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£125 First Direct Account Opening Bonus

24

Comments

  • K_P83 wrote: »
    I'm interested to see how this works.

    I saw your link & it does indeed say £125.
    Yet when i go on the FD website itself, it states £100.

    So how does that work then & which one is accurate?
    http://www.interactive.firstdirect.com/moneysupermarketexclusive/ :)
  • Nine_Lives
    Nine_Lives Posts: 3,031 Forumite
    Thanks for clearing that up.
  • alanq
    alanq Posts: 4,216 Forumite
    1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    edited 13 January 2012 at 11:23AM
    I applied the last time they ran the £125 offer.

    The agent who registered me for phone banking tried to tell me that I would have to use the switching service to get the £100/£125 on signing up. I pointed out that the website had no such restriction on the joining payment and it was the £100 on leaving if dissatisfied payment that required the switching service to have been used. She consulted a colleague and confirmed that I was right and she was wrong.

    Update: The January 2012 offer IS conditional on using the switching service.

    Other than that there have been no issues. The payment was added to my account without chasing days after my first month's salary was paid in.
    Sleazy wrote: »
    You must credit this account with £1,500 per month to prevent £10 monthly account fee.
    If you hunt around the First Direct website you will find that there are other ways of avoiding paying £10 per month such as opening a savings account (NOT Regular Savings!!!). However, it is necessary to pay in the £1,500 pm until you receive the joining incentive.
  • Nine_Lives
    Nine_Lives Posts: 3,031 Forumite
    An eSaver & dumping the grand total of £1 in it should stop that £10 charge. At least it did when i opened my regular saver.


    So to get the £100 exit fee, you need to exit within 12 months of joining.

    Obviously you'll need a valid reason. So what do you say?

    "I'm leaving because i don't like you" <-- surely this wont work.
    "i'm leaving because i don't like the telephone manner of someone i spoke to" <-- quite an accusation. Maybe they'd want more details, which you wouldn't be able to provide as it's a fake story.

    So what'd be your reason?
  • K_P83 wrote: »
    An eSaver & dumping the grand total of £1 in it should stop that £10 charge. At least it did when i opened my regular saver.


    So to get the £100 exit fee, you need to exit within 12 months of joining.

    Obviously you'll need a valid reason. So what do you say?

    "I'm leaving because i don't like you" <-- surely this wont work.
    "i'm leaving because i don't like the telephone manner of someone i spoke to" <-- quite an accusation. Maybe they'd want more details, which you wouldn't be able to provide as it's a fake story.

    So what'd be your reason?
    I wouldn't be able to give a reason because they're so good!
    If they carry on the same they've got a customer for life :).
  • Nine_Lives
    Nine_Lives Posts: 3,031 Forumite
    samwsmith1 wrote: »
    I wouldn't be able to give a reason because they're so good!
    If they carry on the same they've got a customer for life :).

    Tbh there wouldn't be a legitimate reason - its just be to get the £100 leaving fee. I have no issue with first direct really - but they don't offer me anything that my other banks don't offer me either (apart from Santander).

    They don't have a building on the high street - but this can hardly be used as a reason for leaving as you should be aware of this before you join up.

    So what successful reasons have others given?
  • Idiophreak
    Idiophreak Posts: 12,024 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    A kinda on-topic question...

    I currently bank with FD and need a joint account to pay cheques into, mainly. I assume I can't get the bonus again for opening a joint account, as I'm an existing customer, but would I have to pay *another* 1500/month into the joint account to keep it free, or would the fact that the cash goes into my current account be enough?
  • YorkshireBoy
    YorkshireBoy Posts: 31,541 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    Idiophreak wrote: »
    I currently bank with FD and need a joint account to pay cheques into, mainly. I assume I can't get the bonus again for opening a joint account, as I'm an existing customer, but would I have to pay *another* 1500/month into the joint account to keep it free, or would the fact that the cash goes into my current account be enough?
    http://www2.firstdirect.com/1/PA_1_4_S5/content/content_static/pdf/rates_charges.pdf;jsessionid=0000Mc0b4yxWLYYSueoMtXROz-5:11jk49v2v (see Banking Fee Waivers)

    If you already pay >£1,500 into the sole account you might want to consider opening a savings account and funding it with £1 to avoid the fee on the joint account.

    But...if FD's customer service is as good as many on here say then I'm sure they'll be able to answer your question if you ring them?
  • pfpf
    pfpf Posts: 5,139 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    i have just signed up and got my online access sorted via TB.

    is this normal when the account is 1st opened?

    17082007005715311220111.jpg

    i can navigate around and see my personal details etc but not my specific account details which were given to me at the end of the signup process.

    also:
    how do you start the switching process? i had to enter old account details on signup but never had a switching question asked during the process.
    maybe i will see the option online? or is it a call to TB?

    thanks in advance.
  • alanq
    alanq Posts: 4,216 Forumite
    1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    Paperwork to request move of direct debits should come in the post within the next week as should cards, PINs and cheque books (if applicable)
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