Alliance & Leicester - Useless, Useless, Useless!!

MrBurns

Does anyone have any advice as to how I can get some helpful information out of A&L, as their customer service is completely hopeless.

Tried to transfer my cash ISA to the 5.2 account towards the end of March - my existing provider sorted their end promptly - and yet 6 or so weeks later I am STILL waiting for the funds to appear at A&L!

My old bank informed me of a slight problem with the initial check which apparently A&L had to return - so this explains some of the delay - but how can I find out from A&L what is actually going on? Been phoning their 'customer support' who at first were telling me that they were snowed under, and I needed to be patient - but now they say that they have never received any check, which I know isn't true!

At this point I'm past caring about the interest I might be losing... Just after my money back.

System

When i had trouble getting through to sort out my regular savings account i managed to get through by using the geographical number.

0113 2541566

Berisford

MrBurns wrote:

Tried to transfer my cash ISA to the 5.2 account towards the end of March - my existing provider sorted their end promptly - and yet 6 or so weeks later I am STILL waiting for the funds to appear at A&L!

Yep, useless. I'm in the same situation. CS crap and 0870 too, bloody cheek.

I first called in on a 'say no to 0870' number and got a right stuck up cow telling me the number was for oversea's emergencys only!

I now withhold my number and tell 'em I'm in Spain. It works. Not helped with my missing ISA's though!

Wish I'd stayed where I was now, the lost 6 weeks (to press) has all but wiped out any gains I might have made.

user2006

Hi Beresford and Judi, in response to yourselves, the reason why Alliance Leicester don't allow conversations on the 0113 no's etc, is actually for your benefit. All the other call are recorded so that in the chance of something going wrong, customer relations are able to bring up every call you've had with them to solve any issues.

A&L Employee

Not having a dig, but if a mistake has been made, then yes its up to the manager, deputy etc to investigate.

pickle

If your'e going to send a letter to them for any transaction/cancelation then make sure you send it recorded delivery. I sent a complaint letter to cancel the account which was meant to transfer my account to them and then they said they didn't get it! This was after a couple of times being told x and y was being done and when I rang back to find out why is hasn't been done noone has a clue what I'm talking about. Noone seemed to take accountability and no record was kept of previous conversations. I doubt they went and listened to any such recording of any phone calls.

Mr Burns - Why should you be patient? You're doing them the favour not the other way around!!! Why waste your time with the manager/deputy manager. They either get their act together or they don't. If they don't, get your money out of there.

user2006

I agree with you Pickie, post sent via recorded delivery is handled much more efficiently, they're all logged on to the system. Unfortunately the system is not in place for normal post, if not recieved its either waiting to be done or customers are very often sending in letters with none of their account details so its next to impossible to even act on the letters.

EagerLearner

I sympathise - although A&L never got themselves sorted out in order to even open my account - after 7 weeks of waiting, I called them to stop the application process and have just put a rant on this board... Bradford & Bingley now have my business and A&L should have never put in place an account if they did not have resources in place to manage demand.

I'm all for a good deal, but stress costs more than the interest rate sometimes...

EagerLearner

Horasio

Luckily they did get my funds but we had to do a cash dash on 5th April

We applied for the isa 2 weeks before the deadline thinking we had time.

It would not have been accepted until 6th April, too ruddy late.

Now A&L have lowered the rate - can one move an isa to another one before next year?

codetown

For the original problem: saynotto0870 gives many numbers for A&L.
Try a few and specify you have a problem with your ISA. They will route you to the right department.

Second: when you start conversation with A&L guy tell him YOU are recording the conversation and wish a clear explanation as you had been given confirmation from your previosu ISA provider that a check had been issued. They will have to investigate and give you reasons for the delay

Third: check the A&L web site and find the address for complains. Write a formal letter stating the facts in very clear manner and asking a full refund of 200 pounds for your time waste and loss of interest which is due to their faults. They will follow that up and you have good chances of a refund and also someone looking seriously into the problem.

masonic

user2006 wrote:

Hi Beresford and Judi, in response to yourselves, the reason why Alliance Leicester don't allow conversations on the 0113 no's etc, is actually for your benefit. All the other call are recorded so that in the chance of something going wrong, customer relations are able to bring up every call you've had with them to solve any issues.

I thought only a selection of calls were recorded. There has been at least one instance very recently where a poster disputed A&L's version of a telephone conversation and A&L could not come up a recording. In any case, I'd imagine some people would still begrudge paying a premium of up to 10p/min for the benefit of having their call recorded.

codetown

masonic wrote:

In any case, I'd imagine some people would still begrudge paying a premium of up to 10p/min for the benefit of having their call recorded.

People with the right knowledge do not pay anything for the conversation and do very easy automatic recordings with VoIP (I do with VoipCheap)...