Loan charge can I do anything about it?

BillJones

chuckl1es wrote: »

Exactly, "a list as long as his arm of complaints", because banks are banks and a total waste of time.

Then don't use them, if you actually believe that. You could do, that couldn't you, if they are a total waste of time?

Of course, what's more likely to be the the case is that the services they provide are so useful that you could not dream of doing without them.

chuckl1es

BillJones wrote: »

Then don't use them, if you actually believe that. You could do, that couldn't you, if they are a total waste of time?

Of course, what's more likely to be the the case is that the services they provide are so useful that you could not dream of doing without them.

There is little choice, if there was more choice, they would sharpen up their act.

It's not that 'they are so useful', its that they are a necessity, which is a great shame, because it means they can be as unhelpful as they like.

Poppops

a4a wrote: »

I think the words 'many many moons ago', is relevant here. Unfortunately, that was probably when banks were local, caring and understanding and you could talk to a real manager, who could pick up the phone and organise things.

Regretably, there is probably no chance of this happening today as the robots there (and I'm not just talking about the computers), can't organise anything thats outside of the box! (Some of them can't organise things 'inside' the box!!)

I have accounts with Lloyds and HSBC and in both cases, once your salary has credited, you can ring up and ask for the direct debits to be processed manually, i.e. marked paid.

I used to do this very very often during my many many sticky patches!

a4a

Poppops wrote: »

I have accounts with Lloyds and HSBC and in both cases, once your salary has credited, you can ring up and ask for the direct debits to be processed manually, i.e. marked paid.

I used to do this very very often during my many many sticky patches!

Yep true, they can do that.

Morglin

pvt wrote: »

There are premium accounts available from a number of banks, Barclays I know to be one, where you pay a not-insignificant fee to enjoy the privilege of a more personal service. So that kind of service is still available if you're willing to pay.

The problem is most people aren't, but then still expect that level of personal contact for free.

It's just the same as gas stations in the US where you can still pay an extra 10 cents per gallon for 'full service' and have a guy in overalls stick the nozzle in your tank and pull the trigger for you.

Don't assume that these 'premium' accounts offer any better service.

NatWest changed me to their private banking service, a couple of years ago, probably because they thought I would be happy paying for a Black Account (I wasn't), and I am still with the private service, (their choice) minus the Black Account, and the 'personal' service is worse than dire. :wall:

My so called 'relationship manager' is worse than useless.:mad:

The only advantage as far as I can see is that I can phone the team, and get a human being answering the phone straight away.

Other than that, I get the usual lacklustre service we know and expect from all our banks!

Four weeks ago, one of our fixed rate bonds matured, and we wanted a replacement (only for a year, as interest rates are predicted to rise by the new year), and found we couldn't do it online or on the phone because NatWest have a new wheeze going now - they want long term customers to reprove their ID :wall:

So, we arranged to go to the private banking suite, locally, and do it.

Then we get a call from our relationship manager, who is usually like the Scarlet Pimpernel, in that we seek him here, there, everywhere, and never can contact him, to say he would come to the home, verify our ID, do the bond forms and away we go.

He came, he verified and took copies of our ID, we did the forms and off he went. (I assume, by his rare enthusiasm, he gets commission for selling bonds).

Two weeks later, we hadn't heard a thing, so started to chase it up. He, as usual, cannot return a phone call, or answer an email.

The bank then inform us, this week, that between them all, they have managed to lose both the copies of our ID (passports, driving licence) and the forms! :mad:

How the hell did they manage that?

They only had to go, internally, from the office to the bond centre.

So, we went and did one at Nationwide, but that's not the point - our ID etc., is still 'lost' somewhere.

The trouble is that we do need banks nowadays, because it's the only way for wages, pensions etc., to be paid.

They have proven themselves to be, over the last 10 years, little better than incompetents and shysters, but they have us over the proverbial barrel.

Lin :mad: