A WOMAN was denied an online account with Asda Mobile after its computer system decided her surname was “rude”.
Pat McManus, who is hard of hearing, had been trying to set up an online account to top up her pay-as-you-go mobile phone online.
She told the BBC’s Rip Off Britain that it would be the easiest way for her to add credit to her phone due to her hearing difficultues, but that Asda Mobile’s computer system had blocked her attempts.
Pat explained: “When I try to create an account it won’t let me go through because of my surname. It says there’s a forbidden word in it.”
Presenter Angela Rippon clarified for viewers that the “forbidden” word was ‘anus’ – the last four letters of Pat’s surname.
Expressing her disbelief she said: “The last four letters are nothing more than the actual, legal, medical description of a part of the body.”
Pat described her struggle to access the vital service as “very depressing”.
She explained that she had written to Asda Mobile who told her she could set up an online account without entering her surname.
But Pat wanted to be able to receive email updates, which she couldn’t do if the system blocked her from entering an email address containing her surname.
Consumer rights expert Nikki Stopford accused Asda Mobile of failing its customers.
She said: “All mobile phone companies have a responsibility to make sure they are providing an accessible service and it’s really insane that Asda Mobile isn’t even getting the basics right.
“I can’t believe that Asda Mobile can’t override a computer program with some human intervention to allow Pat’s surname.”
Her advice to Pat was to change providers.
She added: “Also register a formal complaint with Asda Mobile because all mobile phone providers should be providing an accessible service.”
After being contacted by Rip Off Britain Asda Mobile changed its system to allow Pat to set up an account.
It’s not the first time a person’s name has caused them problems with technology.
Siri Price told The Sun her friends had been forced to nickname her ‘Siz’ to stop phones pinging every time she is mentioned.
Parents have also faced problems with officials accepting the names they’ve chosen for their children.
One couple took French officials to court after they refused to accept the unique name they chose for their baby.
In Australia a mum named her child after a drug reference out of curiosity over how far you could push the boundaries of baby-naming.
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