Flying solo

*Robin*

HeadAboveWater wrote: »

I opened an account with FD a couple months ago. Very easily done. Very straight forward. And they were very helpful on the phone. All (2) dds transferred ok. No complaints so far!! Just waiting (im)patiently on my £100 sign up bonus!

I don't get £1500 a month so I opened the e-saver account and lodged a few £ which waives the monthly fee

Aha! Thank you HAW, I didn't realise an e-saver account alone was an option. That could be ideal - I'll have another look at their web-site when I've sorted out the Land Registry stuff (just found out that is going to slow me down some more, as I need another document from the solicitor. Am racking up a bill with him, what with the Swear, a new Will and now this).

Presumably First Direct do everything on line? How long did it take you to get the account running, HAW, oh and did they want to send you anything by post?

HeadAboveWater

I signed up online for their 1st account and e-saver, then had to post them 2 forms of ID. This bit took me ages coz I do everything online (so no paper statements!) and only recently moved in with OH (so all bills are in his name!) Ummmmm just checked my FD thread... signed up online 08 Aug and account opened on 09 Sep. But like I said, there was quite a bit of to-ing and fro-ing for me coz of the ID stuff!

Think the only thing I did via post (other than ID) was confirm my so/dd lists.

I've had to ring a few times and they answer within 2 or 3 rings which is brilliant!! None of that 'press 1 for x, press 2 for y...' crap!

*Robin*

Hello again HAW, :wave: thanks for the very useful information! :T

HeadAboveWater wrote: »

I signed up online for their 1st account and e-saver, then had to post them 2 forms of ID. This bit took me ages coz I do everything online (so no paper statements!) and only recently moved in with OH (so all bills are in his name!) Ummmmm just checked my FD thread... signed up online 08 Aug and account opened on 09 Sep. But like I said, there was quite a bit of to-ing and fro-ing for me coz of the ID stuff!

Ah, I see, you did open both 1st a/c & e-saver. Ok. No shortage of ID for me, but I am about to leave this address so them sending me stuff could be difficult, at least for a few weeks. Want it sorted out before leaving, really.

HeadAboveWater wrote: »

Think the only thing I did via post (other than ID) was confirm my so/dd lists.

Oh gawd, is it obligatory to give them SOs and DDs? That would slow me down even more.
..Right, just had a look - they want a couple; I could do that.
Wish I knew whether I can tuck any funds away for 12 months - their 8% interest deal is fantastic by current standards.

HeadAboveWater wrote: »

I've had to ring a few times and they answer within 2 or 3 rings which is brilliant!! None of that 'press 1 for x, press 2 for y...' crap!

That is an advantage!

Hmm, will have to leave it just now - the Land Registry stuff is more complicated that I thought it would be - can anyone else hear the solicitor's charge-meter going kerching! kerching!?
Aargh, not MSE at all! :eek:
Am beginning to regret paying off that last interest-bearing loan at the moment - think more funds might be needed in my current account at the rate this is all going.

*Robin*

Hello Diary,

In the dumps today. Fuzzy headed too; can't remember where I got to yesterday, paper-work-wise, and do not even have the energy to open the ten letters Ms Postlady brought me this morning.

On the plus side, daft dogs and I have almost managed to empty the fridge (so maybe it really is time to get out of here?).

Think I need a kick up the derrière!

The_Dragon

Bootage applied!

*Robin*

The_Dragon wrote: »

Bootage applied!

Thank you Dragon!

Well, I opened the letters. There were three from the bank I am getting increasingly frustrated with:
1. A letter thanking me for paying off my loan.
2. A letter saying that they've noticed my SO payment for the loan has been cancelled; warning me not to risk falling behind in payments - and enclosing a form to set up a new SO.
3. A letter saying my PPI claim has been refused.

Re. Number 3 - can I ask them to send me the 'evidence' they say they used, to refuse the claim?

Am fed up. Daft Dogs can take me for a looong walk; at least the sun is shining.

Igamogam

All I can say about banks is ones to avoid - The Black Horse. The Spanish One ( with sporting endorsements) and the dodgy Scottish Yorkshire combo - all best given a very wide berth Heard good things about FD though

NewLeaf_2

hope you are feeling better after the dogs walked you x

*Robin*

Hello Diary and MSE friends, :wave:

Night-shift here again; too tired to sleep at the end of a funny old day.

NewLeaf wrote:

hope you are feeling better after the dogs walked you

Yes thank you, NewLeaf it was a lovely afternoon, though a bit chilly. Didn't quite do the trick though; foolish woman that I am, I indulged in a little retail therapy afterwards..

Went past the fishmonger's just as he was closing - couldn't resist a whole wild salmon for a fiver! It was a beautiful fish, lovely and fresh. Took ages to scale, bone and fillet; I had a chunk for dinner, gave one to a deserving cause who was surprised and grateful (my good deed for the day ). And there are another eight double-size fillets in the freezer (so much for it almost being empty, lol). Daft Dogs are looking forward to their share tomorrow, boiled up as Old Dog doesn't like it raw (strange dog). I've not had much practise de-constructing whole salmon, so there's a fair bit left on the bones which I'll separate in the morning - hooray two more pouches of doggy-food saved, and another higher quality dinner for them (can't be bad).

Igamogam wrote: »

All I can say about banks is ones to avoid - The Black Horse. The Spanish One ( with sporting endorsements) and the dodgy Scottish Yorkshire combo - all best given a very wide berth Heard good things about FD though

Think I'll see if I can open an FD a/c with a small deposit, Igamogam, and shift funds across when I've got some. I do like the look of their high interest savings account.

Another job for tomorrow is to challenge the annoying bank's refusal to accept my PPI claim - which they call a complaint. Not happy about that as I must have told them I was self employed. They want 'complaint' - fine. :mad:

*Robin*

Hello Diary,

The house stinks of fish, I stink of fish, and I feel cold right into my bones today. Think I've picked up a bug from somewhere; time to get out the echinacea and turn on the hot water for an extra shower, see if that clears m'head.

Paid my medical bills [and DS' final dental bill - he now has a lovely set of gnashers ], so must send off receipts to the insurance companies - should get it all back bar £70 (those policies are definitely worth hanging onto, as they've saved me over £1.5K recently plus a very long wait to get to the top of the NHS queues. In fact DS' treatment isn't available on the NHS at all).
Still haven't decided whether to have the op I need now, or wait until the problem gets worse - when I was boning that salmon it was obvious just how much fine motor control I've already lost (which is why Daft Dogs are going to get such a good dinner tonight!).

Then I'd better have another look at the PPI business - now wish I'd gone straight to the Ombudsman rather than trusting that bank to sort it out. <sigh>

Don't expect to hear from the solicitor until next week (and that's going at lightening speed for him). So can leave those files for now.

Right. Time to go and do something useful - get the meat off the salmon bones for Daft Dogs' dinner, then wash off the stink in the shower.