Don't save with alliance and leicester.

Nick.B_4

Just a warning to anyone thinking of opening a online saver with A&L.

I had one and right from the beginning they were hassle they took forever to send out my details after I had applied I had to ring them in the end before I could start using the account.

Then the biggest problem occurred when I tried to close the account, on the 11/8/2009 I phoned to close the account but they forgot to pay the closing interest before doing so, eventually after numerous phone calls, on 5/9/2009 they said they would send me a cheque which would take 7 to 10 days which as of 17/8 still hasn't arrived all they say the cheque is in the post and that they can't say when the it was posted.

Nick

gozomark

one swallow doesn't make a summer....

Seemore_2

gozomark wrote: »

one swallow doesn't make a summer....

Indeed, by all means request advice, but as a fairly new poster I've come to realise if everyone took notice of individual gripes with specific companies posted here we would all be keeping our money under the mattress.

I've had a current account with A&L for years with absolutely no problems, and when satcover ripped me off for £65 they (A&L) refunded promptly and without hassle.

As regards their on-line saver though, I think there are definitely better options available elsewhere.

hebron

I like my on-line account with them. Easy to setup and easy to run. No problems yet.

Nick.B_4

indeed it all works ok until you phone the call centre!
All they had to do was transfer the interest to my bank account.
I'm sure if I owed AL £54 for over a month they would charging me admin fees.

pickle

I tried to open a current account but gave up in the end. I got loads of paperwork but not much happening.

Mr_K

Have to admit they didnt make it easy when I closed my account with them. Strangley for an 'online' account you have to ring them up to close it. Premium rate number, several minutes and the Spaish Inquisition on why you're daring to close. Also they' re the worst at offering great rates for new customers & lousy rates you stay with them for more than a year. Don't think i'd bother with them again.

withnell

Set up overnight - and the old ones were closed while i was on the phone, and payment made straight away into my bank account.

In contrast to OP, A&L have one of the smoothest account opening/closing procedures I've ever used

EalingSaver

Not for me they haven't. In my experience they have pretty much the lousiest bank I've had to deal with when it comes to both opening accounts and in churning accounts in order to drop their rates. I've opened a number of accounts with them over the last couple of years, only because I need to spread. They have been generally diabolical. Not ony that, but unlike the vast majority of other banks, even if you an existing account holder if you open a new account (thanks of course to them dropping the rates like a stone for existing savers) you have to go through the whole ID procedure all over again. Appalling. If I wasn't sitting on equity from house sale they would be the first savings hole I would drop like a hot brick.

bjorn_again

gozomark wrote: »

one swallow doesn't make a summer....

Indeed it doesn't. Half an hour of trawling through these boards and you'll find 'advice' against saving with anyone. There was a classic last year when a poster advocated removing funds from Abbey, on the grounds that they had seen a queue outside one of the branches in Leicester just before Christmas.
I make decisions on personal experience and so far I have no complaint against the new A & L Online Saver.
The same goes for ING who were taking a real kicking around this forum last year. I recently closed an account with them and reinvested the funds as "new money" earning 3.25%. Took 4 days and went like clockwork.

noh

EalingSaver wrote: »

Not for me they haven't. In my experience they have pretty much the lousiest bank I've had to deal with when it comes to both opening accounts and in churning accounts in order to drop their rates. I've opened a number of accounts with them over the last couple of years, only because I need to spread. They have been generally diabolical. Not ony that, but unlike the vast majority of other banks, even if you an existing account holder if you open a new account (thanks of course to them dropping the rates like a stone for existing savers) you have to go through the whole ID procedure all over again. Appalling. If I wasn't sitting on equity from house sale they would be the first savings hole I would drop like a hot brick.

I've opened and closed several bank and savings accounts with them over the last couple of years. Have not had any problems with ID in fact have not been aware of any ID checks as they must have been done online.
Always had email confirmation of new account opening within 5 minutes of application.