Goodbye HSBC, hello First Direct...?

[Podie]

I've been with HSBC for about twenty years (Midland Bank back in the day!) and have recently become a little disenchanted with the service.

First Direct seems to score very highly in all the banking surveys, but I'm aware that it's part of the HSBC group.

Has anyone else made this move? Is it a case of better the devil you know, or is the grass really greener on the other side?

TIA

[DJC]

Can't speak for HSBC (Apart from their shoddy local branch) but I've been with First Direct for 4 years and am very happy with them, as are everyone I have spoken to who banks with them.

[SGirl]

I have business accounts with HSBC and personal accounts with First Direct. First Direct are excellent! You can phone them any time and they'll do what you need them to do. (I have been known to remember to pay bills in the middle of the night, and there's always someone there to help.)

I'd definitely recommend First Direct. Although I've never had any trouble with HSBC Business either - quite the opposite, actually. They're very good too, don't know what they're like in terms of personal banking though.

[Fatman2]

^^ +1

I also have an HSBC business and FD personal account.

Whilst the HSBC have not been a problem from a business side of things my experience with them was pretty poor when having to use them as a front end to FD i.e. paying in cheques etc.

FD on the other hand have been faultless throughout the 10+ years I've been with them. In that time I've taken out loans, a mortgage, insurance and credit cards. The've recovered money for me and dealt with foreign cheque transactions. Never once have I had even a whiff of a problem. In my experience professionalism doesn't get any better.

I think you've made the right decision.

[Podie]

I have HSBC personal and business accounts - never had an issue with the business side, but had a number of frustrations in the last year with the personal side.

I have little call for the business stuff these days, although the Internet Banking side works fairly well.

What's currently going through my mind is:

1) Are First Direct UK based call centres?
2) Anyone have any experience with their anti-fraud stuff (HSBC have been over zealous, leaving me stranded a couple of times)
3) What's the Internet Banking experience like?

Cheers all.

[Ian1976]

FD use UK based call centers. This was one my main reasons for switching to them.

I like the fact when you call them you are straight through to a real person. No daft menus to listen to or number selections to be made.

[Podie]

Cool, thanks.

Just been looking at their website, and their internet banking stuff.

Might give 'em a call... think I may have made my decision.

[anonymous-user]

Podie said:

I've been with HSBC for about twenty years (Midland Bank back in the day!) and have recently become a little disenchanted with the service.

First Direct seems to score very highly in all the banking surveys, but I'm aware that it's part of the HSBC group.

Has anyone else made this move? Is it a case of better the devil you know, or is the grass really greener on the other side?

TIA

I have an HSBC premier account and I can honestly say the standard of service I had with a basic First Direct account is infinitely better than that which i now receive with HSBC.

[zcacogp]

Podie,

First Direct - you won't regret it. Been with them for 13 years and it's all (yes, ALL) good.


Oli.

[Podie]

Just had a chat with the nice lady on the end of the phone at FD.

Impressive. Like the sounds of this lot, so I'm going to take a punt after payday (their advice, to minimise distruption).

Tidy. Thanks all.



Right, credit card next...

[ScoobyDood]

SGirl said:

I have business accounts with HSBC and personal accounts with First Direct.

Me too and have had no issue with either. Moved to FD back in '96 when I worked for a while in NZ and needed middle of the UK night access to banking (before the advent of internet banking). They were superb.

[Bill Carr]

Podie said:

Right, credit card next...

When I switched to FD, they offered me their "Gold" card which features 20 months 0% on balance transfers. Which would have been rude not to.

[Fatman2]

What I do not understand for the life of me is how come FD's service culture/philosophy has not been emulated by any other business that I've come across.

With FD it's simple. You ring up and speak to someone sensible that either knows their stuff or refers you to someone further up the chain if not. Things get done. Your requests get actioned and your finances are dealt with in a fuss free manner with no frustrations whatsoever.

This has happened consistently over 10+ years with me.

Surely FD aren't employing the cream of the UK's banking staff and if not how does everyone else get it so catastrophically wrong in every other industry

[marcosgt]

I was a Midland Bank customer from my 17th year (err - 33 ago!) and switched to FD back in the mid 90s.

Never had any reason to think of moving away from them.

Nowadays I tend to do all my banking online, but I always found their telephone service helpful, prompt and comprehensible (not true of all call centres!) and no stupid automatic system to get to your 'prefered option' - You just get some helpful human being who speaks English.

Why don't other companies do this? Because they're run by short-sighted idiots who thank that saving a million pound this year will make them a better business over the next 10...

M

[SGirl]

Podie said:

1) Are First Direct UK based call centres?

Yup. And very nice people, on the whole. If you work alone and you need a chat, just find a reason to ring FD and talk to one of their lovely Scottish ladies.

Podie said:

2) Anyone have any experience with their anti-fraud stuff (HSBC have been over zealous, leaving me stranded a couple of times)

They're generally pretty good. They have an automatic card blocking thing if you make lots of unusual transactions in one day, or if you try to use the card twice to fill up your car (i.e. when you can't fill the tank on a single "allowance"), but all you have to do is phone them while you're standing in the shop and they'll remove the block there and then for you. Or you can go to an ATM and remove the block there. They'll also phone you if there's lots of unusual activity, just to check that you still have your card in your possession and can vouch for the transactions.

Podie said:

3) What's the Internet Banking experience like?

Excellent. Quick, easy to understand, and you can always phone them up and get them to help if you get stuck.

[ScoobyDood]

SGirl said:

Podie said:

1) Are First Direct UK based call centres?

Yup. And very nice people, on the whole. If you work alone and you need a chat, just find a reason to ring FD and talk to one of their lovely Scottish ladies.

Many of the Scottish ladies do not actually work in a call-centre - They all work from home and are provided with all the necessary kit by FD. I make a point every Christmas Day of calling them up and passing on the Season's greetings.

[Podie]

ScoobyDood said:

SGirl said:

Podie said:

1) Are First Direct UK based call centres?

Yup. And very nice people, on the whole. If you work alone and you need a chat, just find a reason to ring FD and talk to one of their lovely Scottish ladies.

Many of the Scottish ladies do not actually work in a call-centre - They all work from home and are provided with all the necessary kit by FD. I make a point every Christmas Day of calling them up and passing on the Season's greetings.

[Porkbrain]

Podie said:

Just had a chat with the nice lady on the end of the phone at FD.

Impressive. Like the sounds of this lot, so I'm going to take a punt after payday (their advice, to minimise distruption).
:

Couple of questions Podie.

Did they state how long it would take to shift all the current direct debits, and income sources from your current bank to First Direct?
Also, do they do everything or do you have to notify your current bank etc.?

I've been with RBS for 22 years, as I used to work for them, but they have to sell all their English branches and customers' accounts to Santander this year.
I've been hanging on a while but got a letter from them yesterday to say that preparations for the transfer are underway.

Having seen lots of complaints about Santander I don't want them screwing me about.
Don't think I've ever seen a negative comment re FD, must be worth switching to them.

[Podie]

Porkbrain said:

Podie said:

Just had a chat with the nice lady on the end of the phone at FD.

Impressive. Like the sounds of this lot, so I'm going to take a punt after payday (their advice, to minimise distruption).
:

Couple of questions Podie.

Did they state how long it would take to shift all the current direct debits, and income sources from your current bank to First Direct?
Also, do they do everything or do you have to notify your current bank etc.?

I've been with RBS for 22 years, as I used to work for them, but they have to sell all their English branches and customers' accounts to Santander this year.
I've been hanging on a while but got a letter from them yesterday to say that preparations for the transfer are underway.

Having seen lots of complaints about Santander I don't want them screwing me about.
Don't think I've ever seen a negative comment re FD, must be worth switching to them.

They suggested upto 20 days, but that seems pretty typical having read up on things.

I've decided to give FD a go. If you go via MoneySavingExpert, there is a £125 bonus for doing so.

FD reckon they can replicate everything I have with HSBC - the account structure and the credit card.

They'll do all the DDs and SOs, but I need to advise HR that I want my salary moved from next month - easy enough.

[Porkbrain]

Podie said:

They suggested upto 20 days, but that seems pretty typical having read up on things.

I've decided to give FD a go. If you go via MoneySavingExpert, there is a £125 bonus for doing so.

FD reckon they can replicate everything I have with HSBC - the account structure and the credit card.

They'll do all the DDs and SOs, but I need to advise HR that I want my salary moved from next month - easy enough.

Thanks for that, time for me to get moving on this.