Metro bank - new customer review

pmduk

ColdIron wrote: »

However I was in a store once and saw a chap come in and fill up a duffel bag with the free 3 inch pens they have and nobody batted an eyelid

The bookies must have run out!

action_saver

ColdIron wrote: »

Their 1 year and 18 month fixed rate products aren't too bad. Table topping once you ignore the sharia compliant, middle eastern and Nigerian banks

However I was in a store once and saw a chap come in and fill up a duffel bag with the free 3 inch pens they have and nobody batted an eyelid

I think I have seen him before as well.


Its a good sell for the bank though as I have seen Metro Bank pens popping up all over the place.

glider3560

Bloomberg wrote: »

I am struggling to see what Metro Bank have to offer, the extended opening hours are of little use in this day and age of internet and mobile banking. I will be sticking with Barclays for my day to day banking.

The advantages for me are:
1. Telephoning results in speaking to an actual person within seconds. Except First Direct, I don't think any of the other banks offer this.
2. Free withdrawals in Europe still.
3. Free international payment receipts (my salary is paid from an account in Germany). Halifax would be charging me £7 for this every month.
4. Extended opening times are very useful for paying cheques and cash into the account. Very rare, but always useful. The Uxbridge branch was always incredibly busy on Sunday.

innovate

glider3560 wrote: »

3. Free international payment receipts y.

This is interesting. What exchange rate do they use? I.e. How does it compare with the ECB or BoE exchange rate?

glider3560

innovate wrote: »

This is interesting. What exchange rate do they use? I.e. How does it compare with the ECB or BoE exchange rate?

I don't know as the payment is sent in sterling, just from an overseas account.

System

Can SEPA payments be in Sterling or would it have to be a SWIFT transfer?

glider3560 wrote: »

I don't know as the payment is sent in sterling, just from an overseas account.

glider3560

Heng_Leng wrote: »

Can SEPA payments be in Sterling or would it have to be a SWIFT transfer?

I have no idea. But the payments take one working day to arrive after they've been sent from Germany.

mrg9999

I've been with MB for about a year, so far I've only paid in money in change that I've found or been given. They usually give you a gift/free advert for them (luggage tags, bag clips, pens, mouse mats, mug, iphone case, dog bowl, tray, small bear toy, carrier bag, usb pen drive, credit card holder, screen wipes, glasses cleaner, padlock, led torch, headphones, computer mouse, AV software, postcards, umbrella, rain mac, rain hat, baseball cap, sticky tape dispenser.
I may take out their credit card and avail myself of their storage service, as they are cheaper and more convenient than my bank.

alanq

mrg9999 wrote: »

They usually give you a gift/free advert for them (luggage tags, bag clips, pens, mouse mats, mug, iphone case, dog bowl, tray, small bear toy, carrier bag, usb pen drive, credit card holder, screen wipes, glasses cleaner, padlock, led torch, headphones, computer mouse, AV software, postcards, umbrella, rain mac, rain hat, baseball cap, sticky tape dispenser.

I'll have to pay in some loose change. The only thing that I have ever had from them when opening 4 accounts with significant deposits was a ballpoint pen that I helped myself to.

Henman_Bill

Metrobank said it would start charging 1.9% fee (+£1 for cash) from mid-March however in April I took some cash out in Chile and also bought something on my card and I was charged at the middle rate as usual, no such charges.

Hope they don't apply the charges later, but I guess not, one of the transactions was fully 2 weeks ago. My guess is there is some delay in implementing this or a mistake by the bank. I am living abroad and I plan to continue to test the waters by using my card on a semi regular basis until I start to see the charges kick in.