Basic bank account feedback thread

Chrisblue1962

Hi, I have a basic account with the Co-op but I am considering getting a second one as my Co-op debit card is not accepted at my local train station (..but it is now accepted at Asda petrol card-only pumps ).

I have a Lloyds savings account and was wondering what Lloyds or Halifax's basic accounts are like?

Thanking you in advance.

cavim

Wasted over half a day today trying to open a basic Barclays account. Read all the info on the website, phoned "the branch" as instructed (which was the call centre, not the branch), was put through to the branch to make an appointment, made the appointment & was told to bring along ID to set up the account, visited, waited to be seen .... only to then be told that I couldn't have a Barclays basic bank account because I wouldn't be paying a regular salary into the account. (Not having a regular income, I wanted to use it to pay my personal Ebay sales money into - over £5000 so far this year just from "de-cluttering" possessions collected over the years - and plenty more to sell - so not peanuts! They still weren't interested and just tried to get me to move my pre-existing bank account and its DDs over to them.). So, not impressed with Barclays at all, especially as many people these days don't have regular salary payments and have to get money from any source they can (eg temporary or contract work, boot sales, Ebaying, etc). The banks need to be far more flexible, especially for future generations, many of whom are unlikely to have "regular income" if the current economic situation and work patterns (and graduate unemployment increases) continue. Otherwise we'll all be going back to storing our cash under the mattress or floorboards (which no doubt some people who are fed up with the banks are already doing!!).

shirleymarye

Hi Cavim
I have a Paypal card for what I sell on Ebay and there are other cash cards you could get. Don't know if you have to have a regular income for the Co-op basic account. Other than that you could always open a savings account that you could access quickly.

ian_h

cavim wrote: »

Wasted over half a day today trying to open a basic Barclays account. Read all the info on the website, phoned "the branch" as instructed (which was the call centre, not the branch), was put through to the branch to make an appointment, made the appointment & was told to bring along ID to set up the account, visited, waited to be seen .... only to then be told that I couldn't have a Barclays basic bank account because I wouldn't be paying a regular salary into the account. (Not having a regular income, I wanted to use it to pay my personal Ebay sales money into - over £5000 so far this year just from "de-cluttering" possessions collected over the years - and plenty more to sell - so not peanuts! They still weren't interested and just tried to get me to move my pre-existing bank account and its DDs over to them.). So, not impressed with Barclays at all, especially as many people these days don't have regular salary payments and have to get money from any source they can (eg temporary or contract work, boot sales, Ebaying, etc). The banks need to be far more flexible, especially for future generations, many of whom are unlikely to have "regular income" if the current economic situation and work patterns (and graduate unemployment increases) continue. Otherwise we'll all be going back to storing our cash under the mattress or floorboards (which no doubt some people who are fed up with the banks are already doing!!).

Hi Cavim

It sounds to me that the clerk at Barclays was trying to get you to apply for the "Barclays Basic Current Account" which despite its name is not the "basic" bank account - its a full current account but without packaged extras or a monthly fee.

The Barclays "basic" account is called "Barclays Cash Card Account" and as they dont push it you have to be quite insistent that they apply for this account by name.

Its certainly NOT a requirement of the Cash Card Account (which despite its name comes with the option of a full debit card) to have a salary credited.

Co-op are excellent by the way and have no such requirements wither, they have staff who understand the product range and you can also now apply and transact at Britannia branches if this is more convenient.

Roland_Flagg

Sorry, I posted a new thread about these,
whilst I should have posted my question in this thread:

I've been reading about the Barclays and Co-op basic bank accounts.

Both seem to offer a debit card.
But does anyone know if there are any restictions on how you
can use the card?
Can it be used for any online purchases, and depositing
at online bookmakers, as long as you are in credit on the account?

Cheers.

shirleymarye

I have a Co-op debit card and I have used it online for buying things and on William Hill ad other websites for horse racing! I have had it about 3 or 4 years and not had any problems so far.

Padstow

I went to open a Cashminder account at the coop today. That is the basic bank account, and I explained, that I'm moving from my large house and have to sell the contents via EBay or whatever.

I have been told to report, at my appointment tomorrow, with bank statements and direct debits from my present bank. They wan't to see them all.

I won't be showing anyone, unless by a Court order, my bank statements. Get it Coop?
If I open an account, it will be via the phone.

The other total put off was, "Oh so you are xxxx married to xxxx" I asked how did she know? She said my name was distinctive.

I really hate the tittly-tattly nature of market town gossip.

First_Sea_Lord

Taffy99 wrote: »

My Partner suffers from both clinical Depression, and bad Debt problems. She goes through high's and low's, and the debt-based spending follows the depth of depression (and vice versa). Unfortunately, even when she has good days, the debts are obviously still there, and still growing through interest, last month's charges etc.

This all stopped when she finally acceded to opening a Basic Bank Account:

It's taken a long time to help her towards debt recovery, as she often resists being helped when down with depression, as debt is something none of us like dealing with, and depression multiplies the difficulties.

Its difficult, when the person does not want to be helped, even when you are so close. And debts in the family are not one person's concern: like a contagion, they infect and affect everything to do with life, and those around you.
It took a long time to persuade her to close her credit-based accounts (and be able to clear all the balances to allow closure).
Sensing restriction, she didn't want a basic bank account, but in one good month, was persuaded to close current accounts and open a basic account with HSBC.

Unfortunately, HSBC, alike with all banks, is there to make money, not to help.
So 14 months later (and one year depression free) when she fell back into bad habits and started having transactions declined (due to the fantastic way that basic bank accounts dont let you spend what you dont have), the bank calls her up, and quietly offers her a 'full' account 'upgrade', complete with overdraft :mad:
Six months later, calculating the profit of another successful debt-cycle, the bank accepts her further quiet request for an overdraft extension.

Since gaining access to credit, her Debts returned and spiraled through the various charges you get as part of your full 'upgrade' :mad: account.
Her Depression returned, fueled by the complications of bad Debt.

All this only became apparent to me recently, when she broke down and told me. Suddenly the Depression re-lapse that i'd helplessly watched happen over the last 9months, made sense. Her episodes back into Depression started the month of her 'account upgrade' :mad:

It took over 5 years to help her through Debt and Depression, to her own full recovery.
That recovery lasted (and it's a fragile balance to stave off depression) until the bank 'upgraded' her account, to access credit again.

Basic Bank Accounts are great, but banks should not be able to use them as a grooming tool, for selling unsuitable products to vulnerable individuals.

I feel helpless, because she is fiercely independent (or more correctly resists restriction), and there is absolutely no way to prevent, or even know when someone you love, a symbiotic part of your life, is creating a web of debt and deceit that will pull her and those around her down into a long term personalised hell .

(She and) I know the advice and best practice, have setup credit monitoring, online banking, online credit reports, text message banking & alerts etc etc. But its all meaningless, if the vulnerable person and bank hide behind the excuses of privacy and DPA, to hide the debts from you.
You can't make someone you love, show you their debt spending. But their debt spending can make someone you love, show you hell.

P.S.: In this country, depression is a 'dirty' subject for most - a taboo they'd rather not speak about or acknowledge - despite 1 in 4 (nearly 1 in 1 for celebrities) of us suffering, or going to suffer with depression in our lives. It's not 'sexy', it doesn't get people elected, doesn't pull ratings, or improve the brand of the 'famous', so instead it gets swept under the carpet.

P.P.S. I deliberately didn't post this in the 'depression' forum section, as you wouldn't be reading it, if i had done - it does have reference to Basic Bank Accounts though x

Not being judgmental but when will individuals start to think about their own personal responsibility. All too easy to blame others and say I was ill and didn't know what I was doing. I got into debt through my own careless fault. Young and silly pure and simple. It's very easy to take the easy route and then built up debt and blame others...

CarliJ

So has anyone opened one of these lately? I sent my pack off with relivant paperwork just over 2 weeks ago and have heard nothing? How long does it normally take to set the account up? Or should i call them and see whats going on? Whick number to ring too! Sorry for all the quetions! xxx:D

GOLFER

CarliJ wrote: »

So has anyone opened one of these lately? I sent my pack off with relivant paperwork just over 2 weeks ago and have heard nothing? How long does it normally take to set the account up? Or should i call them and see whats going on? Whick number to ring too! Sorry for all the quetions! xxx:D

I set a couple of these accounts up online and got confirmation within a coupl of hours

Then received debit cards, cheque book etc in the post a bout 5 days later.

Still waiting for the DDs and SOs to be sent from my old bank but hopefully soon

hope this helps