Which bank for a current account
Discussion
Ok, so I'm sick of being treated like a criminal by Natwest every time I want to anything other than use a cashpoint they just find a reason not to let me do it. Banked with them for 20+ years , lots of money in the account Im just sick of them.
So can anyone recommend a good bank or building society for a current account ? I know they are pretty much all the same (crap) but surely there has to be a bank out there that puts customer service first *sigh*
So can anyone recommend a good bank or building society for a current account ? I know they are pretty much all the same (crap) but surely there has to be a bank out there that puts customer service first *sigh*
Many people will say First Direct and I agree, however you do need to qualify for "free" banking I believe. Personally, I have been with the Halifax for 15 years and can`t praise them enough. UK call centres who answer quickly at pretty much anytime of day and, they recently let me off £150 worth of overdraft charges 
. Worth a lot in my book as they actually listened to me prior to waiving them.
. Worth a lot in my book as they actually listened to me prior to waiving them.Another happy FD customer. Left Halifax after my records and statements disappeared from my online banking for the second time.
RobJShe said:
Many people will say First Direct and I agree, however you do need to qualify for "free" banking I believe.
They'll only charge if you pay in less than £1500 a month AND hold no other accounts with them. If you are under, just open a savings account there.bigdods said:
Ok, so I'm sick of being treated like a criminal by Natwest every time I want to anything other than use a cashpoint they just find a reason not to let me do it. Banked with them for 20+ years , lots of money in the account Im just sick of them.
Ha funny you should say thatI forgot my internet banking passwords blah blah blah... I instructed that they sent me new ones. They sent me a bit of paper tha tI had to fill in and sign. They sent it me back saying it doesnt match my signature and had to go into the bank to get it verified... grrrrrrrrrrrr
HSBC were s
t too when I was with them...I wanted to increase my overdraft they told me I had to go to my home branch in Norwich to increase it, they couldnt do it in the Swansea Branch, or over the phone. I said that Norwich was over 200 miles away and didnt even live there anymore and she seemed quite unconcerned about this. SO I rang up and they said they couldnt do it there and I could go to any branch. So went back into the Swansea branch and they still said they couldnt do it. I said I would pay off the overdraft after my pay day and close the account, she seemed very unconcered and said I couldnt only do it in my home branch... WTF....
The next time I went up to my mothers in Norwich I went in to close my account as promised. They aske dthe reason, they said it was a load of b
ks and that they could increase it if I wanted to regardless of which branch I went in to... I told em that Swansea had fked it and closed it...I then opened Natwest... Problems since...
I need a new one too...
HSBC have always been (reasonably) ok with me - and they've just changed my account to a PLUS one for free (12 months) after I had a bit of a whinge about interest rates on the current account, so now I get 8% on balances up to a grand, and 2.5% on anything over that, which is nice (it won't have much more than a grand in normally, ither than between payday and 1st of the month).
sjg said:
Another happy FD customer. Left Halifax after my records and statements disappeared from my online banking for the second time.
+1RobJShe said:
Many people will say First Direct and I agree, however you do need to qualify for "free" banking I believe.
They'll only charge if you pay in less than £1500 a month AND hold no other accounts with them. If you are under, just open a savings account there.I've been with them since they started......can't recommend them enough
I'm also interested in moving from Natwest after 28 years. What bank are First Direct part of?
FD are just an internet bank, yes? What happens if you need, for example, £3k in cash to buy a car, how do you get it quickly?
What happens if you want to pay £3k in cash into the account?
FD are just an internet bank, yes? What happens if you need, for example, £3k in cash to buy a car, how do you get it quickly?
What happens if you want to pay £3k in cash into the account?
Edited by cjs on Friday 1st August 07:49
Edited by cjs on Friday 1st August 07:50
I have a business account, savings account and two personal accounts with Lloyds - they have been excellent all the time, never really had a problem.
The branch staff are always available to help people and they responded very swiftly to the one issue we had with the business account some time back.
The branch staff are always available to help people and they responded very swiftly to the one issue we had with the business account some time back.
I've just moved to First Direct from Lloyds TSB. Have previously been with Natwest, Barclays and Halifax.
First Direct so far is best - spot on customer service that I cannot fault. Phone answered promptly, always an English speaking person based in our own country to speak to who doesn't have to keep referring you to different departments or supervisors.
No real complaints with Lloyds TSB either, but FD offered me £200 to change to them and as I was considering it anyway I took it.
Natwest were, IME, OK but not great. Barclays and Halifax weren't so good.
First Direct so far is best - spot on customer service that I cannot fault. Phone answered promptly, always an English speaking person based in our own country to speak to who doesn't have to keep referring you to different departments or supervisors.
No real complaints with Lloyds TSB either, but FD offered me £200 to change to them and as I was considering it anyway I took it.
Natwest were, IME, OK but not great. Barclays and Halifax weren't so good.
SGirl said:
FD are part of HSBC bank. If you need to pay in cash, you just take it to an HSBC branch and pay it in over the counter. If you need to take it out, you just phone them and tell them you need to take out the cash, then go to an HSBC branch and fill in the relevant paperwork IIRC...
I can also add.....Personal loans done over the phone, Independent financial advice, also done over the phone, foreign currency call them up and it's delivered by courier the next day......
bigdods said:
lots of money in the account
Risking getting shot down by financial boffins here but if you do have lots of funds - and a mortgage - then maybe you should consider one of the offsetting current accounts like Intelligent Finance or Virgin One?I've been with IF for four years and have been quite happy with the contact the few times I've needed it.
I won't even shop in theirs stores either now.
Bellco.
I'm only in there once every six months, and they still recognise me. They seem to treat people who actually have a positive balance and want to use their facilities like real people whose custom they value, rather than a member of the public to be fobbed off or ignored.
Only problem, I can't see them having a branch near you...
I'm only in there once every six months, and they still recognise me. They seem to treat people who actually have a positive balance and want to use their facilities like real people whose custom they value, rather than a member of the public to be fobbed off or ignored.
Only problem, I can't see them having a branch near you...
HSBC have always been good to me. I've been with them since I was a kid, and really took the piss with my overdrafts etc when I was a student. Got my mortgage with them now and my current/saving accounts and have no problems with their service. I was able to do an internet transfer of 14k for a private sale (10k max, so 2 payments one after the other), and put 20k on my switch card at a bmw dealer - scary seeing that much money 'clear' without even a question!
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