I had done with my account up to this point and said she could sort it out for me but I would need to fill in all the same forms again and send them to NS and I again to restart the process. I just gave up at this point and asked her to close both accounts which she just said "yes, I totally understand why you would want to do that" and didnt even try and talk me out of it.

I moved all the money to Japan and put it in my Nisa. I very much hope your experience is smoother but I had very little luck deadling with NS and I...