first direct - paying in cheques...

Thanks for the useful tip, timswf.

SAEs are certainly useful when people live too far away to visit an HSBC branch to make deposits over-the-counter or via ATM - or are too busy to visit.

Re. ATM card replacement, a family member received one for the First Direct cheque account not via post but via courier. Anyone here still getting their's postally?

davidcampbell wrote:

however it may be somethign to do with royal mails "hot postcodes" list. anywhere that has a postcode with (in royal mails view) a high chance of something adverse happening to the mail, is "hot" and generally some banks will send cards for addresses on this list by courier.

1 possible explanation?

And it's the right one.

realaledrinker wrote:

Surely that's the bank's hot list. The Royal Mail aren't going to advertise the fact that light fingered posties work for them in certain parts of the country, are they?

yeah i didnt explain what i meant very well

what al mac said


DC

I worked for Midland Bank (now HSBC) a few years ago and whilst I was there, the bank introduced a system whereby cards and PINs destined for "hot" addresses would be diverted to the branch and a letter sent to the address informing the customer. We had a sub-branch at the local University and any cards or PINs addressed to the Halls of Residence came to branch. Apparently, the communal post boxes made theiving really easy!

ED wrote:

Curiously, my family member was not invited to go to an HSBC branch to fetch the replacement card - perhaps because it was from First Direct, rather than HSBC itself...?

Anyone here know some 'hot' areas of the UK where theft-in-the-post is thought to be rife?

As much as fd are part of the HSBC group, they still have different procedures. fd try to get cards out postally as much as possible, and tend to avoid delivering to branches.

Hot areas are generally where you'd expect them to be: most of London, Birmingham, Manchester (not Leeds, curiously), Bradford... Specific postcodes will vary according to different companies, but they're some of the ones that will be on most lists.