Co-op Will Writing Service Denies Service to Russian-Born Customer Due to Country of Birth
A UK-based customer has been denied the use of The Co-op's will writing service because they were born in Russia, despite having dual British and German nationality.
The individual had previously used The Co-op's services, but when they asked for an update to their existing will, with their partner and daughter as beneficiaries, they received no further communication for two months. When the issue was brought to light, The Co-op claimed that the request had been cancelled due to an error.
However, it appears this initial denial was based on a legitimate piece of legislation related to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Strict financial restrictions have been imposed on anyone connected to the Russian government and its war aims, which can lead to imprisonment of up to seven years for doing financial or legal business with sanctioned entities.
The UK government guidance is clear: customers not designated under a sanctions regime are not prohibited from receiving services. However, The Co-op has taken a conservative approach, instructing their lawyers that they must "carry out the correct due diligence" and adhere to these regulations.
This means that the customer will need to provide proof of having renounced their Russian citizenship in order to access The Co-op's will writing service. Critics argue this is discriminatory treatment based solely on birthplace.
An HM Treasury spokesperson acknowledged that while where a person lives should be taken into account, it was ultimately up to individual companies to decide how to comply with the rules and who to do business with.
The customer has expressed their frustration at being denied services due to their country of birth, which they argue does not trigger sanctions regulations. The case raises questions about whether companies have a duty to serve all customers fairly, regardless of their origins.
A UK-based customer has been denied the use of The Co-op's will writing service because they were born in Russia, despite having dual British and German nationality.
The individual had previously used The Co-op's services, but when they asked for an update to their existing will, with their partner and daughter as beneficiaries, they received no further communication for two months. When the issue was brought to light, The Co-op claimed that the request had been cancelled due to an error.
However, it appears this initial denial was based on a legitimate piece of legislation related to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Strict financial restrictions have been imposed on anyone connected to the Russian government and its war aims, which can lead to imprisonment of up to seven years for doing financial or legal business with sanctioned entities.
The UK government guidance is clear: customers not designated under a sanctions regime are not prohibited from receiving services. However, The Co-op has taken a conservative approach, instructing their lawyers that they must "carry out the correct due diligence" and adhere to these regulations.
This means that the customer will need to provide proof of having renounced their Russian citizenship in order to access The Co-op's will writing service. Critics argue this is discriminatory treatment based solely on birthplace.
An HM Treasury spokesperson acknowledged that while where a person lives should be taken into account, it was ultimately up to individual companies to decide how to comply with the rules and who to do business with.
The customer has expressed their frustration at being denied services due to their country of birth, which they argue does not trigger sanctions regulations. The case raises questions about whether companies have a duty to serve all customers fairly, regardless of their origins.
this is crazy, i mean i get it the gov's trying to crack down on russian ties but come on co-op should be more inclusive than that 
. born in russia doesn't automatically make u a bad person or involved with sanctioned entities. its like they're assuming ppl are guilty till proven innocent? 
what kinda message does that send? and wheres the clarity on who's eligible for services? is it just russians or anyone from certain countries? 
needs more transparency, tbh
! I mean, what kind of company just denies service to someone because of where they were born? Like, isn't that just basic customer service? 
It's all about protecting their own skin and minimizing liability. But at the same time, it's also kinda harsh that a customer is being singled out based on where they were born 
. I guess you could say The Co-op is trying to play it safe, but that doesn't necessarily make it the right thing to do 
.
Like, I totally get why The Co-op is trying to follow the rules and stuff 
And what's with all these sanctions regulations? It feels like companies are getting caught up in the drama and losing sight of things... 
Like, who gets to decide what's "correct due diligence" anyway? 
I don't think it's that black and white... 
]
I just can't believe this is happening in 2025! 
A person born in Russia (but with dual nationality) gets denied a service from The Co-op because they're afraid of breaking some Russian sanctions laws 
. Like, if it's not affecting me directly, why should my country of birth matter? 
i mean, i love them and all but if ur british & german but russian born u shd be able 2 get a will writing service like anyone else!! 
it's not like its illegal or anything 
I mean come on... this is just ridiculous. You can't deny someone service just because they were born in Russia 
. It's not like they're actively working for the Russian government or something. The sanctions thing is just a blanket rule that affects everyone, but companies are choosing to be super strict about it? That's just discriminatory 
. And what even is due diligence, anyway? Can't they just trust their customers and figure out who's actually doing business with sanctioned entities? 
.
. The UK government is supposed to be looking out for us, not making these kinda rules up as they go along 
OMG, can u believe this?! Some co-op is so extra! 
That's not how you build customer loyalty or a positive reputation. I'm so sorry to see this person go through this. 
this is so messed up! I mean, I get it that the UK's got some major issues with Russia right now, but come on, can't they just be fair? 
It's not like this customer is doing anything wrong. And what's next? Are they gonna deny service to someone born in Germany 'cause of Russia? 
and say no to someone who has every right to be there. It's just not on! 
7 years in prison for doing business with sanctioned entities? that's crazy 
