Recommend a bank account

roger_c

Surely if you can't go with Smile you can't go with Co-op either as they own smile? Maybe I'm wrong though.

Caped_Avenger

Oh, and in reply to the OP, i wouldn't bother with HSBC if you're suing fd.

dchurch24

Yeah, their respective parent companies are who you say they are, but they are seperate registered companies, so it's not a problem.

e.g. HFC is owned by HSBC, yet I still got a FD account.
=

tparkin

I am just in the process of transferring my current account to A&L after 22 years with HSBC. A £125 charge for exceeding our O/D limit was the final straw, particularly as it was the result of a genuine error - we had recently converted our other current account into a joint account, and then paid some money into the wrong one!

A&L's account is attractive to us for it's 12mth free O/D - we have one which we are aiming to clear by the end of the year, and interest charges had reached circa £20/month with HSBC.

Experience to date with A&L is good - after applying online, which was quick and easy, I decided that I wanted to change the type of account and take advantage of the linked 10% regular savings account. I rang them on New Years Eve and they were very helpful at sorting this out, albeit they had to cancel my application and I had to reapply online. Within 1/2 hour I had an email confirming that my account application has been accepted.

The telling bit will be to see how well they transfer the direct debits and standing orders from HSBC - I'll let you know how I get on.

ffym

dchurch24 wrote:

Hi,

I am just about to start suing First Direct over the issue of punitive charges and now need another bank account (preferably a bog standard account - no O/D etc...)

I cannot use:

Abbey
HFC
Barclays
Smile
or
First Direct

due to the successfull legal action I have taken against them in the past (and future in the case of First Direct).

It's a shame about FD, as the customer service was excellent.

I'm not too bothered about interest paid, just customer service.

I have tried to get a basic account with Nationwide, but it was such a nightmare I decided against it on the grounds that it was indicative of their customer service.

So, can anyone recommend a bank (sans the above listed) that has excellent customer service?

Thanks in advance.

Sorry to ask (may be a bit thick here), I can quite understand if you have taken action against these "banks" and therefore don't want too use any of them - are you saying that you cannot (ie are forbidden in law) from future dealings with them?
I don't want to pry but this thread got me thinking.

Btw I use Nationwide and Nat West - found both great, except Nationwide current acc has paid me more interest in one year than I would get in twenty from Nat West (both have given me free overdrafts)!

berneslai

Like the post above, are you closing your accounts down because you don't want to deal with these companies any more or is this a by-product of the legal action? I'm in a situation where I plan to sue A&L, but would like to know if it's worthwhile opening another current account now.

dchurch24

It's entirely my choice - I choose not to bank with banks that insist upon these types of charges (invariably I will sue for recovery if they don't give the money back when asked nicely).
ALL banks have these charges, and due to the nature of my pay/income irregularities etc... I always end up with charges - I don't fit the pay on the nth of the month mold, yet to change a DD takes over 4 weeks!

So, if a bank does charge me, then I'll ask for it back - if I get it back fine. If I don't then I sue, then change banks again.
[Preemptive] Before anyone starts spouting about how I shouldn't get charges and how I should take responsibility for my own financial actions etc..., I shouldn't be forced into a 'pay on the same day of the month' job, just because of banks inadequecies.

So, no - I don't think that a court would look too kindly on a bank for insisting that your account is closed because you caught them breaking the law.

I probably could go back to some of those banks for a bank account, but I don't want to deal with thieves, and yet am forced to have a bank account because I cannot choose how I get paid - that is my employers choice.

YorkshireBoy

dchurch24 wrote:

...and yet am forced to have a bank account because I cannot choose how I get paid - that is my employers choice.

dchurch24, this is the second time recently (that I've seen) that you've made this statement. I've pointed out to you before, and will again now, that this is simply not true. You can request that your employer pays your salary into a building society account. You do not *have* to have a bank account.

You told me in a previous reply that you only have one DD (for your mortgage I believe) leaving your bank account. The answer to your troubles is to ask your employers to pay your salary into your building society account and pay your mortgage by manual/other means.

Then, if you don't get paid, you don't eat. Only then, it seems, will you direct your anger towards the real villains in all of this - your employers and their payroll department.

Something else I noted you said recently was "I don't trust myself not to spend money I don't have". With a building society account, the temptation won't be there.

Problem solved - no more fees, no more litigation. Who knows?, you might even find a more relaxing hobby than the one you seem so pre-occupied with at the moment.

Finally, if you can work up so much venom for the banks, just imagine how petrified your payroll department will be when you go and tell them that your kids are hungry!

dchurch24

I'm not sure why you think that Building Soc.'s don't make the same charges as banks - they do.

Both Yorkshire and Nationwide have these charges too.

Also, my mortgage company insist upon payment by DD.

The way I get paid is erattic - that is the nature of my work - not a fault of my employer - however, bank charges are not enforcable, therefore I can direct my venom at the 'true villians', and indeed am already doing so.

Caped_Avenger

dchurch24 wrote:

[Preemptive] Before anyone starts spouting about how I shouldn't get charges and how I should take responsibility for my own financial actions etc..., I shouldn't be forced into a 'pay on the same day of the month' job, just because of banks inadequecies.

It's your inadequecy that you're spending money that you haven't yet been paid, not the bank.

One of the first principles of finance is that one shouldn't anticipate credits, but should anticipate debits. If you were sensible enough to do this, you'd be able to out your time to better use than suing banks left, right and centre, which seems to be considerably narrowing the range of banks which you are now able to apply for.

I've not seen where YorkshireBoy got that "I don't trust myself not to spend money I don't have" quote from, but if it's true, it makes a complete mockery of your petty lawsuits. It proves that the one and only problem here is your financial discipline (or lack thereof).

Oh, and i'll "spout" all i want (unless some board moderator takes umbrage to it) about how you should be more resposible, given all the spouting i've seen from you about how the solution to anyone's problems with a bank is the litigious solution.