Co-op Will-Writing Service Rejects Client Due to Russia Birthplace Despite Dual Nationality
In a bizarre case, a UK resident was recently denied access to the Co-op's will-writing service because their birthplace in Russia. The individual, who had moved to the UK as a child and revoked their Russian citizenship in 1999, had submitted an updated will that excluded any ties to their homeland.
The customer's experience highlights concerns over discrimination based on nationality, particularly after Russia's invasion of Ukraine imposed strict financial restrictions on those connected to the country. Despite holding dual British and German nationality, the Co-op's adviser told them they could not provide advice due to their birth in Russia.
However, it has emerged that the UK government guidance does not prohibit individuals from accessing financial or legal services simply because they were born in a sanctioned country. In fact, HM Treasury stated that regulations prioritize where someone lives rather than where they were born.
The Co-op's decision to refuse service was allegedly based on "specialist legal advice" advising them not to provide advice to anyone born in Russia, regardless of their current nationality or ties. The company claims it is taking a "no-risk" approach to comply with the regulations and avoid potential consequences.
The case raises questions about the balance between protecting businesses from sanctions-related risks and respecting individuals' rights to access necessary services. While it may be understandable that companies seek to minimize exposure, denying service based solely on nationality seems unjustifiable, particularly in cases where an individual has renounced their connection to their country of birth.
In this instance, the customer was asked to provide proof of having revoked their Russian citizenship, which they claimed was unnecessary and unjustified. The Co-op's stance suggests that customers born in Russia may face similar challenges in accessing financial or legal services, even if they have strong ties to other countries.
In a bizarre case, a UK resident was recently denied access to the Co-op's will-writing service because their birthplace in Russia. The individual, who had moved to the UK as a child and revoked their Russian citizenship in 1999, had submitted an updated will that excluded any ties to their homeland.
The customer's experience highlights concerns over discrimination based on nationality, particularly after Russia's invasion of Ukraine imposed strict financial restrictions on those connected to the country. Despite holding dual British and German nationality, the Co-op's adviser told them they could not provide advice due to their birth in Russia.
However, it has emerged that the UK government guidance does not prohibit individuals from accessing financial or legal services simply because they were born in a sanctioned country. In fact, HM Treasury stated that regulations prioritize where someone lives rather than where they were born.
The Co-op's decision to refuse service was allegedly based on "specialist legal advice" advising them not to provide advice to anyone born in Russia, regardless of their current nationality or ties. The company claims it is taking a "no-risk" approach to comply with the regulations and avoid potential consequences.
The case raises questions about the balance between protecting businesses from sanctions-related risks and respecting individuals' rights to access necessary services. While it may be understandable that companies seek to minimize exposure, denying service based solely on nationality seems unjustifiable, particularly in cases where an individual has renounced their connection to their country of birth.
In this instance, the customer was asked to provide proof of having revoked their Russian citizenship, which they claimed was unnecessary and unjustified. The Co-op's stance suggests that customers born in Russia may face similar challenges in accessing financial or legal services, even if they have strong ties to other countries.
for this UK resident, cant believe the co-op is being so strict about it 
they shouldnt be judging ppl based on where they were born lol, its like they're saying "youre from russia, your not trustworthy" thats just not fair 
and btw why cant they just check if ur british or german citizenship is still valid? 
. I mean, someone moves to the UK as a kid and grows up here, they renounce their Russian citizenship years ago... what's the harm in helpin them plan for their future? It feels like they're discriminatin against ppl just 'cause of where they were born 
. I get that companies need to be cautious about sanctions and all that, but can't they find a way to work around it that doesn't affect innocent people? The fact that the customer was asked for proof of citizenship is pretty ridiculous, like do we really need that level of detail? 
. As someone who's all about online shopping (who isn't, right? 
), it's crazy that they're basically singling out people born in Russia. Like, what's the logic behind that? 
. This whole thing has me wondering if they were trying to avoid any potential heat 
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or like, pay in rubles? 
that doesn't seem right
#JusticeForDualNationality. Like, I get it that companies wanna play it safe with these sanctions and all, but denying service based on nationality? That's just not cool 
. The Co-op needs to re-think their policy ASAP 
#BornInRussiaDoesntDefineYou.
It's just not right. We need to call out these kinds of discriminatory practices and make sure our institutions are protecting people's rights, not their profits. 
cant a person get some basic will-writing help without being discriminated cuz of where they were born? 
they even gave up their Russian citizenship back in 1999 
what is the Co-op thinking?! 
it sounds like they're more worried about being safe than doing the right thing 
hopefully this case gets some attention and those kinda rules get changed 
maybe companies should just offer services to anyone who needs them, no matter where they were born 
. Like, what kind of logic is that? You were born in Russia, but you've lived your whole life in the UK and even renounced your Russian citizenship back in '99! It just doesn't seem fair that Co-op's will-writing service was denied to them based on their birthplace alone 
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. I mean, what's next? Denying someone a passport because they were born in another country? It's not like their birthplace has any direct bearing on who they are today. The Co-op's decision stinks of xenophobia 
and I'm not surprised they're getting slammed for it. It's just common sense that businesses should be able to provide services to anyone, regardless of where they were born. The UK government guidance is pretty clear on this, so why did the Co-op choose to ignore it? 
It's like they're implying that there's something inherently "unsavory" about being born in Russia. 
And don't even get me started on the fact that this guy had already renounced his Russian citizenship... like, doesn't that erase any connection he might have had with Russia? 
the co-op's approach seems so unfair, especially when there r people like that customer who've renounced their citizenship & have no ties to russia. it's not fair to deny them access 2 essential services just cuz they were born somewhere 
gotta wonder how many other ppl are affected by this kinda thinking 
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. I think it's time for them to rethink their approach and focus on serving customers rather than playing it safe 
They're basically using fear to justify denying someone their rights