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HSBC now charging £5.50 a month for "free" Business Banking

135

Comments

  • booler
    booler Posts: 1,365 Forumite
    Stay away from the FSB. They are a self serving shower of dinosaurs who are still trying to get to grips with email!

    I had free banking from the Alliance and Leicester, which was taken over by Santander. They announced that they were going to start charging but there was such a kerfuffle that they abandoned the idea. I still don't pay.
    "Some folks are wise and some are otherwise." - Tobias Smollett
  • booler
    booler Posts: 1,365 Forumite
    There was a long running thread on this last year that explained what happened at Santander. Have a look. It could be that the situation is the same.

    https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4074653
    "Some folks are wise and some are otherwise." - Tobias Smollett
  • Wywth
    Wywth Posts: 5,079 Forumite
    I don't think this is the same situation, booler.

    The situation with the business accounts Santander took over was that they were originally advertised as 'free for life'

    HSBC have never made such a promise, unfortunately.
  • booler
    booler Posts: 1,365 Forumite
    OK. I am not familiar with HSBC. In retrospect I doubt that they would have tried this after the Santander fiasco unless they knew exactly where they stood.
    "Some folks are wise and some are otherwise." - Tobias Smollett
  • anandp
    anandp Posts: 279 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 100 Posts Combo Breaker
    Sounds like Metrobank is the favoured option.
    I have a personal account with them and service seems pretty good.
    Interested in property investment, web tech, social media, forex, equities. Also a proud father & entrepreneur of sorts.
  • JuicyJesus
    JuicyJesus Posts: 3,832 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    anandp wrote: »
    Sounds like Metrobank is the favoured option.
    I have a personal account with them and service seems pretty good.

    Metro are inexperienced. The general consensus seems to be that while they're friendly and helpful, the moment you have an odd query they fall over, whereas with one of the bigger banks there is likely someone who can help you, even if they aren't the first person you speak to. While I'd imagine this would be OK for the average person's personal account, businesses tend to have very different needs.
    urs sinserly,
    ~~joosy jeezus~~
  • anandp
    anandp Posts: 279 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 100 Posts Combo Breaker
    edited 29 August 2013 at 5:30PM
    True, but the probability is that those businesses affected by this relatively low monthly charge being introduced by HSBC, are likely to have simple enough needs to be met by MetroBank.
    Interested in property investment, web tech, social media, forex, equities. Also a proud father & entrepreneur of sorts.
  • anandp
    anandp Posts: 279 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 100 Posts Combo Breaker
    Any other opinions on this? Any other alternatives?

    Have people tried calling and complaining to HSBC?
    Interested in property investment, web tech, social media, forex, equities. Also a proud father & entrepreneur of sorts.
  • planteria
    planteria Posts: 5,322 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    i have, yes, with no joy.

    i have two companies, both with HSBC Business Direct accounts. i don't want to pay £5.50/month. but, i might be looking to borrow money from them, and so, in a way i am reluctant to move from a bank that i have history with that may be favourable to lending, just to save the fee. i don't like it, but as it stands i think i am going to lump it.:think:
  • anandp
    anandp Posts: 279 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 100 Posts Combo Breaker
    I'm in the same boat. Two accounts, business growing.
    Quite a conundrum
    Interested in property investment, web tech, social media, forex, equities. Also a proud father & entrepreneur of sorts.
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