Alliance & Leicester c/a - the truth

muni50

I think I might give A&L the benefit of the doubt. I mean, their 0% overdraft facility is great. I could use it to my advantage and fill up my ISA to the max during next financial year.

One last question. If you get their high interest c/a (is it called "direct" the one giving 6.1%), i understand it is an online account.

If you were to have some trouble, can you still pop in a branch to discuss any problems with any branch manager/people? Or will they just say "sorry, you only have an online account, we cant help you".

Does anyone know if you can aplpy for such account through wuidco and also get the friend referral money?

Thanks

cheggers

muni50 wrote:

I think I might give A&L the benefit of the doubt. I mean, their 0% overdraft facility is great. I could use it to my advantage and fill up my ISA to the max during next financial year.

One last question. If you get their high interest c/a (is it called "direct" the one giving 6.1%), i understand it is an online account.

If you were to have some trouble, can you still pop in a branch to discuss any problems with any branch manager/people? Or will they just say "sorry, you only have an online account, we cant help you".

Does anyone know if you can aplpy for such account through wuidco and also get the friend referral money?

Thanks

Yes you can speak to counter staff about account problems

I'll recommend you, you have a PM

MarkyMarkD

jetboy wrote:

All of this 'advice' was via telephone banking and twice they have babbled variations of the same nonsense. As for a bankers draft..that's the only thing the vendor wanted. I gave A&L then benefit of the doubt on that but I draw the line at the chaps nonsense which they incidentally refused to do any other way.

As an aside, any vendor who prefers a banker's draft to cash is mad as cash is cash, whilst banker's drafts can be stolen and hence worthless.

I've never had duff info from A&L telephone banking; what you say is pretty awful and you should write in and complain. I don't believe they've given you the right advice in those cases.

The Premier User Guide states:

You can arrange a Banker’s Draft or CHAPS payment by phoning our Customer Service Centre on 08459 26 26 26

None of those transactions should involve going into a branch in the first instance (possibly to collect the banker's draft, but I thought they were sent out by registered post) and the CHAPS one shouldn't require going into a branch at all.

GeordieSaver

I've had an A&L Premier Direct Account for well over a year now and never had any hassle. Also, hidden in Internet Banking is the Secure Message service - so ask away if you are unsure about what services are on offer - they reply within 24 hours and saves the phone bill!

reserved

I have had an A & L Premier account for several years and have no complaints.
The switching process went well with no problems.
I have always found CS very helpful, either on the phone or via the Secure Message service.

Stephen_Leak

The only "problem" I've had is one DD which has yet to transfer over. However, this probably due to the payee. I left sufficient funds to cover these in both accounts, as I know they can be problematical.

As a "financial control freak", the ability to download statements on demand is brilliant, and the ability to pay in at Post Offices is very useful.

The only problem I've had with their telephone people (in Liverpool, not Lahore!) was when I mentioned that I had arranged for my salary from my new employer to be paid into my new A&L account, and the bloke the other end threatened me with an under-funding charge. Don't make me angry. You wouldn't like me when I'm angry. I turn bright green and my molecules swell up.

Where's this messaging service? I agree its well hidden!

YorkshireBoy

Stephen_Leak wrote: »

Where's this messaging service?

Log in
Click 'help'
Click 'contact us'
Click 'other ways to contact us'
Click 'send us a secure message'

davidandshelleylockett

A&L have been good for me with internet banking very easy. The only issue I have with them is the fact that it seems to take 3 days to transfer money between a Single account into a Joint account which can't be right.

lininjim

I have just switched to A&L from Abbey and already I am regretting it.
My mortgage direct debit apparently didn't reach the mortgage company so we have a charge for that. Now my credit card company say they have no mandate in place and I am having to sort that out as well.
A&L say it's not their fault as they sent the info via bacs, the mortgage people say they never received it, meanwhile I'm stuck with an unfair charge, having trusted their "premier switching service"
I have spoken to some extremely nice people and I have spoken to some depressingly rude people and nobody wants to help.

I am seriously considering switching away from them but am worried about the implications of changing banks twice in 3 months.

This is supposed to be an internet bank but you can't deal with problems over the internet, you have to send in copies of things.

In the end though it all comes down to personal choice, just because I wouldn't recommend them to my greatest enemy doesn't mean they are a bad bank, it's just in my eyes they are.

morg_monster

I switched to A&L from HSBC about this time last year, mainly for the interest free overdraft, as the OP is I was a graduate still with an o/d. I have found them fine on the whole, my observations would be:

-internet banking not as nice looking as HSBC but then i think they are one of the best
-Slower payments - as someone has said paying money to another A&L account can take 3 days. Also A&L I believe add an extra day to the cycle when paying external accounts which means BACs payments take an extra day. I really noticed this extra day.
-I still used my HSBC account to pay in small cheques to as you aren't supposed to be able to pay in to A&L branches for cheques under £500. friendly branch staff may make an exception though - i never asked.
-I have had to contact A&L three times over the year. One just for an account query, one for closing my ISA, and just last week for cancelling a lost cheque. All three times they were polite and helpful and I didn't have to wait very long to speak to someone.
-had almost exactly the same experience as jetboy with a bankers draft - but it was my fault, I just didn't realise you had to call and arrange one to be sent by post. one of the downsides of an "internet only" account I guess. Fortunately, as jetboy did, I arranged to withdraw a load of cash out from A&L and took it across the road to get a counter cheque from Nationwide instead.
-oh very important point - I did all the switching process myself. I'm sure I saved myself headaches doing it this way.

Now my year is up and I have paid off my overdraft I am going to leave A&L and transfer my current account banking to Nationwide. Yes the interest rates are lower but they are still better than Natwest, HSBC et al and since its not an introductory rate my money will be happy there for a while. Also payments will be much quicker, hooray. I am going to keep the A&L account and turn it into into a joint account with my BF for bills etc, so that shows I was reasonably happy with it.