Discussion
I posted a while back at the problems I have had with A certain bank (The World's local bank!) with them cocking up left right and centre, and charging me when they shouldn't.
Fortunately, I was given the contact details for a chap at my local branch who was in a position of seniority. He refunded charges, and explained how the bank's policies had changed etc - very good PR job by him, and he was a decent bloke as well. I was happy with the situation, and happy to remain a customer.
On Friday, i returned from holiday to three or four letters from the bank informing me of charges they have levied onto my accounts which are incorrect.
20 minutes of hanging on to the call centre speaking to someone whom did not have English as their first language got me nowhere - so a visit to my branch, and a further conversation with the same chap as before got the charges refunded, and a grovelling apology on behalf of the bank.
Whilst I have a good contact in this chap, I am fed up with having to go to my branch to get him to put right the bank's mistakes (and on every occasion, it has been admitted the bank has acted incorrectly, and charged me when they shouldn't)
Question is, where do I move my business to?
I'm looking for:
Multiple accounts (two sole accounts, and one joint account)
Free £1000 overdraft on all accounts (No annual "review" fee) and interest charged on days that the overdraft facility is actually used
Decent online service
UK based call centre
Ability to telephone my branch if necessary
High street branches (I do pay in a fair number of cheques every month)
Any suggestions?
Fortunately, I was given the contact details for a chap at my local branch who was in a position of seniority. He refunded charges, and explained how the bank's policies had changed etc - very good PR job by him, and he was a decent bloke as well. I was happy with the situation, and happy to remain a customer.
On Friday, i returned from holiday to three or four letters from the bank informing me of charges they have levied onto my accounts which are incorrect.
20 minutes of hanging on to the call centre speaking to someone whom did not have English as their first language got me nowhere - so a visit to my branch, and a further conversation with the same chap as before got the charges refunded, and a grovelling apology on behalf of the bank.
Whilst I have a good contact in this chap, I am fed up with having to go to my branch to get him to put right the bank's mistakes (and on every occasion, it has been admitted the bank has acted incorrectly, and charged me when they shouldn't)
Question is, where do I move my business to?
I'm looking for:
Multiple accounts (two sole accounts, and one joint account)
Free £1000 overdraft on all accounts (No annual "review" fee) and interest charged on days that the overdraft facility is actually used
Decent online service
UK based call centre
Ability to telephone my branch if necessary
High street branches (I do pay in a fair number of cheques every month)
Any suggestions?
I have a couple of business accounts and 3 personal accounts with Lloyds - apart from one glitch setting one of them up, they have been very good.
Before I moved to Lloyds, I had an account with Abbey, business account was rubbish but the personal account was not bad if you don't like Lloyds for any reason.
Before I moved to Lloyds, I had an account with Abbey, business account was rubbish but the personal account was not bad if you don't like Lloyds for any reason.
much as they annoy me with various things i think Barclays are the only other alternative to HSBC. I've had bad experiences with the whole RBS group and even though all the others do have alot of branches, those 3 are the only ones that really have a branch on every corner so to speak.
CLK-GTR said:
much as they annoy me with various things i think Barclays are the only other alternative to HSBC. I've had bad experiences with the whole RBS group and even though all the others do have alot of branches, those 3 are the only ones that really have a branch on every corner so to speak.
Interesting how much opinions can vary on banks simply based on dealings. I've only ever had one account with Barclays, an ISA which I opened because of the interest rate. Every single person I dealt with when opening the account, and a year later when closing the account was completely and utterly clueless to the point where it was laughable - I wouldn't use them for anything ever again.paddyhasneeds said:
CLK-GTR said:
much as they annoy me with various things i think Barclays are the only other alternative to HSBC. I've had bad experiences with the whole RBS group and even though all the others do have alot of branches, those 3 are the only ones that really have a branch on every corner so to speak.
Interesting how much opinions can vary on banks simply based on dealings. I've only ever had one account with Barclays, an ISA which I opened because of the interest rate. Every single person I dealt with when opening the account, and a year later when closing the account was completely and utterly clueless to the point where it was laughable - I wouldn't use them for anything ever again.CLK-GTR said:
paddyhasneeds said:
CLK-GTR said:
much as they annoy me with various things i think Barclays are the only other alternative to HSBC. I've had bad experiences with the whole RBS group and even though all the others do have alot of branches, those 3 are the only ones that really have a branch on every corner so to speak.
Interesting how much opinions can vary on banks simply based on dealings. I've only ever had one account with Barclays, an ISA which I opened because of the interest rate. Every single person I dealt with when opening the account, and a year later when closing the account was completely and utterly clueless to the point where it was laughable - I wouldn't use them for anything ever again.
We had a business account with them for a thankfully short while.
I won't go into the boring details, as we have a list several pages long of all their cockups - the best one was that we were only allowed to pay money IN from the branch we had registered with, and even then the cashiers would tell us that they did not know how to do it
Any bank that does not want customer money is not really doing a very good job
Go for a Barclays Premier account if you have the funds. Your own personal account manager with direct line, a 24hr support team (UK based), no fees on overdraft of at least 1000GBP.
I've been with them a couple of years now and i can't fault them. The only minor mishap i had was trying to purchase a car and they had moved the money to a different account but they had a 15K overdraft installed (no cost) within 5 minutes to cover it.
10/10 from me.
I've been with them a couple of years now and i can't fault them. The only minor mishap i had was trying to purchase a car and they had moved the money to a different account but they had a 15K overdraft installed (no cost) within 5 minutes to cover it.
10/10 from me.
nationwide
had a £300 overdraft facility when first joined, then got a call about salary snafu so went to the brighton branch as was working there at the time, got it upped to max overdraft, over £1500, but not used it so far
free online banking and easy to swap money in accounts online, no annual fees, been with them several years
currently leaving Eon energy for equipower/gas, seems my dual account lost the ability to look at the gas figures, so it was my fault and had to make a new account for gas, this I did and took the elec with it. Got offer of direct debit discount of 9% that they did not think it worth offering me before
had a £300 overdraft facility when first joined, then got a call about salary snafu so went to the brighton branch as was working there at the time, got it upped to max overdraft, over £1500, but not used it so far
free online banking and easy to swap money in accounts online, no annual fees, been with them several years
currently leaving Eon energy for equipower/gas, seems my dual account lost the ability to look at the gas figures, so it was my fault and had to make a new account for gas, this I did and took the elec with it. Got offer of direct debit discount of 9% that they did not think it worth offering me before
Stigmundfreud said:
How about going somewhere that is only answerable to its members? I've just moved everything over to Nationwide after being fed up being penalised by Halifax for not putting in 1k a month to the current account despite having a over a ton in savings with them
I have savings accounts and an ISA with Nationwide.... whilst they might tick some of the boxes, their counter service (certainly in my area) is truly woeful. I have visited at various times of the day/week, and have always had to wait at least twenty minutes for service.Interesting about Barclays.... I do have a current account with them ( I opened one a couple of years ago, purely to pay into, as I was DJ'ing, and being paid by some venues in cash - and Barclays had a branch two minutes walk from home, and it was easy for Mrs Meeja to pay into that account for me after taking Meeja Jnr to school) Have never had any issues with them - although it is purely an account that has cash and cheques paid in, then cash moved into other banks (HSBC) and occasionally bills paid. No direct debits, No standing orders, and no overdraft facility. (HAven't even got an ATM card for that account)
I did think A while back about making that account my main account........ maybe time for a chat at the branch about adding an overdraft facility to it etc.
thainy77 said:
Go for a Barclays Premier account if you have the funds. Your own personal account manager with direct line, a 24hr support team (UK based), no fees on overdraft of at least 1000GBP.
I've been with them a couple of years now and i can't fault them. The only minor mishap i had was trying to purchase a car and they had moved the money to a different account but they had a 15K overdraft installed (no cost) within 5 minutes to cover it.
10/10 from me.
What he said, one problem I had was when they sent a new debit card to a really old address of mine which they sorted ASAP. I've been with them a couple of years now and i can't fault them. The only minor mishap i had was trying to purchase a car and they had moved the money to a different account but they had a 15K overdraft installed (no cost) within 5 minutes to cover it.
10/10 from me.
I have a joint account at Lloyds but wouldn't go to them again if I was choosing again. The Mrs banks with Natwest and having a Maestro card is about as much use as a chocolate teapot, fine it's improved since Mastercard took over switch but the card is still nigh on useless outside the UK and select European countries.
Meeja said:
20 minutes of hanging on to the call centre speaking to someone whom did not have English as their first language got me nowhere
A Call Centre operative in the UK is paid £8.20 per hour.In India a Call Centre Operative is paid £7.60 per month.
That is why all our call centres are in Bombay and Calcutta.
At HSBC, we never underestimate the importance of local knowledge
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