Current account recommendation

LilacPixie

Can anyone recomend a decent bank for a current account. We have accounts with Abbey and A&L that have both merged to santander. During the merger DD have been rejected, debit card transactions refused despite 1500+ in the account and i've just had enough. Customer service is shocking and just :mad::mad::mad:

We have BOS reward accounts already for the £5 reward and OH feed those with his salary and we just that as our daily spends account so we were looking for another account to pay bills and the online grocery shops weekly. Funding £1700-2k a month and a small balance tends to sit in the account on a weekly basis to cover food shopping etc until just before payday when I use debit card to overpay mortgage.

Essentials are debit card, online banking accepts direct debits/standing orders.

Would be nice to have interest paid when in credit
Never use overdraft so not fussed, £50 buffer just in case would be nice.

I have looked at the lloyds TSB classic with vantage account which seemed to do all we need to too but what is it actually like ?

premierfella

For your needs, near-perfect.

There is a £5 per month overdraft fee coming in December, with a £10 free buffer rather than the £50.
[STRIKE]
If the balance in the current account is going to be less than £2500 you would probably be better off with a Classic Plus account (2.5%) rather than Classic Vantage.
[/STRIKE]
Edit: its been helpfully pointed out on another thread that the Plus rate drops to 1.5% from 2DEC10.

timbo58

Definitely NOT the Halifax: I have had 5 DD's unpaid, they took money from my companys business account without permission (!) I have spent hours (really!) on the phone to them and then been dealt with very offhandedly by their CC department also.
Their Branch staff are great, their customer care frankly, sucks.
This was all in the last 3 months! They have NEVER got everything right in that time, it's been one crisis to another with me having to check every statement and DD/SO have gone through, nightmare!
I will be going back to the Natwest who have always been pretty good.
(Despite a minor blip at xmas when my card got cloned and they took way too long to sort it out-) I wish I'd never changed: I changed to facilitate a mortgage backup account: long story, the mortgage is now settled and I am cancelling EVERY single financial product I have with Halifax -they are THAT bad.
AVOID AT ALL COSTS!

moonrakerz

First Direct ! £100 on offer.

http://www1.firstdirect.com/1/2/1st-account/?fd_msc=CC476&WT.mc_id=CC476

VERY good bank.

rb10

It's unclear from your post exactly what names the BOS accounts are in, but are you aware that you can hold one BOS Reward account just in your name, and one in joint names - that means that between you and your OH you can have a single each, and a joint, and earn the fivers on all three.

LilacPixie

RB10 - I have one on my own, we have a joint too and I think OH has a 3rd on his own but not 100% sure.
I think natwest is pretty much leaving scotland to be replaced by santander so for that reason I point plank refuse to touch.

I'll look at first direct thanks.

System

RBS - Basically the same as NatWest with interest free £100 buffer.

LilacPixie wrote: »

RB10 - I have one on my own, we have a joint too and I think OH has a 3rd on his own but not 100% sure.
I think natwest is pretty much leaving scotland to be replaced by santander so for that reason I point plank refuse to touch.

I'll look at first direct thanks.