First Direct

rb10

eslick wrote: »

the £25 charge is for Chaps, and its cheaper than other banks.

Most banks charge around £25 for CHAPS - First Direct aren't particularly cheap there.

GFA

locky123 wrote: »

I can recommend First Direct. We have recently opened a 1st account, savings and mortgage with them, as well as tranferring a current account from Cahoot. Excellent written and telephone comms. All went on time with no hiccups. We've used Smile and Cahoot for online banking and First Direct are good.
QUOTE]

Hi Locky123

Did you use the switcher service when you transferred your account from Cahoot to First Direct? Did Cahoot refuse to provide First Direct with information as has happened to another member of this forum or cause any problems when you did this? Was it recent? (Sorry hope you don't mind the questions!)

GFA

Thank you all for your responses and please keep them coming - with either positive or negative feedback! Its unusual to see so many positive reviews of banks these days.

I've just read elsewhere on the forum that cahoot will be integrated into the Santander brand which is excruciatingly awful so I will definitely be on the move very very soon!

eslick

rb10 wrote: »

Most banks charge around £25 for CHAPS - First Direct aren't particularly cheap there.

but a lot charge £30 or more so thats why i say its cheap.

locky123

GFA wrote: »

locky123 wrote: »

I can recommend First Direct. We have recently opened a 1st account, savings and mortgage with them, as well as tranferring a current account from Cahoot. Excellent written and telephone comms. All went on time with no hiccups. We've used Smile and Cahoot for online banking and First Direct are good.
QUOTE]

Hi Locky123

Did you use the switcher service when you transferred your account from Cahoot to First Direct? Did Cahoot refuse to provide First Direct with information as has happened to another member of this forum or cause any problems when you did this? Was it recent? (Sorry hope you don't mind the questions!):D

Yes we used the switcher service and no Cahoot did not refuse to provide info. All DD/SO switched without error, to date. Our switch progressed late Feb, into 1st week of March 2010.

stephane_2

I have been with First Direct for just over a year now and so far have been very impress. Excellent internet banking compare to others, customer service have been second to none.
When I moved with them, used their switching service, all went very smoothly & even got £100 credited to my account for the privilege. After 6 months they gave me their Gold Credit Card and a few days ago, been accepted for a loan with them at an extremely competitive rate of 9.9% to which I applied online, the money was in my account within seconds, no hassle. I have banked with Natwest for over 6 years and others like Intelligence Finance, Barclays & Nationwide and none of them come anything close to FD.

stella2009

stephane wrote: »

I have been with First Direct for just over a year now and so far have been very impress. Excellent internet banking compare to others, customer service have been second to none.
When I moved with them, used their switching service, all went very smoothly & even got £100 credited to my account for the privilege. After 6 months they gave me their Gold Credit Card and a few days ago, been accepted for a loan with them at an extremely competitive rate of 9.9% to which I applied online, the money was in my account within seconds, no hassle. I have banked with Natwest for over 6 years and others like Intelligence Finance, Barclays & Nationwide and none of them come anything close to FD.

I would have to echo your thoughts ;-)

Rafter

GFA,

To comply with the banking code, Cahoot would have to provide your details to FD using the switching service. The case mentioned must have been because there was a problem with the authorisation paperwork rather than refusing point blank to provide details.

Good luck with FD - been with them 15 years and 2 tiny problems in that time were resolved in seconds by a friendly and competent team member at the end of the phone (in the UK - 24 hours a day).

Amazing that other banks are still able to offer such shoddy service and still retain customers!

R.

GFA

Thanks Locky123 for confirming that. Your switch was just after the other forum member's attempt it seems (looking at the post) .....

Thanks Rafter - I thought that the banks were under an obligation to provide this information so I'm not sure whether there are were additional issues with the other forum member hence the subsequent problems with Cahoot. (I remember the days when Cahoot used to be as helpful and good as First Direct still seem to be after all of these years!)

Its nice that there are so many helpful and informative members on this forum! Many thanks to you all

[Deleted User]

I have 2 current accounts with first Direct, and 1 each with Smile and Nationwide. (There are reasons for so many accounts!). I have had the first Direct accounts since the bank started and have had no problems with them online or on phone (or for that matter with Nationwide or Smile which I bank with for ethical reasons). I find that the First direct staff are competent and helpful. The website is OK. All the banks websites seem to me to have plus and minus points but overall are much of a muchness.