NOW OPEN. The MSE Forum's energy-themed Ask An Expert event is open for questions. Visit the dedicated board to ask MSE Gary & MSE Andrew about gas & electricity
MoneySaving Poll: How do you rate your bank account's service?
Former_MSE_Sam_M
Former MSE 346 Posts
MSE Staff
Poll started 16 February 2015
How do you rate your bank account's service?
We run this poll on big banks' current accounts every six months to see how the experience changes. We’d love your feedback...
Please rate based on CUSTOMER SERVICE for your main CURRENT account over the last SIX MONTHS.
Did you vote? Are you surprised at the results so far? Have your say below. To see the results from last time, click here.
If you haven’t already, join the forum to reply. If you aren’t sure how it all works, read our New to Forum? Intro Guide.
Thanks!
[threadbanner]box[/threadbanner]
0
This discussion has been closed.
Latest MSE News and Guides
Replies
I used to save with Nationwide, and as they started to lose their focus as a mutual and be just like the rest in pushing Flex Accounts, they reserved their best ISA rates not for long-standing savings customers but rather for any customer, old or new opening a Flex Account. My local manager persuaded me to open separate accounts for my wife and myself, complete with cheque books, debit cards and all the paraphenalia (which I understood though I told him honestly I would never use either account or pay any more than the minimum in, then changed a few weeks later to joint account, with more cards, cheque books, and signing up for internet banking. Within 6 months I was so exasperated by the complexity of logging in, finding the promised info about my ISAs and current account status that I determined to leave as soon as my fixed term ISAs matured - which I've done. Nothing would make me go back. Just my opinion.
We recently had a savings account with another bank come to the end of its term, so we needed to move a considerable amount of money quicky to another bank. The money was transferred into our First direct account all in one go, but we could only transfer it at a rate of£10,000 per day, so it took several days and we lost interest. It could have been worse, we could have lost the good rate of interest on this new account. We could, of course, have paid to transfer it by CHAPS, but would have lost even more!! (Other banks have higher limits, e.g. Halifax is £25,000)
The latest in a long line of problems occurred when I went away. I normally 'phone banks before I go, to ensure I don't encounter problems using cards while abroad. This time I forgot, until I was at the airport. Unfortunately my husband could not remember all his security passwords etc., so they kept him waiting over five mns while they transferred him to another department. They then asked him detailed personal security questions which he was able to answer. They then asked to speak to me, took me through security then asked me to verify my husband was who he said he was. I did that and they asked to speak to him again. They then asked him yet more questions about direct debit amounts, frequency, etc. Well, standing in a noisy airport gate lounge, with all other passengers boarding the plane is not the easiest place to recall all that detail! In the end, despite all the checks he had passed and my verification they said I could use his card, but not him!! Quite how they would know, we have no idea! All this (15-20mns) on a pay as you go 'phone!! We did, just, make it onto the plane!
So far I have not had one good encounter with this bank and we are now looking to switch away from them.
Completely agree, it's one of the reasons (okay, the main reason) I've also stuck with them for over 40 years.
Not a fan of Nationwide either - they swallowed up the Portman Building Society so I gave them a chance to impress me. They didn't, so moved the money elsewhere.
Are you my long-lost twin?:rotfl:
We also bank with the Halifax reward account for our bills account, this was a bit of a faff to set up (told I could do it online, then needed to go into branch and give all the info again), but now it's up and running it's been no problem and the £5 each month is a nice bonus.
I also have an ISA with Virgin Money and again no problems, use the VM Lounge in Manchester quite often which is nice.
I agree with others, you should be able to have multiple votes in this poll. The only banks I wouldn't go to are Barclays (poor rates on everything) and Natwest (no end of trouble with my student account). Santander I have used and while they weren't amazing they did nothing wrong.