Coventry First - credit file query

Toe-Jam

Their customer service is good, but the internet banking is with the dinosaurs, and no faster payments out of the accounts is a pain.

Jessicat

karatedragon wrote: »

I think someone applies for your credit file and then checks it out. Then decides if you are suitable to come into the fold! :T

You make the Coventry sound like an exclusive club in the world of banking and finance.
What is so extra special? Visa debit card? £250 overdraft? Customer service?
I get all of this with First Direct, customer service is absolutely top notch, phone answered within 3-5 rings by a human voice, debit card and overdraft as standard. In addition to which I also have a credit card with a healthy limit and certainly didn't have to grovel or beg for acceptance.
You claim they are ever so choosy? That being true then why on earth would they exclusively search Equifax and not follow up with Experian? Equifax computer systems dont link address data in the same was that Experian do meaning that in the case of the OP it is possible to open this exclusive account despite being a discharged bankrupt.
Before you ask, I am extremely well versed in computerised credit checking be it 3 yr searches or full 6 yr searches, my company always check the full 6 years regardless which is where Experian provide a better and more comprehensive service than Equifax ever could.

karatedragon

Jessicat wrote: »

You make the Coventry sound like an exclusive club in the world of banking and finance.

It is. Exclusive to those that can get it

Jessicat wrote: »

What is so extra special? Visa debit card? £250 overdraft? Customer service?

Yes we get all that. But you get all that knowing that you have passed their rigorous criteria and your credit rating has the bollox! Don't you like a challenge?

Jessicat wrote: »

I get all of this with First Direct

But that is a Bank not a Building Society

Jessicat wrote: »

customer service is absolutely top notch, phone answered within 3-5 rings by a human voice, debit card and overdraft as standard.

I have heard First Direct are good

Jessicat wrote: »

In addition to which I also have a credit card with a healthy limit

The Coventry doesn't do a Credit Card. Instead I have an account with them with a healthy balance and a Debit Card and spend my own money

Jessicat wrote: »

You claim they are ever so choosy? That being true then why on earth would they exclusively search Equifax and not follow up with Experian?

They do search more than just Equifax - now. They didn't at one time.

ehlo

Toe-Jam wrote: »

Their customer service is good, but the internet banking is with the dinosaurs, and no faster payments out of the accounts is a pain.

I agree. In my case though, I have a bond with them so a decent online service isn't important at all

Toe-Jam

ehlo wrote: »

I agree. In my case though, I have a bond with them so a decent online service isn't important at all

The Coventry First account doesn't even have a cheque book. The faster payments are never there instantly , you have to wait 2-3 hours for them to show up in your account, and you can't send them out of your account. You can't set up transfers online, you have to call the call centre and get them to do it , and they have that ridiculous grid card for logging on to the internet banking which is a pain.

I wouldn't be heart broken if you didn't get accepted, the interest rate is not as good as it used to be.

But having said that, i've never had a problem of any kind with them. But then when the service is so basic I wouldn't expect there to be problems.:o

and I have Coventry First account, and if I can get one, then it can't be that hard !

young_money_saver

I know the coventry are a good bs but why are they exclusive? I think if you want to make a statement you would bring out a private banking card, not a coventry bs card.

Jessicat

karatedragon wrote: »

It is. Exclusive to those that can get it Getting the account wouldn't cause me a problem, would I want it without a good fster payments service or even a cheque book? (yes I write cheques) Definitely not.
Aside from the overdraft facility it is little better than a very basic bank account be it current or savings.



Yes we get all that. But you get all that knowing that you have passed their rigorous criteria and your credit rating has the bollox! Don't you like a challenge? You had to appeal your decline so obviously not as good as you may think.
First direct are rigorous with good reason, the facilities and service are beyond compare



But that is a Bank not a Building Society
An exceptional bank though



I have heard First Direct are good
100 times better than the Coventry in terms of selection procedure and facilities offered.



The Coventry doesn't do a Credit Card. Instead I have an account with them with a healthy balance and a Debit Card and spend my own money
I have no debt as such and spend my own money too but credut cards provide a valuable service such as s.75 protection.
Banking with dinosaurs you may not have heard of it



They do search more than just Equifax - now. They didn't at one time.

Glad to hear it. To accept applications based on a clear Equifax file knowing how their systems work would be ludicrous although why anybody would want to waste searches on a sub standard product is beyond me.

Jessicat

young_money_saver wrote: »

I know the coventry are a good bs but why are they exclusive? I think if you want to make a statement you would bring out a private banking card, not a coventry bs card.

They are far from exclusive.
Not saying they are not ok for some and the customer service levels may be good but exclusive? On whose say so?

young_money_saver

the only exclusive bank or bs I can think of would be coutts and co, not the coventry.

Toe-Jam

Jessicat wrote: »

They are far from exclusive.
Not saying they are not ok for some and the customer service levels may be good but exclusive? On whose say so?

They are not an exclusive bs, The debit card is one of the cheapest to use abroad @ 2% and no charge for online foreign transactions. Other than that the account has nothing going for it.

First Direct is a much better product if you can get it.

I think they score so hard to keep customer numbers low, which is why the customer service is good. Can't have them going like the nationwide now can we :-)