Citibank - Flexible Saver Issue 6 - paying 3.25% (3.30% AER)

vernon

deep_pockets wrote: »

when i finally got through (see posts in other thread) and activated my a/c. i asked the service advisor could i now transfer some money into my a/c via my barclays debit card and was told you cannot do that.

seems strange when in their letter, containing the a/c card, it says you can?

rapidly loosing patience with this shower.:mad:

Hear, hear! A totally ill thought out, contradictory and clumsy system which antogonises the would be saver. The only minor consolation is that it is a freefone number. No money lost on the usual scam of 0870 numbers which usually costs you a quid just to listen to the prerecorded dribble and 'choose from the following 99 options' only to be greeted by 'all our operators/advisors/bankers are busy taking calls at the moment' !!!!!!!!

OneADay

Just my experience -

I opened my Citibank saver account in Septemeber 2008 as a way of splitting my dosh across different banks for safety.

Opening process was hassle free - it helps if your passport is current and you have no bad credit history etc etc.

Over the year, the savings rate has remained more competitive than most of the other banks (barring fixed rate accounts). In Sep 2008, think Citibank were offering something over 5% to 6% including the bonus for 12 months.

Upon opening my account was linked to my Halifax current account - so moving money is simply a matter of signing in and doing normal transfers. Citi are meant to move to faster payments I think but at the moment transfers can take anything between 2 to 4 working days.

If you want to use additional accounts to make payments to / from - its simply a case of linking the account to the citi bank online saver - which can be done by just logging on and setting up a new payment method.

Today 1st Oct 2009, I found I had been credited some money to my Halifax account marked "Citi" - suspect its the bonus interest. Interest is paid normally into the citi saver account but it looks like they send the 12 month bonus interest to the primary linked account.

Also I was getting paper statements every month through post - I just called them and changed it to 6 months - saving the trees plus its a lot less hassle disposing of unwanted statements. And another good thing I like about Citi, is you can contact them online by the Messaging system.

dorsetlass

My card & pin arrived this morning, so I phoned to activate the account. I did wait for a short while, but had finished the call after 13 minutes. I then went straight online, and did all the security questions, and all seems to be fine. I've just organised a transfer from another bank and will see how quickly it appears.

Stompa

OneADay wrote: »

Just my experience -

Indeed, I've had an account with them for many years and have never really had any problems. I seldom need to phone them, but when I have I don't recall ever waiting more than a minute or so to get through to a real person.

gunjin

Have *finally* got a/c no., card, pin numbers and activated the account (!!). Just logged in for the first time and...

I think i have gone back in time to online banking from the late 90s. Poorly laid out, terrible explanations, limited functionality (1-way bank transfers only?), no help section/FAQ, no method of contacting Citibank via secure online message, no interest rate statement. Have Citibank not looked at what their competitors have done in the last decade?

OneADay

gunjin wrote: »

Have *finally* got a/c no., card, pin numbers and activated the account (!!). Just logged in for the first time and...

I think i have gone back in time to online banking from the late 90s. Poorly laid out, terrible explanations, limited functionality (1-way bank transfers only?), no help section/FAQ, no method of contacting Citibank via secure online message, no interest rate statement. Have Citibank not looked at what their competitors have done in the last decade?

It functions for the purpose its intended to.

Limited functionality - 1 way transfers means you can make payments to other accounts. If you want to credit the account, you need to do that from the account you are paying from.

FAQ page - there is a Help for this Page link on the left. There is a Contact Us link to ask for online help.

Personally I find this more than adequate for a savings account. I would imagine a current account to have different functionality.

At the end of the day, it saves my money and pays me interest - all I want.

OneADay

And a FAQ section http://www.citibank.co.uk/personal/banking/bankingproducts/currentaccounts/internetbanking/faqs.htm?merchant=citi

vernon

Stompa wrote: »

Indeed, I've had an account with them for many years and have never really had any problems. I seldom need to phone them, but when I have I don't recall ever waiting more than a minute or so to get through to a real person.

Mmmmmmmmmm. Definition of 'a minute or so'? Having a spare minute or so I tried to call then again armed with the kitchen timer. After 12 minutes and 43 seconds bereft of getting through to a real person, I got bored and hung up. It's a freefone number so you get to hear a bit of cheapo music in between the apologies. I seldom need to phone them now 'cos I've abandoned this inadequate bunch of bankers.

OneADay

vernon wrote: »

Thank you. As I said 'better safe than sorry' but entering a password by clicking on the pop-up keyboard is tedious. My fault, I chose a long password. I had difficulty in choosing the five security questions to be answered because I couldn't find 5 truly relevant to me. So had to write some answers down which defeats the object. Far better to set your own questions and answers. Chuckle, I don't think safety or sorrow will enter into this - going to give Citibank a miss.

The pop up keyboard is there for your protection against online key loggers.

Barclays uses a pin generator as a security system - you have to generate the pin at time of logging in on the card machine they send to you - thats tedious. But still I do not mind as its security.

Halifax has security questions as well.

ICICI is probably the worst in terms of security.

The questions are merely security - I have made up my answers even though one of the three questions I selected do not apply to me.

Stompa

vernon wrote: »

Mmmmmmmmmm. Definition of 'a minute or so'? Having a spare minute or so I tried to call then again armed with the kitchen timer. After 12 minutes and 43 seconds bereft of getting through to a real person, I got bored and hung up.

Out of curiousity I just tried a similar experiment. It took 2 minutes 47 seconds to get through to a person, so not as fast as usual. I guess some of that was down to the "do you want to use our new speech service" message at the beginning which I'd not come across before.

I agree that the muzak is truly awful though!