Tesco internet saver / card reader

TomsMom

asd030 wrote: »

But the Internet Account card is plain black with no writing, Tesco logo or signature strip. So it could easily be forgotten what it is for.

Yes, as Speculator said in post #13! Tesco has recently changed the style of it's card. His is an old one like mine, his wife's is the new style so those of us with the old one wouldn't have known about the change.

asking04

Got an account opened today after 2 half weeks. To make instant paymets to outside accounts I ordered a card reader but today was also offered instant phone transfer to any another bank or organiztion. I phoed the help number for this.

dwileflunker

When I spoke to Tesco they gave me all the spiel about they make security their main aim and the card reader was extremely important to ensure this and then in the next breath they agreed to do the transfer for me over the phone. I think they've got themselves in one heck of a muddle and don't really know how to get out of it. Security is very important but it's got to be manageable. I'm still waiting for my cardreader although my card has arrived (the blue one).

stamfordblue

My account was opened a while back (towards end of October) but still waiting for Card Reader.
Got all the rest of the stuff needed.
Card and PIN came this week.
Long winded process to get it all though!

Some useful info is that Tesco have signed up to the Fast Payment scheme.
If your bank has as well and you transfer money it will be probably be done the same day.

I'm with LloydsTSB and if you transfer from LloydsTSB to Tesco you have to phone up Phonebank to get the fast service.

Found that out tonight.
Bit annoying, as I'd done an online transfer yesterday, which hasn't arrived in Tesco a/c yet!

Dingsking

I've received the ML email for sometime and used his website on many occasions to get good finacial advise. I've now joined this forum because, having followed Martin's advise I opened a Tesco online instant access account, and I want to vent my experience. It's taken over three weeks to happen, there have been problems at every step and even now with my card and reader I've been logged off and I'm expected to reregister. I've phoned their security section as advertised in their correspondense and they tell me I have to talk to customer services. The website states customer services are available 24/365, but the man told me they had closed at 10pm. Call in the morning. I need access to my money pronto but can't get it. The contact numbers cost 4p per minute and are slow to answer. This is an apallingly managed savings account and I advocate no-one invests their money with Tesco. It would be good when Martin makes account recommendations to maybe do a little digging about management efficiency of such accounts and not simply recommend on the basis of what interest is offered. I intend to withdraw and close the account as soon as possible subject to the rediculous inefficiency and burocracy this account presents.

A total nightmare. I'm very angry!

MSE_Martin

Dingsking wrote: »

I've received the ML email for sometime and used his website on many occasions to get good finacial advise. I've now joined this forum because, having followed Martin's advise I opened a Tesco online instant access account, and I want to vent my experience. It's taken over three weeks to happen, there have been problems at every step and even now with my card and reader I've been logged off and I'm expected to reregister. I've phoned their security section as advertised in their correspondense and they tell me I have to talk to customer services. The website states customer services are available 24/365, but the man told me they had closed at 10pm. Call in the morning. I need access to my money pronto but can't get it. The contact numbers cost 4p per minute and are slow to answer. This is an apallingly managed savings account and I advocate no-one invests their money with Tesco. It would be good when Martin makes account recommendations to maybe do a little digging about management efficiency of such accounts and not simply recommend on the basis of what interest is offered. I intend to withdraw and close the account as soon as possible subject to the rediculous inefficiency and burocracy this account presents.

A total nightmare. I'm very angry!

Sorry to read your bad experience. Yet I think its slightly unfair to do a read across the entire system. There are no banks or broadband providers or airlines for whom someone or even quite a few people have a nightmare experience.

In this case Im sorry to hear you had such a bad one. The site policy as I've written many times, is to go on rate and product, unless the customer service is so bad that the product is unworkable. There are many sites which look at customer service, ease of use, but this site is about the finances and that is always the primary concern.

The majority of feedback I've had on this Tesco deal has been good. Yet with so many people going to a product from the site (and way more than Tesco expected) I have to look at the big picture and say some people are giong to have a bad experience.

It's very difficult to override this - and I'm sorry it happens - but I still don't feel that means this was a deal that I shouldn't have told people about

Kind regards

Martin

Tibbledom

Your comments Dingsking are unfair.

I found out about the Tesco deal from the top instant access savings article on MSE . There was a clear link from this article to the Tesco Discussion Form set up by MSE Dan. This was very useful as it was an immediate source of relevant experience on the account, and contained some really useful balanced posts by the likes of Isofa together with information on problems that were being experienced.

I am really pleased I opened the account despite it being a very long tortuous process; I now have a high interest paying account, tesco card points and the option to move money out at short notice through Faster Payments. At the same time there are others who are still experiencing difficulties (e.g. waiting for the card and card reader) and I sympathise with them. But our own experience is irrelevant, because the fact that the Tesco discussion forum was so clearly linked to from the main article meant that we could all make up our own informed decisions on whether to open the account.

If the Tesco offer had not been highlighted on MSE I would have certainly have missed out on this one.

soulsaver

YorkshireBoy wrote: »

Unless Tesco have changed their policy very recently, these are incorrect assumptions because you can make a withdrawal via telephone.

Your assumption that my statement is an assumption is incorrect. Tesco customer service told me, and I'm not the first on here to report it.
Of course that doesn't make it correct... that IS just an assumption.

mrylandb

I think we have to ask ourselves why we opened up the account?
I opened up mine for the clubcard points, pure and simple - the account could be paying 2% interest and I would have still opened one up. The 1000 points = £40 of vouchers which will be going towards a nice holiday in 18 months time. This reward vastly outweighs any interest I would earn on £3000.

It has been a long drawn process, but I don't need the money at the moment - it is savings account after all. Any money I need in an emergency I keep in a linked account with A&L which I can access in a matter of seconds.

After my experiences with Icesave, this has been relatively smooth.

soulsaver

YorkshireBoy wrote: »

Yes, one click on their website initiates delivery of card reader, card, and PIN.

Good question, Trashcan. I don't know what they were thinking of... they missed an opportunity there to add another level of complexity.

Here is some of advice for Tesco:When people initially apply, include in their application pack astatement of what the process is to open the account. They can tick off each bit as they get it - include that you'll require a card reader to access your funds, and there'll be a wait depending on the take up rate. In the meantime you'll be able to acess your account by phone.
Then people can send £10 (say) as their initial deposit, rather than a significant sum that they'll need to access in the short term.
How difficult would that have been?
They have plenty of access to their own Joe Public on tills and stacking - do they not test the reaction to the process before they hit the 'go' button?