Britannia - second largest BS

Milarky

..uncontactable outside branch opening hours (well after 12pm on Saturday, anyway)

Looks like they are cutting back on staffing outside core hours?

bristolleedsfan

Milarky wrote: »

..uncontactable outside branch opening hours (well after 12pm on Saturday, anyway)

Looks like they are cutting back on staffing outside core hours?

Might be due to Britannia BS having previously "over extended itself" something that Britannia staff posting on here in the recent past have forgot to mention in their apparent desire to stick up for their paymasters

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/50e55f66-b83a-11dd-ac6d-0000779fd18c.html


"The Derbyshire's fate showed that even some mutuals got swept up in the rush for higher returns. The Britannia, Scarborough, Cheshire, Barnsley and Catholic building societies are all being absorbed by others this year after over-extending themselves."

jhp

http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/news/article.html?in_article_id=455396&in_page_id=2

apt

Britannia do man the phone 8am-8pm Monday to Friday which is hardly just branch opening hours. Their hours are similar to most of the larger Building Societies apart from Nationwide. Some open a bit longer on Saturday, but close earlier on Friday. I'd rather they kept saving rates up than increased staff costs at the weekend. I notice they no longer offer new credit cards. Perhaps that's a better sign of retrenchment.

opinions4u

apt wrote: »

I'd rather they kept saving rates up than increased staff costs at the weekend.

I think they are cutting back on both though! Not as if Britannia are exactly active in the best buy tables, and my extra 0.3% 'loyalty' payment is not going to push them in there either.

Poor rates.
Reducing service.
Poorly judged lending.

Not exactly what a building society is meant to be about.

Broadback

A lot of time and effort, therefore money, is being spent at the moment looking at the possibility of a merger/take over with/by the Co-op Bank. Personally I believe the only thing that will stop is if the Government does not enact the legislation to allow it.

apt

Britannia is currently top of one of the Best Buy tables with the Direct Saver Reserve (at least for another week and a half). The two year inflation plus 1.75% bond is a reasonable offer. It allowed savers to renew their fixed rate regular savers at 7.5%. It did offer some reasonable fixed rates at over 6%. So while many Britannia savings accounts are absolute dross they have offered more to savers in recent months - probably because they need the money.

Milarky

apt wrote: »

Britannia.. allowed savers to renew their fixed rate regular savers at 7.5%.

Yes, but I tried phoning them up at lunchtime yesterday because they still haven't contacted me about the maturity of my regular saver - which matures on 7 December. I understand they have offered repeats at this rate to other customers but would liked to have confirmed that it was still available now. Last year's experiences don't need to be repeated but Britannia seem tardy with the information and actioning instructions re. withdrawals &c. So it's "did, did, dob, dob" with them I think...

A lot of time and effort, therefore money, is being spent at the moment looking at the possibility of a merger/take over with/by the Co-op Bank. Personally I believe the only thing that will stop is if the Government does not enact the legislation to allow it.

They have 'promised' a vote by members on this one... unless they 'discover' a sudden deterioration in conditions means they 'have to' ask the FSA for a section 43(5)(b) or whatever - the 'get-out-of-trouble-with-your-own-membership' card..

pattycake

I have a fixed rate one year savings bond which matures on 7 December. I have not heard from the Britannia yet. When I have had similar bonds mature in the past, they have written to me well advance offering a new deal. I was hoping to add to this one and run it again for another year. Fingers crossed for a decent rate.