Visa electron, YUK!

moggins

M00nie, have you done this with any success with Tesco online?

Curry_Queen

I was also a victim of the Halifax switching my card to Electron and then refusing to upgrade to a debit card so I left and opened an account with Lloyds. I had to wait 3 months so they could monitor my account before being given a full Visa Debit card, but it was well worth the wait.

5MINSALONE if you have over £1000 a month going into your account then you'd qualify for a Lloyds Classic Plus account which pays a much better rate of interest on credit balances (around 4% I think) and they're also offering a £50 bonus incentive to customers opening an account with them.

They sorted out all my DD transfers and the only problem I encountered was with Carphone Warehouse who claimed not to have received the new mandate and charged me for a an unpaid DD, but Lloyds credited that back to my account as soon as I phoned them and told them about it

5MINSALONE

Thanks Curry_Queen I'm nipping into town tommrow so I will pop in there and find out about it

Erm also should I change my Savings from the Halifax were currently with their Monthly saver. We have over 1000 in there and its a £3000 limit per year(if memory serves me correctly)

Many thanks in advance
Claire x

Paul_Varjak

5MINSALONE wrote:

I'm with the halifax too.

Initially I had a switch account then due to paying in less than £1000 they issued a solo card, Initially I found this solo card a hindrence and then when everywhere started taking it they went with visa electron :mad:

I have been with Halifax for over nine years - all the while on benefits until two months ago. Initially, I had a cardcash account (no chequebook and, I guess, a solo-type card). When I proved to them that I handled money OK they gave me a full bank account with a proper debit card. Later I applied for a credit card (whilst still on benefits) and they gave me that too!

I think loyalty and a well managed account, pays dividends when you are on a meagre income!

Curry_Queen

Paul_Varjak wrote:

I think loyalty and a well managed account, pays dividends when you are on a meagre income!

I had been a loyal customer ... for over 20 years!!!! ... and I'd previously held business accounts with them too. Despite being on benefits the last few years my account was never overdrawn and my finances were well-managed.



Claire, I don't know enough about all the different accounts to be able to advise you about your savings (I've only been looking into that side of things the last couple weeks myself) but from what I know you should be able to keep your Halifax savings account, depending on what type it is, even if you close the current account.

I still have a Websaver account with them despite moving my current account to Lloyds, although I've since transferred most of it to a similar online saver with Lloyds at a slightly better interest rate, I think. I'm still looking at other options and may well move it again though

5MINSALONE

TBH they have left me rather disgruntled at being with them for over 20 years ASWELL

I disagree with:

Paul_Varjak wrote:

I think loyalty and a well managed account, pays dividends when you are on a meagre income!

I have been with this bank / building society since being a nipper, I have grown with them. Yes I am currently on benefits and this has not always been the case. I have only missed one payment on my visa account which was over 3 years ago, and as I have mentioned Halifax have upped my limit twice over the past 6 months due to good management. This is the only blot on my credit report.

Yet thinking with my LOYALTY to the Halifax they would know my history and agree to an upgrade

NOT A SNIFF - they do not care how long you have been with them (no bank does Martin actively discourages staying with a bank purely out of loyalty - hence why I’m gonna move) - also they are in my case anyway happy to charge me interest on my overdraft I am not meant to have with a cardcash account, OFFER me a loan of £7000 with a high interest rate and happily keep me with their credit card (which I have also been given credit cheques with) yet not agree to a current account! :mad:

I will be taking my money elsewhere due to the way I feel I am being penalised and it seems that curry-queen and others have had similar dealings.

I am however happy that you have such a good relationship with the Halifax and wish you all the best however some of us do not.

Curry_Queen wrote:

Claire, I don't know enough about all the different accounts to be able to advise you about your savings (I've only been looking into that side of things the last couple weeks myself) but from what I know you should be able to keep your Halifax savings account, depending on what type it is, even if you close the current account.

Sorry curryqueen I didn’t word that too well. I meant would I be better off moving my savings account aswell interest wise or sticking with the Halifax.

Curry_Queen

5MINSALONE wrote:

Sorry curryqueen I didn’t word that too well. I meant would I be better off moving my savings account aswell interest wise or sticking with the Halifax.

It all depends what rate you're currently getting. You can do a comparison check here to look your options and decide whether it's worth moving your savings too (although if you're as peed off with Halifax as I was then you might not want to keep your money with them anyway )

It's worth bearing in mind if you are in receipt of Child Benefit that Coventry BS offer high interest (7.25%) on their Family 1st account when you have it directly paid in there. Any additional savings you deposit get 5.25% which is also a very good rate

Paul_Varjak

From what many of you say, the attitude of the Halifax is a little surprising.

Some questions you may wish to ask your self are:

1. Have my benefits always been paid directly into the account?
2. Are the amounts paid into my account less than say £500/month?
3. Do I have a poor credit record with Halifax - say several years ago?
4. Do I have a poor credit history elsewhere?
5. Have I checked by credit reference file with Experian/Equifax?
6. What reason did Halifax give me for changing from full account to cardcash account?

Admittedly, it does seem odd providing you with a credit card (with cheques) and offering you a loan of £7,000 but not providing you with a proper bank account.

I suspect that the bank account side may be looking at old records in their posession which other banks and not even Halifax credit cards has access to! Other institutions probably just look at your Experian/Equifax file.

The other interseting thing is that you were once better off in the eyes of the Halifax. When I joined Halifax I was already on benefits - so they never knew anything different about me! Also I am single and my level of benefits was higher because of a disability. I got DLA Mobility component and a premium on Income Support. All were paid by third party credit into the Halifax account.

Other things I do like about Halifax is their website. What I don't like about Halifax are the employees at my local branch. That may be because it is an Estate Agent as well! Also, you can no longer make deposits via the cash machine (since merger with Bank of Scotland).

Tabasco

Surprisingly I found Visa Electron better than Solo. When they first sent me the card, I thought, great, I can use it like a Visa then. Of course it only led to disappointment.

However, slowly and surely more and more shops accept Visa Electron. Boots, Sainsburys petrol stations never accepted Solo but VE is now welcomed and like a couple of posts mentioned, you 'could' use it online claiming that it's a visa card. Even works internationally! So overall, VE is better than Solo.

With regard to Halifax, they are a bit funny with their current account. I had that cashcard account because my finance had much to be desired after university and I needed an account for my salary. Halifax gave me one straight away which I was quite chuffed about at the time but trying to upgrade it to current account was some tasks!

Try Lloyds Classic/Classic Plus current account. They have been quite responsive and helpful on the phone and they are giving away £50!!!

davidcampbell

RobBob wrote:

Does anyone know if Visa Electron cards be used in cash machines overseas?

robbob, yes. need to check out charges but they are accepted in certain places. visa international website has a cash machine locater on it if you input your destination