Smile - Are they any good?

Paul_UK_6

Hi,

I am new to the forum.

I have been with Smile for about the last 18 months and have found them to be very good.

The only problem I am having is paying in cheques, I am self employed and get paid mainly in cheques. I send these in the post or via the Post Office, but it takes a week before I can get hold of the money.

I am presently having a problem with a £25 charge they put on my account because they stopped a standing order going into my savings account although I transferred enough money to cover this on the same day. I had £1200 worth of cheques waiting to clear!

Is there a quicker way for the cheques to get to the bank? Is there a bank that shows the uncleared cheques on the account? Smile never show the amount until its cleared.

Thanks for your help

Paul.

Old_No.7

Hi, have to agree with the majority: I have a Smile account, and really like it. Good communication lines, friendly staff, clear instructions emailed on how to do things (like a same-day bank transfer: had to arrange one with LLoyds as well, and although I have internet access, had to call them, then had to decipher the Indian call centre's person accent: all took much longer with Lloyds, and I'll still have to go to a branch to arrange it).
As far as paying in cash at the post office: this is now instant. You need your debit card, and the money is immediately visible in your account. Before that, using paying in slips, paying in used to take a long time for cash to clear (a week or so). Cheques I just sent in the mail (you get free 1st class envelopes) and are in my opinion just a quick (i.e. slow) to clear as with other bank.

Paul_UK_6

The difference between my old Bank (HSBC) and Smile is that HSBC showed up the credited cheques immediately, although uncleared and you would not get charged, although theoretically you may have been overdrawn.

Smile doesn't show the cheques until cleared (a week) and will charge you if you go overdrawn etc.

Paul.

hansi

Voyager2002 wrote:

I agree with the above poster. I started using UK banks in 1976, and have banked with Smile since 2000. Smile is far and away better than any othre bank I have experienced, with the possible exception of First Direct.

As for paying in, I always go to a branch of the Co-op bank. If you pay in a cheque at the post office it gets sent by ordinary mail, and you don't have any kind of receipt if the cheque gets lost. At least the system for paying in cash at the PO is a bit more secure, but I would still prefer to do everything at a bank branch so the funds credit immediately.

Yes, you do get a receipt for your cheque, they print it out at the PO.

CopperPlate_2

Paul_UK wrote:

Hi,

I am new to the forum.

I have been with Smile for about the last 18 months and have found them to be very good.

The only problem I am having is paying in cheques, I am self employed and get paid mainly in cheques. I send these in the post or via the Post Office, but it takes a week before I can get hold of the money.

I am presently having a problem with a £25 charge they put on my account because they stopped a standing order going into my savings account although I transferred enough money to cover this on the same day. I had £1200 worth of cheques waiting to clear!

Is there a quicker way for the cheques to get to the bank? Is there a bank that shows the uncleared cheques on the account? Smile never show the amount until its cleared.

Thanks for your help

Paul.

I think its marginally faster - like by a day or so - to post them rather than pay them in at the Post Office. Don't ask me why. I think I read that somewhere on their website (smile).

CP

CopperPlate_2

From the smile website under "getting money in and out" in the current account bit:

How long does it take to clear?

cash paid in at a Co-operative Bank branch is available immediately if you use your card or by the end of the day if you use a slip
for cheques, including those paid in at a Co-operative Bank branch you should allow up to 5 working days for the money to be available
for cheques posted, you should allow up to 5 working days from the day the cheque is paid into your account for the money to be available
for cheques paid in at a UK Post Office you should allow up to 6 working days for the money to be available.

HTH

Ivana_Tinkle

I've been with Smile for around 6 years and would highly recommend them.

I moved to then because I got sick of the absolutely constant mistakes Natwest were making with my current account (and with their rudeness and general unhelpfulness every time I tried to get the mistakes put right). Smile still do occasionally make mistakes - the difference is that, when you complain, they sort things out straight away and apologise.

I don't think their customer service is quite as good as it was when I joined (I get the impression they've been victims of their own success and haven't quite been able to keep up with all the people moving to them), but it's still miles better than any of the high street banks I've had dealings with. Thre only down point is they've recently started sending out a VERY annoying spam newsletter thingy - but you can just delete that!

M_Thomson

Old_No.7 wrote:

Cheques I just sent in the mail (you get free 1st class envelopes)

Not any more! They give you a freepost address to send them too, but Freepost takes more time than 1st Class.

hansi

M_Thomson wrote:

Not any more! They give you a freepost address to send them too, but Freepost takes more time than 1st Class.

Not in my experience, they always show quicker on my account than cheques paid in at the PO, and Smile do show uncleared cheques on your account.

CopperPlate_2

Hmmm. Re-evaluating smile after their dropping the cashback on my credit card and hiking the OD rate up by 2%. Just wonder what other 'cuts' and 'charges' are to be brought in. Disappointing as I think Nationwide might give a better offering now in comparison. Will have to re-think my current account situation...