So glad I am leaving the Halifax

ERICS_MUM

davidlizard wrote: »

Must say that I find it difficult to decide out of Halifax and NatWest who are the most incompetent.

Halifax - we open a regular savings account and start paying in £100/month by direct debit. Halifax fail to collect the direct debit one month (their mistake - plenty of funds and my bank confirmed Halifax did not attempt to take the payment). I spotted that they had not taken the direct debit and contacted them, and they assured me that they will sort it out.

They sorted it out by closing my account, then denying any knowledge of the account ever existing, despite having printouts of statements. I get passed from one clueless drone to another, until I threatened to get the FSA involved.

Well, you've stated your case for Halifax's incompetence, what about your reasons behind your Nat West grievance ?

Linda

ERICS_MUM

Having worked in a major bank for 30 odd years I have to concede that mistakes are made, not surprising really considering the volume of accounts and transactions they handle.

But IMO it's the way in which these !!!!-ups are sorted that sets apart a good and an incompetent bank. Good customer service staff with appropriate training, articulate with clear voices, a good knowledge of the products they deal with, a certain level of authority to close out routine issues themselves or get them escalated efficiently.

Having said that, it really is the responsibility of the account holder to manage every aspect of their bank account, including moving to another bank. Don't assume that the two banks will automatically do the right thing, you need to understand what they will do, what you need to do, the timescales for setting up services etc.

I do hope that the OP gets this sorted soon and to his satisfaction.

Linda :T

emweaver

Ive been with halifax 20 years, have all current acoounts, dd savings, credi card, shares and isa with them FOR NOW. They informed me of the daily charge on mt reward account but not on my normal so ive been charged £25 in 2 months! I rang to complain and apparently I was notified and nothing they will do. I said if I kn ew why would I of transferred the money to my reward account to avoid the charge. I switched my isa and main current account last wk. they really are out fo themselves

catmiaow

woody01 wrote: »

Halifax are actually only bad when the customer using them cannot manage their own finances.

I am glad that all the people that are sheite with money are clearing off. It may make banking cheaper for me.

Totally untrue, they are bad even when you can manage your finances, and their customer service is appalling. Leaving the bank and going to Barclays was the best thing I ever did.

I am glad your happy with Halifax, obviously they suit you.

Requiem

I've had a Halifax account for about twelve years, right from my first ever children's savers account. Never had any problems with them. Even had some fraudulent activity on one of my cards last year - it was a new account and the debit card had only been used approximately three times. They were incredibly prompt and helpful with sorting it out and re-crediting my account.

However, as someone who primarily uses online banking (and has probably only set foot in a branch a handful of times), I have to say that the Halifax online banking site is atrocious. That goes for their generic online banking and their share dealing facility.

The RBS/Natwest one is far more efficient, user friendly and with many more advanced features. So much so that I'm considering switching banks just to have the advantage of better online banking facilities.

heatheryone_2

I'm feeling increasingly underwhelmed by Halifax. I am a medical student in the 5th year of my course. I don't go into my overdraft often, so had been happy with an ordinary Halifax current account - until the £1 a day overdraft charges came in last December. So I went into the branch with proof of student status and duly changed my account to a Student Current Account, which I was told had an interest-free overdraft (which I set to a fairly low limit). My online banking showed that my account was changed to 'student' in mid-December.

Imagine my surprise when I found I'd been charged 70p at the end of January. I had gone into my arranged overdraft for a day, so I wondered if it might be a charge, but given that 70p isn't £1, I had no real idea what it might be. I went into my local branch today to ask why that had happened, given that I had a supposedly interest-free overdraft in January. The first employee said she didn't know why it had happened, and said, "Well, 70p is a small amount, do you actually want me to ask my manager?" I explained that a 70p charge for being within one's overdraft limit, in a supposedly interest-free overdraft, was unacceptable, and so she went to consult with her manager. She confirmed that on her computer, it was showing up that I'd been charged for going into my overdraft, even though it's supposed to be interest-free. Eventually I was taken to speak to a bank advisor in a side room - she told me that the 70p charge that had been taken at the end of January was a charge for having used my overdraft in December (before my account became a student account). I expressed surprise that the charge had been taken almost 2 months after I'd incurred it, and she said well, that was the explanation, and would I like a credit card?!

If Halifax take overdraft charges at the end of the month AFTER they were incurred (e.g. at the end of January for going into your overdraft in early December) then I accept that. But why on earth did the first person I spoke to ask if I wanted to bother finding out why I'd been charged - and why did her colleague try and sell me a credit card as an alternative to an interest-free overdraft?! And I never did find out why it was 70p, given that overdrafts are meant to be charged at £1 a day. If I get charged next time I go into my arranged and supposedly interest-free overdraft, I'll be leaving the Halifax sharpish.

Stephb1986_2

They aint much better with home insurance either!

Derby2

Hello everybody, and thank you to your replies.

I've been with the Halifax for 12 years and slowly but surely their customer service has deteriorated, for me that is. The overdraft charges were the final straw in motivating me to change.

To give you an update, the promised call back has not been received so I will call them again to see how their 'investigation' is going.

Mistakes do indeed happen as we are all human. I've worked in a building society before, and always made sure complaints were followed through. It's disappointing that Halifax haven't done the same. All other direct debits/standing orders for the rest of the month have been transferred over sucessfully. So far!

roddydogs

Not to mention how they behaved as shown on "Fake Britain" on Tuesday, trouble is im with IF, which i believe is the same bank.

musicmaker29

woody01 wrote: »

Halifax are actually only bad when the customer using them cannot manage their own finances.

I am glad that all the people that are sheite with money are clearing off. It may make banking cheaper for me.

but the customers who pay the charges generate profits for the bank....I'm confused as to how these people 'clearing off' will make banking cheaper for you?


As for Halifax, anyone with an ounce of sense will leave on principle - I am generally careful with money but am busy having a life and two jobs so I don't claim to be perfect - if I stray into my AUTHORISED overdraft I expect to be charged proportionately - if I slip into it by a few pence for a few days I don't expect to pay POUNDS for this (if it were UNAUTHORISED then fair enough).

As it stands I'm gone - I hope this makes Woody's banking cheaper, but I doubt it will!