First Direct

Extant

Rose123 wrote: »

They only call your work place if they think you're dodgy or are unsure about your character.

This is done maybe only about 10% of the TBH with you

This sounds highly unlikely. What benefit would calling the customer's workplace give you if they felt you were "dodgy"? It's not like they ask for a character reference. Confirming you work somewhere doesn't make you any less "dodgy," it simply confirms you work there.

It would be especially pointless considering they've a) undertaken a credit score and fraud checks and b) allow you to provide a statement etc. instead for their needs.

never-in-doubt

BarclaysManager wrote: »

This sounds highly unlikely. What benefit would calling the customer's workplace give you if they felt you were "dodgy"? It's not like they ask for a character reference. Confirming you work somewhere doesn't make you any less "dodgy," it simply confirms you work there.

It would be especially pointless considering they've a) undertaken a credit score and fraud checks and b) allow you to provide a statement etc. instead for their needs.

BM it has been confirmed on an earlier post that they do in fact check employers. One chap was sat with the woman from HR on a training course when she got a call about him or something.

In my case, I work in close protection and trust me, there's more chance of the pope turning proddy than my employers disclosing anything about me! Kinda like 'hello can I speak to N-i-D please' ; 'sorry we cannot assist you, please send any questions in writing with authority from the named person'.

End of. No admittal of employment, no denial of employment.

Extant

never-in-doubt wrote: »

BM it has been confirmed on an earlier post that they do in fact check employers. One chap was sat with the woman from HR on a training course when she got a call about him or something.

In my case, I work in close protection and trust me, there's more chance of the pope turning proddy than my employers disclosing anything about me! Kinda like 'hello can I speak to N-i-D please' ; 'sorry we cannot assist you, please send any questions in writing with authority from the named person'.

End of. No admittal of employment, no denial of employment.

I know they call people, I'm questioning the idea that they do it on the grounds that they feel you're "dodgy."

Whilst you could justify it as a KYC check (which the FSA would swallow), no investigative body is going to turn around and say "oh, you confirmed he works for Waitrose? There's surely nothing dodgy about him, then..."

never-in-doubt

BarclaysManager wrote: »

I know they call people, I'm questioning the idea that they do it on the grounds that they feel you're "dodgy."

Whilst you could justify it as a KYC check (which the FSA would swallow), no investigative body is going to turn around and say "oh, you confirmed he works for Waitrose? There's surely nothing dodgy about him, then..."

LOL, ok point taken. Maybe mis-worded then and should have read 'to check any inconsistencies with your application' or something

greenmantle

Just an additional case study.

I was/am an HSBC customer with an acct, loan (settled) and credit card (empty). I applied to First Direct in March. They ran a credit check on me back then with just one agency (they didn't tell me, just spotted it) and sent out the forms, including a standard overdraft and a credit card agreement, which I hadn't asked for.

I was away, so got around to returning the forms in early April (without the CCA, which I held back - get a better rate from HSBC). They transferred all my direct debits etc and sent out the card at the end of April. No text messages, but then maybe I didn't sign up for that service...

They've been better than HSBC to deal with, in all other respects, so far, although the internet banking could be streamlined a bit.

greenmantle

oh, and no checking at my workplace, as far as I know...

never-in-doubt

greenmantle wrote: »

Just an additional case study.

I was/am an HSBC customer with an acct, loan (settled) and credit card (empty). I applied to First Direct in March. They ran a credit check on me back then with just one agency (they didn't tell me, just spotted it) and sent out the forms, including a standard overdraft and a credit card agreement, which I hadn't asked for.

I was away, so got around to returning the forms in early April (without the CCA, which I held back - get a better rate from HSBC). They transferred all my direct debits etc and sent out the card at the end of April. No text messages, but then maybe I didn't sign up for that service...

They've been better than HSBC to deal with, in all other respects, so far, although the internet banking could be streamlined a bit.

Thanks for this - helps a lot. Shame about it taking a month to sort you out though!

Well thats almost 2wks since I applied and still no better off as to accepted or declined lol.... may ring later.

greenmantle

Shame about it taking a month to sort you out though!

Well, part of it was my delay, so I wouldn't say it was necessarily their fault.

It may make a difference what account opening mechanism you opt for. I had all my direct debits switched, so they contacted the (admittedly few) payees and had a coordinated switch-over date which they then notified me of, a week in advance. Takes more than a day or two for that. They didn't drop any payments, so it worked.

re: the other debate. My employer was v. easy to check, as my name's listed on a pretty impenetrably official website.

snowymalone

Can anyone help me on this one?

I've had a First Direct account for several years, kept it in good-ish nick, only has £100 overdraft by my choice (less temptation the better!). It's in my name alone. However, we're seriously overdrawn with Natwest, which is my wife's name alone, into which our salaries are paid and from which all our DDs go out. So, I've asked First Direct for the forms to convert my First Direct account into a joint account while we apply for a DMP, which will include the Natwest overdraft. We're doing the DMP before we get completely submerged, but have managed to maintain payments until now - however, we do know our credit rating has been affected, albeit only minorly (as yet.) Obviously we'll then switch salaries and DDs into First Direct - more business for them.

Now - will First Direct just do the biz automatically, given that I'm an existing customer, or are they likely to get niggly about it and start digging about? The last thing we want to to have them suddenly decide they don't want our business... Neither of us owes anything to HSBC, or hold any HSBC financial products apart from my account.

I really don't want to annoy yet another financial institution!

greenmantle

You know, if i were you, I'd post this on the Debt-Free Wannabe forum in a fresh thread on its own. People there may be able to comment on the advisability of linking your credit records like this. First Direct would most likely take both salaries, otherwise, with no complaint!