Help Halifax Account in Scotland cannot change to joint names??

jfh7gwa

Also another update - it looks like they've deposited a £50 goodwill payment into my account (i wasn't told about this on the phone).

Of course, it's not exactly a lot considering the amount of time I spent on the phone trying to sort this out (and going into the branch several times, being passed from pillar to post), but it is a nice welcome gesture of "we screwed up, sorry" anyway. Didn't really expect that tbh!

Would have been happy if they'd just been able to fix the problem in the first place, but oh well.

Wammer

I am having a similar nightmare with trying to add the OH to a Halifax account.

I tried to open an Online Saver on 02.04.12, but got a message saying I couldn't open it online and needed to phone them which I did. Then I was told I would need to complete a form and return it to make it a joint account.

I tried to set up a payment to another account, but got an error message. Called them again and was told that I couldn't "make changes" to the account for 7 days. Just as well I opened it with less than I was originally going to as I couldn't access my own money.

The form finally arrived 5 days later, was completed and sent back 2 weeks ago. The account still hasn't been made joint. I have called several times and the answers have ranged from "Wait a while longer" to "Go into the branch as we can't do that on the phone".

Fortunately I called the BoS today before going down. I was told they can't do anything with Halifax accounts apart from accept deposits.

Called the Halifax again. It took 10 mins to go through the menus, speak to someone, clear security and then they put me on hold. For over 5 minutes. I eventually gave up and started all over again. They have no record of receiving the form.

They are sending me out another form. Even if that all goes to plan, it will be 5 weeks between opening the account and finally making it a joint one.

If it all goes to plan. I'm not holding my breath.

In the meantime the bulk of our cash is in an account where the bonus ended 3 weeks ago so it is making a paltry amount. I can't move it to the Online Saver as the OH wouldn't then be eligible for the Prize Draw.

I have made a complaint online, but realise I have missed out some of the fiasco.

What a shower of useless articles.

jfh7gwa

Wammer, I'm sorry about your experience. I wouldn't hold your breath re: the 2nd form being received - as I've mentioned previously, I've had mine "lost" twice. And then the same as you when I went into the branch - the branch MANAGER even told me they can't "do much" with Halifax accounts (opened online, with the Halifax sort code allocated). And then I've rang the helpline only to be told "just pop into the Halifax opposite you, judging by your postcode".... they don't seem to understand how to run a bank/do customer service from a customer's point of view.

In fact every time I see a Halifax/BoS advert on tv now I can't help but give a little snort, my experience has been such a joke in the 4 months I've been a customer.

No £50 goodwill gesture can make up for the nonsense that shouldn't have happened in the first place.

Wammer

Thanks

I have already told them in my complaint that I am seriously thinking of closing my accounts.

I am now on the look out for an easy access online account paying similar interest. One option is to top the LTSB Vantage accounts back up to £5000 each I guess.

steflarne

I started working for Halifax in a call centre shortly after they seperated the two brands (I no longer do btw) and this did become a fairly common compliant I was surpised was never really addressed beyond, as people have said, advising them to get a similar Bank of Scotland account or write to the central address, the latter having a mixed success rate and the former rarely being taken particularly well by customers. For what its worth, if you invisage needing to do anything with your account beyond deposit/withdraw money, it probably isn't worth opening a Halifax account if your not near a branch.

I didn't really see the point of stopping BoS branches dealing with Halifax accounts, doesn't seem to be any advantage and just inconveniced a lot of people.

andy_allblack

I'm off the subject a bit, but still concerning Lloyds banking group, at the moment customers of LTSB in E & W can use LTSB branches in Scotland to conduct their business, what happens when LTSB Scotland is sold off? Will we able to use BOS to deposit/ withdrawal cash, similar to Halifax customers and vice versa?

steflarne

Yeah I believe Lloyds customers can already withdraw/deposit from Halifax/BoS if they want so I'm sure that will continue long as the group stays together. Like most banks, I think, you can also use the post office, though it can take a few more days for it go through as the money and slips have to be send to the actual bank.

damadgeruk

You may have heard that stereotype of Scots being tight? If so, surely banks would benefit from servicing all the money we save! Apparently, Halifax don't know or care.
Having been into my local BoS branch (I hadn't heard of the HBoS split) to open a regular saver for my daughter I was told I'd have to drive to Carlisle to do so! Net result is closure of all my HBoS accounts, it's the only way to deal with such customer service issues IMO. Halifax have no products that make the lacking Scottish access worthwhile for me and were the only reason I was with HBoS.