Wednesday, July 4, 2012

Signature Confusion

Lot of news items nowadays from India about Pranab Mukherjee’s signature not matching in two different documents. I am not going to go into that.

I am talking about how banks in India reject a check for not exactly matching with the original signature given to the bank when that person opened the account. He/She may have opened that account many years ago. Therefore, a slight variation over the years is very much possible.

I know banks want the signatures to match exactly so that they are assured that it is YOU who have signed your own check and not someone else.

Here is a funny incident that happened a few years ago.

My brother and his family were living in New Delhi. Safdarjang Enclave. We were visiting India and stayed in New Delhi. My brother wanted to cash a check and he asked me to come with him to the bank. I went with him. Apparently, the bank manager (also a Tamil guy) knows my brother very well. The following conversation took place when he wanted to cash his check.

Ennappa Rajendra, soukyama? (How are you Rajendra, Are you ok?)

Hmm

Appa soukyama? Ippa udambu thevalama? (How is your dad? Is he OK now healthwise?)

Hmm

Anna Americavulendhu vararnu sonniyay. Vandhootara? (You said your elder brother is coming from America. Did he arrive?)

Vandhootar. Ivardhan en anna. (Yes, he has arrived. He (pointing to me) is my elder brother).

My brother gave his check for cashing. The bank manager checked his signature with the original given sometime ago. And then he said:

Rajendra, signature tally aagala. Innoru thadava sign pannu. (Rajendra, your signature does not match. Please sign one more time.)

My brother signed and he got the cash.

I was thinking to myself. Signature tallying is to make sure someone do not forge the signature of someone else and get cash. Here the bank manager knows my brother very well, knows what is happening in his family (like father not keeping good health, elder brother visiting from America). My brother himself is presenting in person the check to the bank manager. Still he does not trust my brother's signature and wanted him to sign again.

I give up.

17 comments:

  1. Its not about trust, actually... its pure procedure... perhaps he might be questioned in an audit about having released funds on a signature mismatch... My bank once sent back a cheque I had signed because the signature was *slightly* different...

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  2. Thanks for your comments Ash. I beg to disagree with you. The bank manger will be in trouble only if my brother complained his check was stolen and someone else signed fradulantly and received money from his account. Why question the bank manager if there is no complaint from the customer? Just following procedure with no human interface is not correct.

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  3. But that's unfortunately the trouble... they're scared to do otherwise.

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  4. we face lot of problems because of that, i feel that now they must have some digital system to verify, there are so many saving instruments which mature in 10 years, and in 10 years even signature change:)
    That way once a custom officer looked at my picture in the passport and then looked at me:)

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  5. You are absolutely correct Ash. They are scared.

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  6. Thanks for your comments Renu. I think us customers should approach the bank and voluntarily replace our "original" signature card every few years.

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  7. You will not believe, I have had a similar experience. Usually I don't need to issue any cheques from personal account, but once I had to give a cancelled cheque for opening a demat account. And the signature didn't match. When I got the cheque back and I went to the back, I got to know that I had put two dots below the line after signing instead of putting them after the line! I know the comment doesn't make much sense but this is how it happened.

    I can totally relate to this incident.

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  8. Thanks for your comments Neha. I understand your frustration.

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  9. My dad always faces this problem. Like your brother, all bank mgrs knew him as well. You see, he used to work in the bank, ;-)

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  10. Thanks for your comments Shruthi. Your dad works for a bank and still this happens to him? Rediculous.

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  11. I guess they are only doing their duty and keeping their side safe....like how doctors always get a signature before operations...

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  12. Thanks for your comments Aparna. Yes they are doing their duty only, like a robot. And do not want to use their brains.

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  13. I think you mistook me for the 'full-meals' Shruthi?! That isn't me.. :)

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  14. Thanks for correcting my mistake Rohitha. Somehow I thought you both are identical twins. That is why this mix-up. Will be careful in the future.

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  15. :-D well in the world of bloggers, we might well be twins. We post randomly, take frequent breaks and have common interests like Harry potter and chocolate ;)

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  16. Thanks for your comments Rohitha. One more thing in common. You are an artist (Painter) and she is an artiste (Singer).

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  17. Funny!
    I think that Bank official is a stickler for rules!:-)

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