First direct account opening procedure

Mishomeister

Currently I am applying for a first direct current account for a purpose of being able to have 8% Regular save. After reading all the good reviews about them and also wanting that Reg saver I have made an application on Sunday evening.
Only on Tuesday I have received a response that they will senfd me an application form to sign.
When I've clicked on apply button on their website, I was given an option either to fill an application form online and apply or download an application form and send it off to them.
Being under impression that it is going to be an instant application I've chosen an online option. After filling an online form, surprisely instead of bein given an instant decision, I was told that first direct will get in touch with me.
On Tuesday afternoon they have sent me an email, saying that they will send me an application form to sign( I have not got it yet).

So firstly I could've just downloaded the form and sent it, but apparently you are getting penalised by doing an application online, by having to wait until they look at your application and send you the form.
Secondly if I get a form on Thursday and send it to them, they will get it at earliest on Friday, and therefore they will only look at it next week.
I don't fill that taking over a week to get an account open is ureasonably long, as if you go to a high street branch you get a decision in about an hour of whether you get an account or not.
I have always been under impression that I first direct is a bank for a busy people whoa don't have much time to spend on banking so prefer to use an internet or telephone banking, now I see that I was wrong.
My question to forum users is: How long did it take you to open an account with First direct and if you all had a similar experience ?

tellmeitsfriday

I applied for my First Account on the phone (after having my big fight with Santander), and the lady I spoke to told me straight away that I'd been accepted, but that they would send out a completed form for me to sign and return.

After posting back the signed form I got another letter with my account details, and my debit card arrived a day or so after that. I applied the Friday before August Bank Holiday last year, and had everything I required to escape the evilness of the Spanish Bank within 10 days.

Baldur

Be aware that you will be drowning in mail from FD for the first couple of weeks. Great bank from my experience.

Helix

It took about 4 days after posting the form back to them to get my account number and sort code and probably 2 weeks in total to get debit cards and PINs etc.

Mishomeister

Woul it be more practical for me to forget about those forms and applyon the phone instead ?

Baldur

Mishomeister wrote: »

Woul it be more practical for me to forget about those forms and applyon the phone instead ?

You have to sign an application and return it to them one way or another, you'd probably simply delay things more.

Mishomeister

Baldur wrote: »

You have to sign an application and return it to them one way or another, you'd probably simply delay things more.

But wouldn't I at least get a decission if I am accepted instantly ?

Baldur

Mishomeister wrote: »

But wouldn't I at least get a decission if I am accepted instantly ?

You may do, but initial decisions are always liable to be subject to further checks, so can be overturned - is there such a big problem about waiting a few days?

samwsmith1

From my experience the email is basically a your accepted - and I recall reading on here someone got rejected instantly online, I think they just need to form for there records.
As someone else said expect a few letters a day for a couple of weeks from account opening.

Mishomeister

Baldur wrote: »

You may do, but initial decisions are always liable to be subject to further checks, so can be overturned - is there such a big problem about waiting a few days?

Just I will be away for a whole next week.

meer53

Mishomeister wrote: »

Would doubt it, as I could not see a profile for me created and applcation scored through for credit search. As I work for HSBC, I can see most of the first direct info on internal system, unless they do a standalone search on Experian and then just open an account without any further credit scoring, which I would doubt as it would be very strange that their procedure was that different from HSBC.

Be careful what you look at on the HSBC system with regard to your own accounts and any possible first direct accounts. You may land yourself in deep trouble !