Halifax Student Account 2009/10: We Want Your Feedback

rb10

jennifernil wrote: »

Our daughter has the Halifax student account. She was given an overdraft of £1250 in first year (2003), and has consistently been refused any more, despite paying in our contribution and her part time earnings every month.

Jennifernil, you might be interested to know that you've been quoted in The Times:

The_Times wrote:

One mother, writing on Moneysaving-expert’s consumer forum, said: “Our daughter has the Halifax student account. She was given an overdraft of £1,250 in her first year and has consistently been refused any more, despite paying in our contribution and her part-time earnings.”

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/money/student_finance/article6806021.ece

Emma1989_2

I went into my local Halifax branch on Thursday (20th of August) after receiving my confirmation letter from UCAS in the post. I have a current account with them already and wanted to open the account with a cheque I had received from my parents for doing well in my exams. Halifax declined my request for a student account. Whilst I accept that because of my age (I'm 19) I have virtually no credit history, I can't understand why I was declined. The manager said he had had alot of declines in the last few weeks and for me to come back after the 5th of September when they are having a big promotion on student accounts, as they will be less picky then.
I was under the impression that banks were crying out to get students to open an account with them and I was very surprised to be declined.

MrsManda

Emma1989 wrote: »

I went into my local Halifax branch on Thursday (20th of August) after receiving my confirmation letter from UCAS in the post. I have a current account with them already and wanted to open the account with a cheque I had received from my parents for doing well in my exams. Halifax declined my request for a student account.

It may be worth asking your current account to be converted into a student account especially if you have an overdraft with your current account. Banks can be a bit wary of giving you two overdraft facilities. At least, that's what I did with my Halifax current account last year.

hevgoodwin

Hi, I wonder if anyone has had this problem recently. My daughter has an account at the Halifax and wants to upgrade it to a student one as she starts uni in September. We had an appointment on Friday but was unable to open one as they need certain types (from an official list) of ID. For example Driving Licence, Passport, shotgun Licence. She is only just 18 and has none of these - therefore no student account.

How can we get one? Has anyone any ideas. They did suggest getting a provisional driving licence (its costs £50 and she doesn't want to learn to drive).

Help please
Hev

Jennikay

hevgoodwin wrote: »

Hi, I wonder if anyone has had this problem recently. My daughter has an account at the Halifax and wants to upgrade it to a student one as she starts uni in September. We had an appointment on Friday but was unable to open one as they need certain types (from an official list) of ID. For example Driving Licence, Passport, shotgun Licence. She is only just 18 and has none of these - therefore no student account.

How can we get one? Has anyone any ideas. They did suggest getting a provisional driving licence (its costs £50 and she doesn't want to learn to drive).

Help please
Hev

Proof of ID is generally needed to open a bank account. Do they accept birth certificates?

A provisional is a good idea whether or not you're learning to drive. On nights out at the moment I have to take my passport, I'm going to get a provisional before I go to uni. I don't intend to learn to drive for another few years.

Catbag

I've had a current account with Halifax for seven years. I applied to upgrade the account to a student one as i start uni full time next month and was declined. I too have a contract mobile and a credit card and am more than aa bit upset that i now have Halifax's dirty footprints over my credit file. They've been a pretty shoddy bank all round thus far.

polarcheese

Just opened an account and got £500 straight away, and £1000 after I paid £100 into the account. The guy in the branch said he thought I would get the £3000 in year 3.

Impet_Limpet

I am a continuing student. I already had an account at halifax and then went in to open a student account in Oct 08 inside my normal branch. This went without a hitch (although for some reason didn't even bothering asking for student status?). Got immediate £1000 but wanted to increase OD in late Dec (my OH was made redundant) they refused citing that I had paid no student loans in this and implied I could increase it once this happened.
DWP didn't believe I already had an NI number they made me attend a interveiw at job centre - so my first two installments arrived at the same time in Jan.
I returned to the branch a couple of weeks afterwards and was again refused being told my overdraft would only increase in my second year to no more than £2000. They did increase my overdraft on my normal current account though - I stayed clear of it though as I would have to pay interest.

Carlos_65

I would like to see MoneySavingExpert approach the Halifax and ask about the advertising for this account it seems rather far fetched!

I went into a large Halifax branch with my son to open an account for university. We took lots of information, regarding his status, including £3000 of savings we were going to transfer to a Halifax a/c, a £1000/year scholarship my son had been granted and regular payments from myself into the a/c to help support him during the 1st year. The lady did not seem that interested in anything except the UCAS form, she input his details into "the system" and he was offered £500. I enquired about the £3000 advertised - she called someone and was told everyone gets £500, it may go up to £1000 as they assess "how things are going". I also called the Halifax central number to enquire and they basically said the same thing. I also asked what was the criteria for getting the £3000, they were unable to tell me. So £3000 is meant to be available but who can get it - no one seems to know!

MrsManda

Carlos_65 wrote: »

she called someone and was told everyone gets £500, it may go up to £1000 as they assess "how things are going".

I really find this quite confusing as I got £1000 straight off and when I called customer services in my second term and requested £2500 I got approved almost straight away.