MSE News: The best and worst banks: First Direct tops the table and Barclays gets...

andyfromotley

hmmmm. I'm with FD and i love em, but i am sorely tempted by £125 to move. Is this a case of looking at the price but not the quality??

GooliesOfFire

How good are banks with switching these days? I've heard horror stories about direct debits not being paid etc.

Archi_Bald

GooliesOfFire wrote: »

How good are banks with switching these days? I've heard horror stories about direct debits not being paid etc.

andyfromotley wrote: »

hmmmm. I'm with FD and i love em, but i am sorely tempted by £125 to move. Is this a case of looking at the price but not the quality??

A quick look around the forum will present threads about switching / collection bonuses.

System

The switching service these days is pretty much idiot proof as it's mostly automated.

The First Direct brand is just a nice veneer (of HSBC) and standard HSBC is still there when you need to do anything not sorted quickly over the phone such as cash, fraud etc

GooliesOfFire wrote: »

How good are banks with switching these days? I've heard horror stories about direct debits not being paid etc.

Arthurian

After 39 years with Barclays, I recently switched to Santander through the automated switching service and everything went like clockwork. No trouble at all.

My local Barclays seems to have decided they don't want customers. Of course, I prefer online banking, but sometimes you have to drive into town, pay for parking, then walk through the rain to queue up in branch, when online banking just isn't able to deal with your needs. Now, when entering Barclays, you are met with touch screens and a member of staff who ignores you. They are now reducing opening hours - presumably due to the exodus of customers.

Hanky_Panky

Arthurian wrote: »

After 39 years with Barclays, I recently switched to Santander through the automated switching service and everything went like clockwork. No trouble at all.

My local Barclays seems to have decided they don't want customers. Of course, I prefer online banking, but sometimes you have to drive into town, pay for parking, then walk through the rain to queue up in branch, when online banking just isn't able to deal with your needs. Now, when entering Barclays, you are met with touch screens and a member of staff who ignores you. They are now reducing opening hours - presumably due to the exodus of customers.

You're partly correct - it's the 'exodus of customers' from using the branch. I have never really understood why people moan about losing local services, banks, butchers, bakers etc when if they had used them in the first place they would still be there.

Banking is moving with the times - the vast majority are very comfortable using online banking etc and therefore when presented with a machine in branch are quite happy to use it - in the long run it will probably be quicker too.

ETA: As a former employee of Abbey National and now working with (not for) Barclays I think you've jumped from the frying pan into the fire. The systems in Santander are hopeless by comparison. Just wait until you have a problem!

Kirri

Arthurian wrote: »

After 39 years with Barclays, I recently switched to Santander through the automated switching service and everything went like clockwork. No trouble at all.

My local Barclays seems to have decided they don't want customers. Of course, I prefer online banking, but sometimes you have to drive into town, pay for parking, then walk through the rain to queue up in branch, when online banking just isn't able to deal with your needs. Now, when entering Barclays, you are met with touch screens and a member of staff who ignores you. They are now reducing opening hours - presumably due to the exodus of customers.

Agree, it's the first time I've ever thought of leaving Barclays. I do nearly everything I can online BUT I do still want to be able to go into the branch and talk to someone when I need to. In a big town which had two very busy branches, they shut one and the other is now all machines - queue is out the door now just to serve yourself.

Not providing the service I would like any more, whoever thought this was a good idea at Barclays!

Mrs_Ryan

Credit-Crunched wrote: »

Maybe I am just pedant.

Ah well, I'll move along!

Do you not mean you're either just pedantic or you are A pedant. Not you are just pedant.
English degree student here who is very pedantic when it comes to correct usage of words and phrases!
And in answer to the question- I've had plenty of trouble with Barclays. Mainly because I only have a cash card account and so don't make them any money. OH has had a good experience with them mainly because he has a paid for account and an overdraft and they like him I'm with TSB now. I like them- have had good service. My branch is small and friendly and they're nice people. App is simple enough and my account does what I need it to. Unlike Halifax- nice people but awful product and a lot of them didn't have a clue.

anselld

Mrs_Ryan wrote: »

English degree student here who is very pedantic when it comes to correct usage of words and phrases!

.... but not grammar or punctuation?

seasider02

Bit mystified why First Direct gets such a good rating - My 18 year old daughter just signed up yesterday and got an email today asking for all sorts of certified copies of everything passport, work etc! Apart from them having to be certified it has to be with a solicitor or doctor or such like - they make charges of approx £30 looking at others on MSE forums. We phoned FD and they said can't take passport into HSBC. When I opened a Santander 123 we were asked for nothing and it went through Switch no hitches. Needless to say she is not changing from Halifax at present (may try Santander). The lass on the phone said it was because they were a Telephone/internet bank - surely that would need to make things easier not harder. Thats why we had Switch i thought. Sorry First Direct but won't be changing to you due to all the hassle and cost needed. Can't believe they are 93% customer satisfied!