A & L Premier Direct Current Account

Snoozehughes

I've currently got a bog standard HSBC current account and am looking for something with a higher rate of interest.

Obviously this A&L option with 6.1% AER appeals a lot, it sounds quite a bit better than most others and can be accessed online which is what I was looking for.

I am aware that I would have to pay in £500 per month and that isn't a problem. The 0% overdraft is great too, I got charged £50 a few months ago by HSBC!!

I was wondering if any of you have this account and if there are any pitfalls which might not seem obvious to me right now.

Thanks for your input.

KTF

Their online banking is a bit rubbish which can be a pain as you have limited branch facilities but once its up and running its pretty straightforward as long as you remember to pay in £500 a month - it doesnt have to stay in there as you can transfer it out again.

Dagobert

Transfers from A&L take a day longer as A&L hold on to the funds for a day before passing it to the BACS clearing cycle.

A transfer from HSBC on Monday arrives on Wednesday. From A&L it would be Thursday.

molerat

If you want to withdraw cash over the counter in a branch there is a minimum of £250. This was brought up in another thread as a problem.

crawley_girl

I agree, the website is a bit old and clunky for want of a better word. Telephone banking isn't all that but the cashiers in branch more than compensate for that.
There were some minor hiccups when I came to switching accounts such as cancelling standing orders/ direct debits with old bank before they were set up with A&L.
Sorry to sound negative but this is just my experience of them so far!

:heartpuls CG :heartpuls

Arkad

Websites a bit naff and customer services are on an 0870 number (although there are alternatives if you do a bit of legwork). There's a £5 charge if you don't transfer the requisite £500 per month.

Apart from that, in my opinion, it's the best current account around. I made £200 in A+L incentives and used the 0% overdraft to fund the account each month.

165721

If you dont have any friends to refer you (to get your £50 sign up cashback) go through quidco.co.uk as they have a £50 cashback on there!

masonic

Arkad wrote:

Websites a bit naff and customer services are on an 0870 number

When did this happen? When I opened my account it was 0845.

Essenchill

I have applied for this account, did so on Tuesday and got two emails straight back, one saying they would confirm if my application was accepted in 48 hours and another saying they would confirm if my application was accepted in 24 hours, I haven't recieved word yet and now its Friday... is this a sign that maybe this is a bad move?

Should I start chasing them? I don't have any reference number or anything except my name/address to get them to track the application! Anyone else found they didn't get back to them?

Fill_7

ive banked with a&L for 14 years now, changed my account to premier direct about a year ago. i cant recall any problems banking with them, apart from charging me when i go over my overdraft for a day! not many branches no, but u can pay cash/chqs in and withdraw cash at any Post Office free of charge. and in those 14 years, ive always had an 0845 number to ring cs.

hth

mleonard79

customer services are on an 0870 number (although there are alternatives if you do a bit of legwork).

Well here's the legwork for you - it's pretty easy really!

I use an 0800 number for customer services - 08000688638 (it's the number for credit card cutsomer services but if you just press 2 it puts you straight through to the current account customer services that is on the 0845 number!)