Halifax Appointment System

opinions4u

cloud_dog wrote: »

BMN, I appreciate you are only trying to provide a 'balanced' view of the situation but this bit is irrelevant and.... partially incorrect.

You can operate the Young Saver by cash card from any Link ATM so once its opened you don't need to visit the branch again.

But, irritatingly, you cannot open the account by phone or online.

You cannot service it by phone or online.

You cannot even get a replacement card by phone. You have to walk in to a branch.

The rates on their kids accounts are great. The opening and servicing are, at best, clunky.

cloud_dog

I agree.

Whilst I understand the need for appropriate ID checks etc usually banks fall over themselves to get children to have accounts with them as there is longer for them to leech money out of them.

The beauty of the Young Saver account is that it does have a good rate and can be used with a cash card which is an invaluable lesson for the young to learn they can only have what they can afford.

BMN

cloud_dog wrote: »

BMN, I appreciate you are only trying to provide a 'balanced' view of the situation but this bit is irrelevant and.... partially incorrect.

You can operate the Young Saver by cash card from any Link ATM so once its opened you don't need to visit the branch again.

It was relevant because it was in response to innovate's post about how they should allow online applications for a branch-only account.
And it is correct in the sense that managing an account means more than just cash withdrawals.

joerugby

BMN wrote: »

It was relevant because it was in response to innovate's post about how they should allow online applications for a branch-only account.
And it is correct in the sense that managing an account means more than just cash withdrawals.

Why do you keep telling us to see it from the bank's viewpoint? Surely the bank should be looking at this from the customer's viewpoint?

BMN

joerugby wrote: »

Why do you keep telling us to see it from the bank's viewpoint? Surely the bank should be looking at this from the customer's viewpoint?

When did I tell you see it from the bank's point of view?

Murison

Murison wrote: »

So I have just been looking around to move my current account and will be moving all my money from Halifax over to the Santander 123 and recon I’ll be about £200 a year better off.

Is big brother watching me? well at least the Halifax version. I opened my Santander account and received my account number without any problem and then transferred £1 into it today to ensure I had used the correct details. The £1 was processed and appeared in my new account. I then transferred a larger amount (well under the £25,000 daily amount limit) and Halifax have put a stop on the transfer and advised that the transaction is "under review".

Do you think they are upset at me telephoning and complaining to them? ...or is it that I have made a negative post about them in this forum? ....or is just their computer system identifying unusual transactions.

I suspect it could be the later but I am amazed that the same highly sophisticated computer couldn't process online bookings thus saving potential customers wasted journeys and annoying them so much they move their finances to their rivals companies.

Archi_Bald

That's normal. Unfortunately, crooks use the same sort of approach to test whether they can syphon money off accounts. Don't worry, it will all be ok by the end of the next business day.

opinions4u

Murison wrote: »

Is big brother watching me? well at least the Halifax version. I opened my Santander account and received my account number without any problem and then transferred £1 into it today to ensure I had used the correct details. The £1 was processed and appeared in my new account. I then transferred a larger amount (well under the £25,000 daily amount limit) and Halifax have put a stop on the transfer and advised that the transaction is "under review".

Do you think they are upset at me telephoning and complaining to them? ...or is it that I have made a negative post about them in this forum? ....or is just their computer system identifying unusual transactions.

I suspect it could be the later but I am amazed that the same highly sophisticated computer couldn't process online bookings thus saving potential customers wasted journeys and annoying them so much they move their finances to their rivals companies.

Don't get paranoid!

ctdctd

I don't think it's anything to do with ID checks or money laundering.

They can open some accounts on line and do everything electronically.

It's so the advisers can cross sell - these are usually loss leader products and the poor banks have to make a few pennies after all!

Macca83_2

Murison wrote: »

At the weekend I looked around at utilising my child’s savings and putting it into an account for paying his school fees. The Halifax Young Saver account came up trumps in my survey and was quite prepared to transfer money into a new account for him. I was even more please that Halifax appeared to match my needs as I have had a Reward Current Account with them for 7 years without any problems. I looked through their website to find out how to open an account and it advised to visit a branch taking ID for both my child and myself. The only thing I did not take was a R85 form which I would have assumed the branch would have one.
So off I trotted, taking my son along with me, just in case they required further evidence of who we were. I walked in to the branch, which is in an open plan, to be met by, not one, but three charming assistants all willing to help us as they did not have any other customers to serve. That help quickly changed when I asked to open an account as, due to the advisor being busy I would have to make a return journey to the branch and make a 40 minute appointment. Never mind I thought, we have our passports, I have an account with them, they can copy the passports and I can sign any documentation required or perhaps return to sign anything they need. Silly me, I forgot they won’t be able to sell me anything or pry into my financial arrangements without an appointment so I was informed there was nothing they could do for me.
I left the branch, with the three assistant still waiting for the next customer to appear and went back to my car. I have recently been issued with one of those smart phones by my company so I looked up the Halifax complaints department and contacted them. The lady informed that it was policy for a new customer to have an interview to which I replied I am not a new customer and as the over 18 who was opening the account should not be treated as one. I also informed her that there was nothing on their website about a 40 minute appointment and asked what would take so long to open an account. This she could not answer and just replied it was policy and she would note my comments. This appeared to be a fob off so I asked for my complaint to be registered and acknowledged as I felt the persons making the policy should know how stupid the policy was. She then asked for my Halifax account number and sort code and said she would have to go through some security details before she could lodge a complaint. Security details, what security details to you need to lodge a complaint especially as I had just gave her my account details and she was calling me by my name. I suppose this is another policy someone has concocted. I was eventually passed on to another gentleman who without actually saying he agreed with me suggested he would have the website changed to say that branch visit would be require and it would be by appointment only. Despite his best efforts he still did not get the point that I don’t want an appointment. I simply want to walk into a branch at a time convenient to me and open an account.
So I have just been looking around to move my current account and will be moving all my money from Halifax over to the Santander 123 and recon I’ll be about £200 a year better off. I will also take out a Skipton Leap account at 0.25% less than Halifax for my son but overall we will be better off.
If I was borrowing money from a bank, I can easily see why they would want to speak to me and know everything about me but I wasn’t asking them for money, I was giving money to them.
So if Halifax is reading this, which is unlikely as they will either be attending an appointment trying to sell someone something they do not require, or be one of three waiting for the next customer who hasn’t got an appointment so they can turn them away, please be more accommodating to people giving you money, so you can lend it on to business to get us out of this recession that you and your colleagues started and stop trying to sell additional things to people who have already been sold on your products.
PS. I can open the Santander account from the comfort of my home with no appointment necessary!

Jesus.....