First Direct from Lloyds Bank

rb10

baby_frogmella wrote: »

And when was the last time the FD online banking site was down for maintenance? In my experience its down no more than 2-3 times a year, compare that with the likes of Nationwide or HBoS where their IB is down almost every weekend.

This may be correlated with the fact that the Nationwide and HBoS internet banking sites look and act like they belong in 2014; FD's doesn't look as though it's been updated since 1998.

innovate

rb10 wrote: »

FD's doesn't look as though it's been updated since 1998.

I think this might be because it wasn':)

anselld

rb10 wrote: »

This may be correlated with the fact that the Nationwide and HBoS internet banking sites look and act like they belong in 2014; FD's doesn't look as though it's been updated since 1998.

The FD site works perfectly well. Why mess with it for the sake of appearance? It is annoying when organisations change their sites just to satisfy their marketing egos without improving functionality.

Hazzanet

While I'm no fan of First Direct (I recently moved away from them) I never encountered a situation where I couldn't perform a transaction I needed to via their website. Yes, the internet banking is a bit clunky but without unnecessary java, pop-up windows and heavy graphics it felt a lot faster than other internet banking interfaces such as Metro Bank and Nationwide.

Whenever people are asked "What couldn't you do on FD's website that you can do in another banks internet banking?", the answers seem to be one-off "exceptional" things that are rarely performed, never mind via online banking.

It's like a can of Ronseal - it does exactly what it says on the tin.

Mr_Goodkat

Free_Spirit_31 wrote: »

Be prepared for First Direct to question your income and expenditure if you are constantly overdrawn, even if you are within the interest free overdraft amount. They may also want to call you and ask about your finances and run through a credit check with you even though you are not asking for further borrowing.

I am constantly in the interest free OD FD offer as use the account to receive my salary, move £300 into the monthly saver then move the rest of the money into various interest earning or cash back bill paying accounts. I then use my FD debit card to draw small amounts of cash that I need as all other spending is done on cash back credit cards and all bills paid by dd from other accounts.


I can say in all my time with First Direct they have not once questioned my spending habits or performed additional credit checks. I seem to remember they gave me the FD Gold Card without performing an external credit check.

Mr_Goodkat

Archi_Bald wrote: »

It is a complete given that banks do not make "c0ck-ups when looking after your money". Which bank does not live up to that? When you give examples, please exclude those where the account holder messed up.

Sorry to hear you lost your wallet - serious nightmare stuff if, even if you are all prepared and have a record of all the cards and phone numbers. Plus all the other stuff you might have in your wallet - driving licence, membership cards, cash etc etc etc. Just as well a passport doesn't normally fit into a wallet. It has never happened to me, touch wood, and hope it never will, though I have made provisions to have emergency access to cash and cards when I travel. I do have a First Direct account myself, but their debit card would not be my card of choice to take on foreign travels. I prefer to follow the MSE cheap travel money guidance.

I use FD for their regular saver and interest free OD, can't remember the last time I needed to speak to them on the phone and whilst the internet banking is not cutting edge it is functional and reliable.


I expect all banks to not make a c0ck of my finances / arrangements and if they ever did I would expect them to put it right PDQ.


I use multiple banks and BS and never has one of them made a c0ck up with my finances. The vast majority of issues reported on here seem to be caused by the account holder rather than the bank / BS.


I have been into a branch four times in the last twelve months due to what I wanted to do needing to be done in branch before that it was ten years plus since I was last in a branch. I have spoken to telephone banking in single figures over the last ten plus years prefer to do everything either myself manually or automated through SO and DD.


FD are a useful cog in my many wheels of banking and the days of having one bank account or all products with one institution are long gone.


Using any overdraft other than interest free ones are a very expensive way of borrowing money and there are a lot of better alternatives.

System

It's not a question of the colour scheme or design - it's the poor level of functionality e.g. not displaying something basic like an available balance. I have no complaints about the availability of the BOS portal or speed of BOS Faster Payments.*

baby_frogmella wrote: »

Actually due to their simple black & white colour scheme as well as no ads, i find their online banking fast. In my experience its down no more than 2-3 times a year, compare that with the likes of Nationwide or HBoS where their IB is down almost every week

I've not been in 'Engur-land' for years unless you count two years ago when I flew over it on my way to and back from Paris.

When I travel, I take a few of my own cards and split them between myself and hotel/house. I couldn't rely on a couriered replacement, particularly where is wasn't an advertised feature as it could be discontinued without notice

baby_frogmella wrote: »

Ermmmm i just gave an example, i didn't say FD couriered cards to UAE only... Perhaps you never leave Engur-land? Then i apologise:rotfl: