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I recently moved to the Netherlands, and have found getting started with Odido to be an incredibly frustrating experience.

Initially, I was told I couldn’t sign up for a sim-only contract (no phone) as I didn’t have a NL based IBAN. The signup form on the website told me to go into a store, but the staff in the store told me that it wasn’t possible and were confused why the website had directed me to them. To be clear, I am a EU citizen, and resident in the Netherlands, but without a NL based IBAN it was not possible to open an account, which is a clear breach of the European Commission’s SEPA IBAN rules — see IBAN discrimination. I would like to understand why Odido have this policy?

I have since opened two Dutch bank accounts — one with Bunq and one with Revolut. Both of these provide me with a Dutch IBAN, starting with NL, and a debit card for this (fully regulated) bank account.

Attempting to sign up online with either of these resulted in me being rejected. I then visited one of the stores in Amsterdam and was told I needed a bank card with the IBAN printed on it (something neither of my banks provide). After returning on another day and speaking to the manager was able to finally sign up for a sim-only contract.

Today I tried to add my wife to this contract, via Samen Unlimited. When we visited the store I am being told exactly the same thing again — I need a bank card with my IBAN printed on the card — even though I have an active 12 month contract, my passport, two bank cards (one for this account), and can provide any other information. I just hit a stone wall with the member of staff who will not budge on this requirement he thinks exists.

To prove this showed me his maestro card which has an IBAN, but this must be incorrect — I’m not aware of any Visa and Mastercard debit cards that print the IBAN on the card? From July 2023 maestro is being phased out, so it’s not possible to get a new Maestro card from my bank. Surely it cannot be a requirement that Odido requires a bank card with the IBAN printed on it?

When I try to register online, I get rejected with no explanation as to why. When I call the phone support line, they place the order on my existing account and this succeeds, so clearly it’s not required.
 

To sum up, I am pretty angry with the customer service I’ve received and with the completely inconsistent processes Odido seem to follow in their stores:

  1. IBAN discrimination is not allowed within the EU, and is reportable to the ACM
  2. Many NL based banks do not provide debit cards with IBANs
  3. I already have an account, and a card is not required if I sign up online or via the phone
  4. The processes seem inconsistent between the website, phone support, and stores.

Could someone please explain what the requirements actually are, and why this happened?

Hello ​@axial, welcome to our Community! How nice that you moved to the Netherlands and chose us as your provider, we are very happy about that! Apologies that you got this feeling as a result of this experience. I will do everything I can to change this and I'm happy to give you more clarity. 

With a foreign bank account number, you can simply take out a Sim Only subscription with us. However, this is not possible online. It is only possible in one of our stores, because a colleague has to check the bank account number for authenticity. The reason why your Bunq pass is rejected online has to do with the fact that it only needs to be checked in the store, but that does not mean it is not possible. After all, a bank card is a second proof of identity and a copy of it must also be made in one of our stores. In fact, if no physical pass is present, there is another workaround. The pass must actually be shown in our store (via your app if necessary). Our colleague can then take a photo of this and use it as a copy. 

With Revolut, the same story applies, and with Bunq it's definitely possible as well, but only in our store. So it is not possible to apply for a subscription or Samen Unlimited online yourself with one of these passes. This can only be arranged in our store. You then need to make a 1 cent payment in the store so our colleague can check if the bank is correct. 

So a subscription or Together Unlimited should definitely work with this workaround. If the shop indicates otherwise, just let me know. Then I can forward the feedback for you to the store in question, so that they too know the workaround and this cannot happen again in the future. 

Again, apologies that things didn't go well in our store and the service you received. I hope it's all clear. Did everything else work out? If there is anything else I can do for you from this side, please feel free to let me know! 

Hi, ​@Pharwin van Odido thanks for getting back to me.

“With a foreign bank account number, you can simply take out a Sim Only subscription with us. However, this is not possible online. It is only possible in one of our stores, because a colleague has to check the bank account number for authenticity.”

This is incorrect according to the staff in both the Oud-west and De Pijp stores in Amsterdam. While the Odido website does say this can be done in store, multiple members of staff told me it was not possible without a dutch IBAN (as I said above). 

I now have a Dutch bank account, with an IBAN that starts with NL. However, when I went to the store on Kinkerstraat (Oud-West, Amsterdam, on Saturday 14th December) I was told very clearly by the member of staff that I could not add another person with Together Unlimited as I did not have a bank card with my IBAN printed on it. I asked if there were any ways around this given I have a local Dutch bank account and I was told repeatedly that it was not possible. They were not willing to make the 1 cent payment, or take a copy of my card, again because they think it is a requirement that the card has a printed IBAN.

I can provide the member of staff’s name if that helps, but it seems there is a pretty big difference in what you’re saying is possible, and the processes the staff in your stores are following.

Is there any official documentation from Odido that I can take to the store that shows this?

Hello ​@axial, no problem! What a shame they tell you in the store that it is not possible. I know they have access to the same systems as I do and also the knowledge items that say it is possible. 

I can't send this to you as a document, but you can tell them in the store to look at the knowledge item ''Terms and Conditions and Policy ID at Sale'' and then at item number 4 '’Bank Card Verification'’. That will tell them exactly what to do if you don't have a physical bank card. Or in dutch '’Voorwaarden en beleid legitimatiebewijzen bij verkoop'' en dan bij punt nummer 4 '’Bankpas controle'’. You can also show them this topic. So it is definitely possible!

Can you let me know if it will work out in the store? If not, I will send an email to the store to give feedback on this matter!

 

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