Co-operative bank student account 2010/2011: We want your feedback

boldaslove

i've been with the co-op for 5 years now and opened a student account with them last year. on the whole, they're excellent. their customer service is always fantastic. i've had a couple of minor problems with them over the years - like them blocking my card when i was abroad this summer even though i'd informed them in advance i was going away. being penniless for 4 days in a dangerous city was pretty hairy, but it was sorted out after a couple of (expensive) phone calls - i will be sending them the bill! but on a positive note, it's good to know their fraud department is on the ball.

i'd strongly reccommend them. their ethics are excellent and the few niggles i've had with them have been sorted out immediately.

Alice444

I applied for the account online (easy enough), and received confirmation in the post that I had been accepted about 10 days later. Wasn't expecting to be accepted since my credit history isn't great, so plus point to Co-op.

Took ID documents into branch (I knew they didn't have many brances, but be aware they only have 1 in all of Scotland). Another 10 days later and I still haven't had any further correspondence; phoned them and they said they would be with me this week.

Overall so far, a slow process but I can always get through easily on the phone to ask questions and didn't have long to wait to speak to student adviser either. Will feedback more once I have my card/overdraft.

Update: Got the £2000 overdraft, 2 days after I deposited £300 into the account. Very pleased with customer service on phone and in branch so far, internet banking easy to setup also.

savingstudent_2

Hello all,

Just a quick question if I may.

I have recently graduated and as a result my NatWest student account became a graduate account. I am however returning to part-time study (as part of my training for job) and was looking at getting another student account to invest the overdraft etc.

However, having gone to apply for the Co-op account I noticed that to apply, an applicant should not hold another student account. I would argue that technically I do not have a student account, but just wondered what the general view might be on this? I'm fairly investment savvy and a free £1400 (initially) seems pretty good to try and get hold of...

Let me know people...

Thanks.

925dancer

You have to be a full-time student on a course of 2 years or more (unless an Access course) in order to qualify for a student account. I don't think there are any accounts available to part-time students.

callum9999

Does anyone know how strictly they enforce the "no other student account" rule? I have 2 at the moment and wouldn't mind closing one but would quite like to keep Natwest for the free railcard.

savingstudent_2

callum9999,

Have you managed to get two accounts whilst in full-time education? I'm wondering if I should just apply for a new student account with my part-time course as proof... Sorry I can't be of much with your question, although I think if you have two accounts then well done and would say it's like most things - do they really pay people to check? The worse case I guess is that they might take the account away from you, but I'm not certain about this.

S

callum9999

savingstudent wrote: »

callum9999,

Have you managed to get two accounts whilst in full-time education? I'm wondering if I should just apply for a new student account with my part-time course as proof... Sorry I can't be of much with your question, although I think if you have two accounts then well done and would say it's like most things - do they really pay people to check? The worse case I guess is that they might take the account away from you, but I'm not certain about this.

S

Yeah I'm in full time education. I think I checked on here at the time and both HSBC and Natwest didn't restrict you to one student account (though they might have both wanted it to be the "main" account?).

I hope they don't pay people to check (but maybe the system will flag up that I have 4 overdrafts and so it's highly likely I may have another student account?) but I don't want to get a search on my credit file for a wasted application (though I wouldn't be surprised if I was rejected anyway!).

savingstudent_2

Perhaps they have got wise to people applying to invest overdrafts etc? I know when I read the T&Cs of the Co-operative account, it said that 'you must not hold any other student account with another bank'. Is this perhaps conclusive enough for me not to proceed? Although my account with NatWest has now converted to a graduate account...

callum9999

savingstudent wrote: »

Perhaps they have got wise to people applying to invest overdrafts etc? I know when I read the T&Cs of the Co-operative account, it said that 'you must not hold any other student account with another bank'. Is this perhaps conclusive enough for me not to proceed? Although my account with NatWest has now converted to a graduate account...

Well I just gave it a go anyway so I'll come back here and tell you if it goes through or not.

If it doesn't, it could just be because of the amount of credit I have available and not extra student accounts though so if I get rejected it's still not a definitive no.

925dancer

callum9999 wrote: »

Well I just gave it a go anyway so I'll come back here and tell you if it goes through or not.

If it doesn't, it could just be because of the amount of credit I have available and not extra student accounts though so if I get rejected it's still not a definitive no.

You won't get it because you are not a FULL-TIME student, it's a stipulation of any student account that you must be in full-time education. As you are taking a part-time course you won't meet the terms and conditions of opening the account.