Halifax Student Account 2009/10: We Want Your Feedback

melaniemorris

I am very unhappy with my Halifax student account. In fact I don't know anyone who has got the full amount. I have again been refused an increase from my £1,000. There is no reason for this as I have banked with Halifax for over 10years and have excellent credit. I never have any problems getting cards etc; except for this! I am in fact so furious about it that I intend closing all 3 of my Halifax accounts 9including my long term savings account) and changing banks all together. They show no loyalty and in this climate there are lots of banks desperate for custom. We dont have to put up with this nonsense, I dont want the hassle of changing banks but will as Halifax does not deliver what it promises.

I_Am_Milkmaid

Hi there,
I am a mature (30) student who returned to education to do a nursing degree, complete with bursary from the government. I'm in 2nd year now, and they have refused to increase my overdraft beyond £1000, even when I told them I was about to apply to another account that offers more as a standard for just being in 2nd year! Which I shall be doing right after this!
Seriously, I have a great banking record, have been in employment for over 10 years before starting this degree (although I've never banked with HBOS before now), I've not spoken to anybody who has the full amount of £3000 granted for the overdraft.

Methinks it is a massive carrot to get to the top of the tables on Money Saving Expert!

dagrowler

I too am a mature student (29) I'm doing a midwifery degree and prior to this I had a job earning around £30k, no debts, on electoral roll, been with the same bank since 1996 and Halifax rejected me.

When I rang them to ask why they said it was because my degree wasn't eligible, when i asked why (it's a BSC degree) they back tracked and said it was because I had a bad credit rating. I panicked my bum off for a bit thinking something horrible had happened and then did an experion report which proved that my credit rating is perfect!

Don't know what they're playing at but TBH after reading this thread I'm glad they rejected me!

orangerose1

Can ANYONE GIVE ME SOME ADVICE ?

My student daughter(20) has been refused a Halifax Student Account. She is in her second year having transferred University at the end of her first year.
Aged 14 with a few hours work in an old persons home she opened a Halifax Card account, which she still has.
As she got older they asked her to open a current account with a debit card and cheque book.
Over a year ago,aged 19, she went to university and had her loans paid into this second account which she uses on a daily basis.
She opened a third Halifax account which she and her flatmates use to pay in and pay out utility bills(no problems) this has an overdraft facility as security.The utility bills are for her term time address which the Halifax doesn't use.
She has always been wary of having a credit card but we realised she should try to build up some credit history so she now has a Halifax one for small purchases and pays it off each month.

All Halifax correspondence comes to her parental home address.

As she is finding her loans aren't enough and needs an overdraft facility she has asked on the advice of Halifax phone advisers to change the current account to a Student Account but has been refused.
ADVICE PLEASE.
Is it her age? Is it that she is over a year into her University ?
Is it that they can't 'see' her managing the utility bills well ? Should she close the Card account ?
What's going on ?

rb10

Orangerose1, it sounds like they have put through a brand new application for her. She can simply change her existing account (i.e. the second one, the one that she opened when she got too old for the Cardcash account) over to a Student Account. She will need to go into a branch with some proof of student status (i.e. a letter from her uni). As far as I am aware, you can't be declined for this, as they aren't opening a new account, but instead just changing the product type. Her sort code, account number, card, cheque book, student finance payments etc will all stay exactly the same.

However, if she is struggling with money, she should also be looking at the cause of it. What is making her have so little money? Is there anything that can be done about it?

Whilst an interest-free overdraft is lovely in the short-term, it will eventually become a normal account, where she will have to pay to be overdrawn. If she can stop herself from over-spending now, then it could really help her once she graduates.

orangerose1

Daughter been with Halifax 6 years, now half way thro' second year of Uni decided to change ordinary Halifax current account to Student account, been refused.

rb10

orangerose1 wrote: »

Daughter been with Halifax 6 years, now half way thro' second year of Uni decided to change ordinary Halifax current account to Student account, been refused.

And as I said in my previous post, it looks like she has had a brand new application put through.

She needs to make it clear that she wants to keep the same account (NOT a new account), and just wants the account type changed over to a Student Account.

MrsManda

orangerose1 wrote: »

Daughter been with Halifax 6 years, now half way thro' second year of Uni decided to change ordinary Halifax current account to Student account, been refused.

Did she apply in branch/on the phone or online?
When I tried to change my current account to a student account last year I was told I couldn't do it, but it may be possible to open a student account separately. I wrote a letter to the head office quoting their website which said it was perfectly possible to swap the status of the account. I got a very nice letter back saying that there's no reason why the branch had told me that I'd need to apply for a new account, I went back in armed with the letter, spoke to a different member of staff who change the status - didn't even need to mention the letter so I think the person I first spoke to either didn't know what she was talking about or couldn't be bothered helping.

kingofthemill

I have until July to repay my £3000 OD to Bank of Scotland. I'm just wondering if anyone knows what the interest rates jump to in the event that I don't manage to pay it all off before July?

Cheers

TDQO

I've got further probs with Halifax now, I had a CCJ against me over 2yrs ago for £180 which I've paid off in full now yet they won't let my student OD go over £1250. I went with them originally because they offered up to £3000 and at one point I had as much as £1750 with them.

Nothing I do can get this limit lifted even though I'm in my 3rd year and have evidence of a AUD $20k payment arriving in August. Pain in the !!!!!