Halifax - Why is it soooo difficult to open an account!

bofhvp

Reason why you have to "re-apply" for the children's regular savings accounts. Is that its now called Kid's Regular Savings accounts.

After chatting to the guy on the information desk at a branch, was because all the Halifax Children Regular Savings was to be closed when the accounts mature. You then had to re-apply for the same account, but only its now called Kids Regular Savings account AND its run by Lloyds !

Both the accounts are the same, ie both earning your kids 6%. The hassle of not only opening a new account, you also have to supply your child's birth certificate as you are actually opening a new account with a new bank, ie with Lloyds. And I thought they were all as one.

Make you really think, if Lloyds REALLY do want your business with putting us parents through all this hassle.

Why on earth they, Lloyds, couldn't just transfer the accounts along with the child's also ready provided id's when the "new" computer system was being setup, I honestly don't know. How hard could have that been ?

To make matters worst. Both my wife and I each had an account setup. On having to re-apply, I now find out that only ONE parent can now open a Kid's Regular Savings account ! Which was the 1st and only reason we had a Children Regular Savings account.

Anyway. I've looked at the next best regular savings account on here and have applied for an account with Norwich & Peterborough. Which is paying 5%. Only the Child's savings is taxed at your rate. Still it means two regular savings accounts are open and both earning good rate of interest. But one paying tax and one tax free.

Hopefully, we can keep this going as long as were working and until our kid gets to age of 16 and/or 18 years. By then theres a heathly amount of money for their University or whatever they want to do. Although am making sure that I remine the trustee of the account(s). Don't want my kid blow all the money on sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll

opinions4u

Don't want my kid blow all the money on sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll

I wish I had!

adindas

Same here ..

Caroline73 wrote: »

I opened an online savings account with Halifax this week. I've never had any problems with just walking in to my branch to do something. The longest I've ever waited was 10 minutes.

mbailey

bofhvp wrote: »

Reason why you have to "re-apply" for the children's regular savings accounts. Is that its now called Kid's Regular Savings accounts.

After chatting to the guy on the information desk at a branch, was because all the Halifax Children Regular Savings was to be closed when the accounts mature. You then had to re-apply for the same account, but only its now called Kids Regular Savings account AND its run by Lloyds !

Both the accounts are the same, ie both earning your kids 6%. The hassle of not only opening a new account, you also have to supply your child's birth certificate as you are actually opening a new account with a new bank, ie with Lloyds. And I thought they were all as one.

Make you really think, if Lloyds REALLY do want your business with putting us parents through all this hassle.

Why on earth they, Lloyds, couldn't just transfer the accounts along with the child's also ready provided id's when the "new" computer system was being setup, I honestly don't know. How hard could have that been ?

To make matters worst. Both my wife and I each had an account setup. On having to re-apply, I now find out that only ONE parent can now open a Kid's Regular Savings account ! Which was the 1st and only reason we had a Children Regular Savings account.

Thanks for the details. I knew it was the computer swap over, but it does seem strange they make it so hard to open accounts.

We were the same as you, 2 regular savers for each child in both parents name. Now they only allow 1 account per child. :-(

The old Halifax Regular savers were great as they just ticked over and you didn't need to do anything. These new ones look alot more hassle and probably not worth the extra hassle.

tuesday_2

As I was getting hardly any interest on my previous instant access account I decided to close it and put the money into Halifax's instant access. I have no other accounts with the Halifax so took in my passport and my last Nationwide statement as proof of identity to open the account (the utility bills we get in my husband's name). What a performance!

I was asked for permission to do a credit check on me. That wasn't a problem for me but when I queried it was told that without it I couldn't open an account. Next I was asked several times if I always used my middle name (whilst the advisor was scrolling through some kind of database on his computer - could have been electoral register as this was mentioned later). My passport was checked and accepted but then I was told that my Nationwide statement "wasn't on the list of acceptable documents". At this point I gathered my documents together ready to leave. The advisor then did a search of the electoral register and found me on that and agreed to open the account.

cloud_dog

My DD has a savings account with Northern Rock but I wanted her to get used to 'managing' money with a cash card etc. The only bank/bs I have found that allows a cash card at age 7 is the Halifax Young Saver.

So, off I trot to open the account (has to be done in branch) only to be told I'd need to make an appointment (none available) and the appointment will be about 1 hour in duration.

You cant even per-complete the application form.

Long and the short.......... I walked out.

GeorgeHowell

Because of the aggravation of dealing with branches I will not so anything with Halifax that cannot be done 100% online and only then if the interest rate is compellingly high.

Recently tried to open an online account. Some stuff then came through the post saying we had to ring a number for security checks. Hate dealing with call centres so decided not to bother and put the money elsewhere. Then a few weeks later got more paperwork saying that the security stuff could be handled by signing a form and returning it.They obviously don't offer that up front because it's a bit more trouble for them -- only when they find you haven't put any money into the account. Given that many other organisations are able to do it all quickly, simply, and online I don't want to bother wtth the ones who make such a big deal out of it.

I agree with those saying that the whole Lloyds empire is bad for this sort of thing, even though they (Lloyds not Halifax) are better than many others in some respects. They are always trying to get you into the branches with stuff like "to see if we can help you by providing better products and services for your needs." No thanks.

Gromitt

The electronic checks must not have worked for you, perhaps something on your credit report.

I opened a Halifax account online and nobody even rang me, I just received paperwork about 2 weeks later with a debit card inside. So I stuck 1K in the account and got a £5 reward 2 days later. I then opened an online saver which was actioned immediately.

mbailey

It's a shame the kids accounts can't be opened online and are in branch only.

We've had so much grief with our previous childrens regular savers which got mucked up by Halifax when they expired. The branch didn't have a clue what had happened and in the end we had to raise a formal complaint (Halifax's words, not mine) and they said said they would get back to me in 24 hours, 1 week later and nothing received from them.

Ring the call centres and they say, sorry the branch have to fix it! Ring the branch, oh sorry, you need an appointment, they are full today!

Eventually they sorted it and put the money and interest into the correct account with a little compensation.

I wanted to start new regular saver accounts but I just think it will be too much hassle and I don't want to have to spend another hour waiting in branch while they go through the application process. (even though I have accounts with them I have to go through all the security again, as the old accounts were setup in the old system and the security details were not passed across to the new system!)

Halifax - the bank that just doesn't want customers.

cloud_dog

I don't really have much of an issue with opening an account by visiting a branch but my time is valuable to me; I would much rather complete an application form (even paper) at home, submit/provide whatever proof of identify they require and then visit the branch for them to double check/confirm and open the account.

The main reason the institutions are doing this is to undertake a fact find on the parents so as to try to offer other products to them, i.e. when is the renewal for house insurance etc.

Unfortunately for Halifax they may have lost a long term customer who gives them lots of money over the years to come (my DD) all for the sake of trying to get some short term gain in getting information from me which I do not wish to provide.

Their loss.