Ringing banks - how to keep the costs down?

innovate

I see many posts here, and on the savings/ISA boards, where people mention calls to banks, for standard transactions, and/or to resolve issues.

Most of the numbers I have seen for banks are 0844, 0845 or even 0870 numbers, so cost a fair whack of money by the time you have gone from option 5 to option 3 to option 7 and back etc, listened to some lengthy announcements (like "have you thought of visiting us on doubleyou-doubleyou-doubleyou-we-are-bankers-dot-com", and "we are regulated by the Financial Services Authority and may monitor calls blah blah blah"), then listen to some usually dreadful muzzak, and then, may be, finally get to speak to someone who speaks your language and can actually help with your call.

What are people doing to keeping the costs for such calls down? Is there any single approach people are using? Is it worth trying to contain these costs, or is it not something you worry about? Please cast your vote on whether a guide for cheapest calls would be useful.

I couldn't find a single "fits all" approach for contacting banks about existing accounts, so I am doing any of the following, as appropriate:

1. try to use the internal messaging system - ok if no instant answer , or extensive discussion, is required
2. only ever call from mobile if life depends on the call (basically never!). [I appreciate not everyone has access to a landline, though]
3. find an 0800 number on the bank's website, and hope one of the options gets you to where you want to get to
4. use saynoto0870.com to find a freefone, or switchboard number
5. use a dial-prefix, or someone like 18185, found on the MSE callchecker

Am I missing something obvious?

(NB. please can the First Direct appreciation society spare us with talk of brilliant FD phone support, and instead tell us how we can reduce the cost of calling FD).

GazHatesBanks

Just to add that many banks issue geographical numbers you can call from abroad, this is usually on statements or on the back of credit/debit cards but work equally well from the UK.

Also check your phone tariff - many now allow 0870 within your call bundle although annoyingly not always for the 0844/0845 numbers.

samwsmith1

With FD I'm sure if you ask they'll ring you back, you can message them with your query and ask for a callback or tweet them and ask for a call back.

I always just use the geo number for banks though from my mobile and use my unlimited minutes.

innovate

GazHatesBanks wrote: »

Just to add that many banks issue geographical numbers you can call from abroad, this is usually on statements or on the back of credit/debit cards but work equally well from the UK

Yes, most do - - though the other day I tried calling the Santander UK Helpdesk on 01908 238013, just to get a message saying something like "Thanks for calling. The number you called is for customers calling from outside the UK. Please re-dial blah blah blah".

MoneySaverLog

Banks are OK they give the equivalent 01 telephone numbers. It's the likes of Sky that are the problem they refuse to give out the 01506 number that their 0844 numbers are ported across to. Any number listed on say no to 0870 is soon disconnected by them too.

pqrdef

1. Remind yourself that call centres are crap. There's a high chance that the adviser will make a mistake with your transaction, or feed you misinformation, or fob you off with any old rubbish, or just not be able to do anything or tell you anything. Do you really need to make that call, or are you just phone-addicted?

2. I rarely pay to phone a bank because my broadband/phone deal includes free evening/weekend calls to 0845 numbers. It means I have to sit on my hands until 7 pm. Probably too stressful for the mobile generation, emotionally dependent on instant communication.

3. Don't use an 01 number instead of a cheaper 0845 number.

pmduk

I only have a mobile, no landline at all. I found a useful app called 08 wizard which converts numbers beginning 08 to the appropriate 01 number. On the rare occasions that doesn't work I'll resort to saynoto0870.

Vortigern

First Direct do publish a geographic number 0113 276 6166 for those people who find that cheaper than 0845. The also have the far more memorable 01132345678 (Leeds 2345678) for people calling from abroad. Would they refuse to deal with a UK caller on that number?

I rarely call banks (or any call centre). I prefer online banking. I would use secure messaging for queries/enquiries, which leads to my complaint:- Why do some banks not have a secure messaging facility for queries? Halifax for example have no online messaging except for complaints.

agrinnall

innovate wrote: »

Yes, most do - - though the other day I tried calling the Santander UK Helpdesk on 01908 238013, just to get a message saying something like "Thanks for calling. The number you called is for customers calling from outside the UK. Please re-dial blah blah blah".

The answer to this is to prefix the number with 141 so they can't tell where you are calling from.

jen245

I do it from work, or use the geographical landline number from my mobile, but mostly from work

innovate

agrinnall wrote: »

The answer to this is to prefix the number with 141 so they can't tell where you are calling from.

Nope, I had already tried that. Gives you the same message.