First Direct removing online cancellation of Direct Debits from T&Cs 1 Jan 2014

TheEffect

First Direct just replied to a comment on their site stating they are not removing this feature.

baby_frogmella

EarthBoy wrote: »

This simply is not true. Whilst they were originally just a phone bank they have increasingly promoted online access in recent years. So much so that their online channels receive prominence over everything else on their website.

I've been with them since 1997 on and off and their internet banking hasn't changed much despite them harping on about their online service. The only major change they've made in recent years is the ability to delete your beneficiaries online...Whoopie Doo! Don't get me wrong in an ideal world their online banking would be brilliant and match their phone support. But no bank is perfect and given the choice between a bank with brilliant phone support and mediocre online banking v a bank with excellent online banking and poor phone service i'd prefer the former. You only have to look at Nationwide and HSBC's horibble phone support.

pimento

baby_frogmella wrote: »

Because for the millionth time FD are primarily telephone based, their online system (which isn't the best i'll agree) isn't the way they prefer their customers to do their banking.

Hm. If I want to transfer money from my eSavings account to my current account (both with FD), they won't do it on the phone. I *have* to do it online.

I also think this is a silly 'upgrade'.

ETA: Just seen that they have denied it. Good.

opinions4u

baby_frogmella wrote: »

If the OP only has to cancel his DD's a few times a year its hardly a big deal to call FD and do it over the phone since they answer the phone instantly.

It's not better. It's not quicker. It's something that's not good for customers who expect and deserve a choice.

It is clearly a backwards step.

FD are primarily telephone based

I'd hazard a guess that about 5% of their non-automated transactions take place by phone, 5% in an HSBC branch and 90% online.

innovate

TheEffect wrote: »

First Direct just replied to a comment on their site stating they are not removing this feature.

That's very interesting - clearly a case of left hand, right hand. Their legal department have obviously found it worth changing the T&Cs and notifying customers in writing about the forthcoming change.

Seems whoever of FD answers questions online is either as stumped by this backwards step as most of us here are, or they are just badly informed.

opinions4u

innovate wrote: »

Seems whoever of FD answers questions online is either as stumped by this backwards step as most of us here are, or they are just badly informed.

Or the change to T&Cs is for some other technical reason and doesn't actually affect day to day use of the online facility.

But I can't for the life of me think how / why that would be the case.

katejo

innovate wrote: »

That's very interesting - clearly a case of left hand, right hand. Their legal department have obviously found it worth changing the T&Cs and notifying customers in writing about the forthcoming change.

Seems whoever of FD answers questions online is either as stumped by this backwards step as most of us here are, or they are just badly informed.

I have just received these new terms and conditions too and was somewhat surprised to read about the change re. DD's. I really hope that this is wrong. They are very helpful on the phone but I prefer to do things like this online.

joncombe

I have to question the point of cancelling a Direct Debit anyway. If you've stopped using the organisation taking the payments then they should stop and if they don't you can claim the money back under the Direct Debit Gurantee. If you don't cancel them after 13 months of inactivity they get removed automatically. If you cancel because you don't trust the organisation anymore (or you've switched to a different payment method) then cancelling has little effect - the organisation can simply re-instate the Direct Debit and the banks appear to allow it back on your account, without your agreement and without making any checks. Barclays told me if you've previously done business with an organisation and they get a new Direct Debit request from them then they simply allow it through.

I only found this out to my cost. I thought (as I suspect others do) that cancelling a Direct Debit was enough to stop any payments being made but it seems it gives you a false sense of security that you are in control, because they can simply go back on your account without your permissions. It is a shame banks don't provide the option to cancel a Direct Debit AND put a block on further Direct Debits to the same organisation via online banking or make it clear that cancelling a Direct Debit is NOT enough to stop money being taken.

roxy28

I always thought if you tell the people you were paying and your bank that you have cancelled, that was enough and you are in control, not good to hear what Barclays say.

Archi_Bald

Whether you have cancelled a DD or not on your bank account, you always have the Direct Debit Guarantee on your side.

When I terminate a DD, I drop the payee a an email or a letter to say they are no longer authorised and that the DD has been cancelled.

Should they then choose the ignore the cancellation and create an unauthorised DD and take more money, I would just ask my bank to immediately credit me and cancel the DD again. Though this has never happened to me.