Metro bank - new customer review

debrag

I have a metro account for my everyday spending and my agency wages or so I thought. Are bacs (or whatever is used) instant or can it take a few days? Was ment to be paid Friday but so far nothing so wondering if its the bank or the agency have the wrong details

RobertinHerts

Metro generally seems to be a couple of days behind in listing items.

Doc_N

Is it just me, or do others find the website pretty awful?

Extremely slow, doesn't seem to work properly in Firefox (or IE for that matter) and seems to work reliably only in Safari, which very few PC users use!

I find the contrast with First Direct pretty appalling, and I do wonder how secure it is. Are they short of money perhaps, and can't run to a decent website?

System

Must be you. I have banked with nearly all the mainstream and some non-mainstream banks in the UK and I find the Metro Bank online banking experience pretty excellent. Miles better than the Co-op/smile, NatWest, Midland, NPBS, Nationwide, Citibank and most others. Very comprehensive, looks good, regularly being improved and updated and it allows me to do everything I need online except for cancelling direct debits.

I use OmniWeb on a Mac, but have accessed it with Firefox, Camino, IE, Opera and Safari and it seems to work fine.

What does the First Direct site let you do that Metro Bank onloine banking doesn't?

Doc_N

scgf wrote: »

Must be you. I have banked with nearly all the mainstream and some non-mainstream banks in the UK and I find the Metro Bank online banking experience pretty excellent. Miles better than the Co-op/smile, NatWest, Midland, NPBS, Nationwide, Citibank and most others. Very comprehensive, looks good, regularly being improved and updated and it allows me to do everything I need online except for cancelling direct debits.

I use OmniWeb on a Mac, but have accessed it with Firefox, Camino, IE, Opera and Safari and it seems to work fine.

What does the First Direct site let you do that Metro Bank onloine banking doesn't?

I see you're a frequent defender of Metro Bank. Nothing wrong with that, of course - I'm pleased to see that it has such a happy customer.

I opened the account mainly for the fee-free card to use at overseas ATMs. I have to say that the experience in-branch was excellent, and I was impressed also by the fee-free overdraft facility.

I have to say that my experience with the online banking was just awful. It's extremely slow (far slower than any other online banking I've ever come across) and I had to use several browsers to get it to operate correctly.

Firefox failed completely, and the helpline advised me to use IE instead. That didn't work properly so the advice was to try Opera. That brought up the following message:

<retail.metrobankonline.co.uk>

This browser is not a supported browser. Please use Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Chrome or Safari

Only Safari worked normally, and how many PC users use that?

First Direct does, for example, allow you to cancel Direct Debits online, but more importantly it works well and it moves very quickly between screens.

The only advantages I can see in Metro Bank are the fee-free overseas ATM usage, and the fee-free overdraft. Genuine advantages, surely, but whether they're worth opening an account for is up to individuals' own usage patterns. The online banking is truly awful, I'm afraid.

System

I defend Metro Bank because it is a good bank. I opened my account soon after it opened its first branch and I expected a few teething problems - and there were a few. The online banking experience was a little rough round the edges, for example, and I had some issues setting up standing orders.

Less than two years later I see a very good bank which is branch focussed, unlike most other banks, and which offers, in my opinion, the best online banking service available.

I work with computers so understand a little of how these things work and I do appreciate that the Metro Bank online web site works in a way which is not going to be that fast on mediocre machines. Maybe that is your problem? They outsource their IT operation to a company called niu Solutions which offers the bank a scalable solution which can grow as the customer base grows.

I see the sycophantic support for FirstFirect in this forum, a bank which IMO is pretty mediocre at best - poor interest rates on credit cards, for example, high overdraft rates, charges on overseas transactions - it appears that they answer the phone pretty quickly and that seems to make them an 'excellent bank'. I've never understood the appeal.

To say that the 'only' advantages of Metro Bank are the fee-free overseas ATM usage, and the fee-free overdraft is a bit crass - what about the ease of opening an account (less than one hour in-store and you get the debit card, cheque book and online banking set up and ready to use), the extended opening hours even on bank holidays. the excellent customer service, the low interest rates on credit cards and overdraft . . I could go on.

I had an issue the other day where I exceeded my overdraft and a direct debit was returned unpaid. The charge for that is £5 but the bank credited my account with £10 for my trouble. How good is that?

It is interesting that we are so completely polarised about this online banking experience. There is indeed something strange going on there. My suggestion to you would be to close the account if you're not happy and move elsewhere.

Doc_N

scgf wrote: »

Less than two years later I see a very good bank which is branch focussed, unlike most other banks, and which offers, in my opinion, the best online banking service available.

I work with computers so understand a little of how these things work and I do appreciate that the Metro Bank online web site works in a way which is not going to be that fast on mediocre machines. Maybe that is your problem?

I see the sycophantic support for FirstFirect in this forum, a bank which IMO is pretty mediocre at best - poor interest rates on credit cards, for example, high overdraft rates, charges on overseas transactions - it appears that they answer the phone pretty quickly and that seems to make them an 'excellent bank'. I've never understood the appeal.

Your fervent support for Metro Bank every time anybody posts something negative (which is pretty often) intrigues me, as it has others.

If you really think it offers the best online service available, you clearly haven't tried First Direct or the many other banks that provide better online banking than Metro Bank - and without the problems. Mediocre machine? Hardly, I can assure you. This is clearly a Metro Bank issue - and that was admitted to me by one of their people.

I find your comments about the 'sycophantic support' for First Direct quite amusing, given the way you jump in every time there's a criticism of Metro Bank anywhere in these forums. People support FD because it operates efficiently, with very, very few problems, and large numbers of people use it and like it for that reason. I'm one of them, and I'm already finding that Metro Bank just isn't in the same league - telephone call handling so far has been just about OK, but not a patch on First Direct.

I'm trying to be objective about this, in a way that you seem to struggle with. I've got no axe to grind either way, and I'm the first to accept that the fee-free ATM use and overdraft facilities are very good. But the website is not, and I'm going to be one of a large number of people, I suspect, sticking with First Direct for a main account, but using Metro occasionally for the services it does cheaply.

If you need a branch to conduct your everyday banking and live within reach of one of the small number of Metro branches, that's fine. Most of us, I suspect, don't need a branch very often, and don't live near a Metro branch anyway.

System

I don't really think there is much point in arguing about which is the best bank. I suspect we are very, very different characters - looking at your posts on this forum I can see that most clearly.

It is horses for courses at the end of the day, but I will stand up for something when I see unfair posts about it. Metro bank online banking is nowhere near as poor as you suggest. Fact. A lot of other banks have a much more basic online banking experience without a doubt.

You suggest that fee-free foreign transactions are important to you yet your preferred bank, FirstDirect, does not offer this facility.

My objectivity comes from having had current accounts with all the high street banks and several online or non-local banks like AIB, Bank of Ireland, smile, Secure Trust (some years ago mind). I feel it is fair to comment on things when one has had experience of them. Likewise you are completely justified in giving your opinion - I just question the words you use like 'The online banking is truly awful, I'm afraid.'. 'Truly awful' is just not appropriate because when using comparative language it makes it difficult to describe the sites which are worse - and you surely can't be suggesting Metro Bank's online service is worse than any other?

Are you suggesting I shouldn't jump in to support Metro Bank as I do? It really is no skin off my nose if this is the case. You appear to have a lot more time on your hands to post than I do.

I'm happy with Metro Bank, you're not. Simples.

giblet10

Personally, my opinion of Metro Bank has gone from good to middle of the road.

I recently wanted to increase my credit card limit so applied online - it isn't automated like my current bank (IF) so it went off to an agent. I waited. And waited. And waited. Two weeks later I phoned them "oh so you want to extent your business overdraft" came back the response "no, I don't have a business account and we're discussing my credit card" said I.

Eventually we got there - but it wasn't as easy as having a conversation with Intelligent Finance.

That said, their USP for me was the immediate issue of plastic and to be fair they are trying to be different - I dislike banks intently so anything that's refreshing is a good thing.

Middle of the road is my experience with them. Just my thoughts..

Doc_N

More problems with Metro Bank, I'm afraid - Faster Payments this time.

Two test payments into the account from different banks earlier this morning, and neither of them is showing up yet as available.

I see from looking at this thread that Metro Bank doesn't seem to be able to handle Faster Payments properly (with most banks it's instant) - sadly, another flaw making the account difficult to use as a full bank account. I'm trying to be fair to it, but it's not looking good.

Does anyone know how long these payments take to reach the account, or how long it takes for FPs out to credit?