I was so wrong about Alliance and Leicester

hoyles10

I moved my banking to Alliance and Leicester a while ago and they were brilliant, I read loads of posts on here saying how bad A&L were and in a couple of them I posted the good points I had found since banking with A&L.

I just want to say how wrong I was to sing their praises, I now see why so many people ranted about them. Over the last 2 months they have decided to keep blocking my card from making online transactions with the verified by visa thing.

Ok I understand that i've used my card a fair bit this last few weeks because we're moving house and have been buying new furniture and other bits for the house, but for the last 6 - 7 weeks everytime i've tried to make buy something online they've blocked the transaction and it comes up with a phone number to ring and a code to quote. Each time they say they will unblock the card for about an hour but then block it again until further notice.

This is now doing my head in and despite me telling them that I will be making quite a few transactions because we are moving they are stopping me spending my own money and it's really doing my head in.

I can't wait until Monday when I can move to a decent bank. We have joint account with HSBC and have never had a problem with them so I think I might move my personal account to them.

dreamypuma

I've been tempted in the past by A&L / Santander's offer of £100 to switch current accounts. It's only the bad press they get that prevents me.

In order to manage my expectations I keep reminding my self that I do already bank with Halifax, the company that lost me a boat load of money on their shares, sent all my banking details to a complete stranger, and lost my ISA transfer. I thought I'd experienced crap service, so may be immune to A&L.

I think I need to look elsewhere, particularly as I don't want to risk the !!!! up of many of my direct debits.

csh_2

hoyles10 wrote: »

I moved my banking to Alliance and Leicester a while ago and they were brilliant, I read loads of posts on here saying how bad A&L were and in a couple of them I posted the good points I had found since banking with A&L.

I just want to say how wrong I was to sing their praises, I now see why so many people ranted about them. Over the last 2 months they have decided to keep blocking my card from making online transactions with the verified by visa thing.

Ok I understand that i've used my card a fair bit this last few weeks because we're moving house and have been buying new furniture and other bits for the house, but for the last 6 - 7 weeks everytime i've tried to make buy something online they've blocked the transaction and it comes up with a phone number to ring and a code to quote. Each time they say they will unblock the card for about an hour but then block it again until further notice.

This is now doing my head in and despite me telling them that I will be making quite a few transactions because we are moving they are stopping me spending my own money and it's really doing my head in.

I can't wait until Monday when I can move to a decent bank. We have joint account with HSBC and have never had a problem with them so I think I might move my personal account to them.

lol at last bit! HSBC CANCELLED my card when I tried to spend £10 at Tesco online. A blocked card would have been enough like. But no, cancelled and 7-10 WORKING days for a new one. 3 weeks it ended up taking with no access to cash in my current account as its an online account with no branch near.

Lucky this is just my personal current account and not my joint where the real money is! That ones with A & L and I've had no problems in 15years!

Widelats

Should we make our own money bank and cut out the frustrations and expense of high street banks instead? I would like this to become a reality.

ShaneUK

At the end of the day, you could go to ANY bank at all and find praise and vents about each and everyone! As the saying goes (or something like anyway) "You can't keep all of the people happy all of the time".

My point being - yes, move banks if you wish. However - you may end up with more complaints about where you move to!

philbostavros

I have been with A&L ever since they took over the old National Giro (been with Giro since 1969).

Never had any real problems and they always seem fairly efficient (even prompted me to move online savings accounts a while back to a newer issue with better rate).

I recently had my card crabbed by a faulty Lloyds TSB ATM and A&L got us out new ones within the week.

Only downside to that was when I rang up to activate the new ones, their agent (CPP) then spent 15 mins trying to flog me identity fraud protection! Still as someone else says, most financial institutions can be a bit hit and miss.

Regards

prudence41

My transfer from Halifax to A&L has been nothing but a nightmare for the last 12 months...but this week they have surprised me with some very prompt service. I opened a Cash ISA online within 24 hours and within a week of requesting ISA transfers from the Halifax and Nationwide, they were done!

Credit all round on this one.

PhylPho

Widelats wrote: »

Should we make our own money bank and cut out the frustrations and expense of high street banks instead? I would like this to become a reality.

Wow. . . An MSE Bank run by people who (a) know what they're doing and (b) have an interest in their customers' welfare. . .

That would be revolutionary!