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

MARTYM8`

seasider02 wrote: »

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!

They do also accept the following:

an original copy of a HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) tax notification dated within last 4 months and showing your full name eg PAYE Coding Notice, Working Family Tax Credit, Children's Tax Credit, Disabled Persons Tax Credit or Tax Calculation

an original copy of a Benefits Agency or Local Authority letter dated within last 4 months, showing your full name and, confirming your right to benefits from the Benefits Agency, Department of Work and Pensions (including Jobcentre Plus), Child Benefit Office or the Veterans Agency.

Easiest is probably a tax coding notice which you can request from HMRC by calling 0300 200 3300 - although it normally takes a week or so to arrive. Like the benefits requirement - as if FD would accept people on benefits!

M&S have similar requirements by post - although they do have branches where you can present originals.

meer53

MARTYM8` wrote: »

They do also accept the following:

an original copy of a HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) tax notification dated within last 4 months and showing your full name eg PAYE Coding Notice, Working Family Tax Credit, Children's Tax Credit, Disabled Persons Tax Credit or Tax Calculation

an original copy of a Benefits Agency or Local Authority letter dated within last 4 months, showing your full name and, confirming your right to benefits from the Benefits Agency, Department of Work and Pensions (including Jobcentre Plus), Child Benefit Office or the Veterans Agency.

Easiest is probably a tax coding notice which you can request from HMRC by calling 0300 200 3300 - although it normally takes a week or so to arrive. Like the benefits requirement - as if FD would accept people on benefits!

M&S have similar requirements by post - although they do have branches where you can present originals.

People who work can also claim benefits ! Very judgemental comment there !

B_G_B

MARTYM8` wrote: »

- as if FD would accept people on benefits!

I was accepted by FD when only income was from benefits.

MARTYM8`

B_G_B wrote: »

I was accepted by FD when only income was from benefits.

Sorry – I didn’t mean to offend I was merely referring to First Direct’s well known choosiness and cherry picking of customers with higher ‘credit ratings’.

Their requirements for legally certified documents are a little onerous compared to other banks.

Organist

MARTYM8` wrote: »

Their requirements for legally certified documents are a little onerous compared to other banks.

I didn't have to supply any documents all handled online!

MARTYM8`

Organist wrote: »

I didn't have to supply any documents all handled online!

Fine – but I did and so have plenty of others as per the earlier poster whose daughter was asked to supply the information. They even asked a 90 year old woman who had been an FD customer for 20 years to provide certified ID according to this post from a few months ago – I can see why they need evidence but their requirements are a little prescriptive.

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/5037121

If you don’t have a tax notice etc to hand it can be a bit of a pain.

They could also utilise their HSBC connections to allow branch ID verification - you can provide ID for Bank of Scotland via Halifax branches for example if you don't live in Scotland. Not exactly the same - but they could set up a system to do so!