First Direct not paying £100 incentive..grrrrr

dbartlett · 20 June 2008 at 2:46PM

Anyone else got views on this...
I have paid an income (not salary) of £1,500 into my newly opened First Direct Account for 3 months. I did not get my £100 incentive to switch. I called them and they said that a payment into the account does not count as salary/income. Surely income is income!! The terms and conditions merely state that a salary/income should be paid in for three months after opening. link here http://www.firstdirect.com/1st-account/overview.shtml?WT.ac=BA0236

Should I push this further and demand the £100?

quinlanmd · 20 June 2008 at 3:13PM

Take it down the complaint route. I'd estimate a better than 90% chance you'll get your £100 for the cost of a stamp and time spent on a short, to-the-point letter.

YorkshireBoy · 20 June 2008 at 4:15PM

The T&C's say...

...transfer your full* salary/income, of at least* £1500, within three months and we'll add £100 to your account.

Their systems can tell the source of your funds, and the transaction type.

Salary/benefit payments normally come by BACS Direct Credit. If you've been sending BACS Transfers, ie from another account, then they will know (when they delve into the detail of your account operation to investigate your complaint).

I managed to bag my £100 incentive by making an initial BACS Transfer, but I had the foresight to make the value the same as my real income (not exactly £1,500 as you appear to have done which, after all, kind of draws attention to what you're trying to do

). I also then switched my salary just in case the BACS Transfer didn't trigger the payment.

You can lodge a complaint, but if all you've done for the last 3 months is send exactly £1,500 (and then shipped it straight back out again) I wouldn't hold out much hope of them paying out.

* My emboldening

Dagobert · 20 June 2008 at 5:22PM

A friend of mine got a £50 switching incentive offer last year, no min. salaray specified at the time.

His company made a smallish payment every month (by BACS). He withdrew the money immediately every month.

FirstDirect refused to pay out. However, after several complaints enclosing copies of their promotional mailer demonstrating that he had stuck to the T&Cs of the offer they paid him. This process took a few months.

bitsnbytes · 23 June 2008 at 3:30PM

Hi YorkshireBoy, what if you're self employed and get paid by cheque? My wife currently gets around £700 - £900 every month. She is self employed. Do you think they would payout if I transfer the remaining from my account?

johnmoney05 · 23 June 2008 at 4:18PM

I opened my 1st direct account in Feb. Just by transferring exactly £1,500 from my Halifax High interest current account using BACS. In April, they credited £100 incentive into my account. I didn't even deposit any money during March...in fact, that £1,500 was the only deposit I made and my account has been overdrafted £250 all the time.

YorkshireBoy · 23 June 2008 at 4:25PM

fmervin wrote: »

what if you're self employed and get paid by cheque?

I assume that would be OK, providing it was verifiable...but see below.

My wife currently gets around £700 - £900 every month. She is self employed. Do you think they would payout if I transfer the remaining from my account?

The application form asks for employment status, and annual gross income/bonus.

Presumably she would have to lie about her income, ie she would have to double it!!!! I wouldn't do that, for fear of getting a CIFAS marker on my credit file.

First Direct not paying £100 incentive..grrrrr

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