A&L Direct ISA Issue 4 *hassles*

wolds_lady

After reading various positives about the A&L Direct Isa 4, we decided as a family that we would apply. (This was April 2008)

4 of us applied on-line and after 4 weeks, we recieved letters requesting copy of passport and ID. We returned these straight away. On these forms we put the details of our former ISA provider, as we were going to transfer in.

To-date only 1 account has actually been opened and old ISA transferred!!

We have tried endlessly to contact A&L but they obviously have the worst call centre imaginable. The one indian lady picks up the phone eventually but never handles the call efficiently.

2 of us was told that we didnt meet the id criteria, so applications had been cancelled?? A&L never informed us of this, evenm to this day!

Me, I was told my application was lost, as I couldnt provide the lady with my account number??? I had never had any paperwork even informing me of this? I tried giving her my name and postcode but she told me, with the backlog of applications, she couldnt find me. She mentioned that if i really wanted to open an account urgently without the delays, then i would be better going into one of the branches and doing it there..

Reluctantly, i did this. They took all the ID from me, photocopied it, took my cheque for £3600 off me and my transfer details. I was told that my account would be opened and i would here from A&L in the not so distant future!

To-date, I have heard nothing - again!

I contacted the ill-fated customer services and was told no account existed for me. I was told to go back to the branch.

I did this and very angrily told the manager what the call centre had told me. He was amazed. He said everything was sent off to them, all copies, and that they must have processed it, as the cheque had cleared. He contacted them (usual 0870 number) and they found the application but told him the id was missing from it. He said he'd sent the application complete! They argueed before he asked me to bring in my passport again and he would send it off to them... that was 3 weeks ago!!! deja vu...mmmmmm

Problem now is, the rate has dropped from what they offered back in April and they arent as attractive as some of the competition.

Just hope I get the original rate, as it wasnt my fault!

Just be aware that their customer service dept is handled by 1 person whom has given me and my family the impression she doesnt know what she is talking about!!!

We should all have just put our years allowance into our existing ISA's and we wouldnt have had the hassles nor the lost interest!!

If you too haven't heard from A&L, come and join the party! - Not!

A very unhappy A&L customer:mad:

obsessed_saver

Sorry to hear of your troubles. Hope it gets sorted out soon.

Oblivion

Yes, been there and not done that with A&L because they simply refused to accept that the wife and I existed when we tried to open new ISA accounts, despite the fact that we already had other savings accounts open with them. :mad:

We eventually gave up in disgust and I have since taken all our savings out of A&L and deposited it elsewhere. Biggest wunch of bankers on the planet.

Dave.

wolds_lady

:mad:

Me thinks ur right too...

Should have just left my money where it was - under the mattress lol

Oblivion

wolds_lady wrote: »

:mad:

Me thinks ur right too...

Should have just left my money where it was - under the mattress lol

An old saying from my naughty but nice granny, long since departed, comes to mind. "There's far more interest in what happens on top of a mattress than is ever earned from what's left under it." I think she had a point .

Dave.

FiscalFanny

Don't get me started on A&L.

In my 10 years of customer service at director level I have never come across such incompetent customer service that I have received from A&L.

After 4 unreturned calls, 3 lots of wrong information, hanging on for 20 minutes 4 times on premium rate phone lines, staff that put the phone down on me when I asked to speak to the person in charge of the call centre at that moment, lost ISA allowance foir last tax year because of their "system blip", a complaint letter that took over 3 months to reply to and two letters full of spelling and grammar mistakes...I am expected to believe this is a top professional financial company.

I am frankly appalled.

I am calling the Ombudsman tomorrow to see if their compensation is a fair offer, because I think it is paltry and done purely in their own interests.

I was attracted by them being the best rate at the time but I refuse to put any further money in there (for fear of them cocking up transfers yet again) and when my 1% bonus is up I'm voting with my feet.

My personal opinion based on very solid facts - steer clear of A&L if you don't want any hassles, incompetence and lost interest.

Fanny