Thoughts on First Direct

mallard

My partner and I have been thinking of switching to First Direct for a while so the santander hike in fees has made us consider even more. We see that FD get high customer satisfaction scores so that is a plus.

But there seem to be loads of complaints about their poor banking app and torturous website security (obviously understand security is necessary but there has to be a balance with accessing your account ).

Just wondered what MSE folk's experiences of them are?

Mallard

philng

Personally I found the account opening process very long winded. I was asked to provide evidence of my earnings and employer via copy of up to date PAYE tax coding which I have never been asked for before when applying for accounts online.
You receive alot and I mean alot of paperwork and everything is done by phone.
At the end of it I have only been paid £100 switch fee instead of the £125-this is being looked into.
The internet security process is the loingest winded I have known.
At present hard to see why they are rated No 2 of all Service providers as that is not my experience-It is not made easy for you.

meer53

I've been with them 22 years. My banking needs are simple, pay bills, transfer money between accounts etc. Haven't had to call them for years. If your needs are similar then you shouldn't have any problems, i don't have any issues with the app or online banking, i have a physical secure key which is easy to use. There are loads of people on here who have different opinions, you just have to make your own decision. If you think the website security is "torturous" maybe stick to branch banking somewhere else ? I don't find it torturous at all.

Your first major hurdle may be getting the account opened !

mallard

Yes.. A friend opened a c/a with them recently and the 'over the phone' application was long winded to say the least. Plus they rang back for security checks which was another long discussion. They said it took over two hours in all!

Appreciate lots of different views about FD but at least it gives those views rather than the continued 'best customer service' reports! The comments about the app on google play are mostly negative and even taking into account those who are more likely to post negatives it seems to suggest problems. But good that Meer53 is reporting otherwise which is helpful..thanks.

Ballard

I've had my account for donkey's years and have never really had a problem with them. I made the mistake of not checking their charges before using my debit card abroad whereupon they charged about £7.50 for me to withdraw £180-ish. This was my mistake for not checking but an email later and they refunded the full fee without quibbling. I wasn't expecting them to.

The internet security isn't a problem at all for me. To log onto the app takes one password. Perhaps initially it's a pain as you can only use your own phone to log on. If you change phones you need to deregister the current one and re-register the new one. I forgot when changing my phone last year but it only took a call and I was back online. I would personally prefer too much security than not enough.

Enterprise_1701C

I have been with First Direct for a long time, I seriously can't remember how long.

I have never had a problem with them.

At one stage someone must have skimmed my debit card or something like that, and they immediately picked up the unusual activity on the account and contacted me. It was sorted out quickly and painlessly.

The account security is not as bad as Tesco's where they restrict you to using one computer only, I find it quick and easy to log in and you have an option to log in without the secure key.

I did try the app but have to admit I deleted it, mainly because I have no real need for it.

benjus

They are very good for telephone customer service, I'll give them that.

But my primary contact with them (as with all banks I use) is via their online and mobile banking. And First Direct is frankly way behind the times with theirs. It's not just that it has an outdated design, as I can live with that. I find it unreliable - many times I've had to attempt a transaction many times before it successfully completed because the website failed so frequently. I recently had to download a year's worth of bank statements - this took ages because each download required numerous clicks, and there was a significant chance of the website failing for any given click, meaning that I had to start again for the statement I was trying to download.

Compared with other banks I use (Nationwide, Halifax, Barclays) the FD online/mobile offering looks shoddy. Barclays is by some margin the best at the moment.

MABLE

mallard wrote: »

My partner and I have been thinking of switching to First Direct for a while so the santander hike in fees has made us consider even more. We see that FD get high customer satisfaction scores so that is a plus.

But there seem to be loads of complaints about their poor banking app and torturous website security (obviously understand security is necessary but there has to be a balance with accessing your account ).

Just wondered what MSE folk's experiences of them are?

Mallard

I was with them when they first started. I remember applying for an overdraft and it was so painful I nearly get up the will to keep going.

They scrutinised everything on my bank statement and in the end I lost my cool and closed the account. There are far better banks out there. So from me they get a big zero.

However they probably have improved their systems since then.

chazzee

The new First Direct banking mobile app should be launching tomorrow (according to the rep as was on the phone with), so that should be an improvement hopefully!

basill

I use FD as my main account and find the online banking does everything I need and prefer it to my Metro account.

The secure key system for online banking can be a physical device the size of a credit card or an app on a smartphone.

It is a bit tortuous but it is only required when making a one off payment or setting up a new regular payment like a credit card or friends account.

I rarely the secure key as all my cards and other regular destinations are now setup and transfers between FD accounts do not need it.

Telephone banking is still a friendly and efficient service. All my queries have been dealt with very well.

B

sambuca9

I have been with First Direct for years, and am in the process of switching away now, I no longer need the free o/d facility which is what I made use of over the years.

I find their repsonses to any queries take much longer, even by secure message it regularly takes over a week for a response when previously it was extremly quick.

I have had to speak to them a couple of times recently and maybe I was unlucky but I found they were far less helpful and friendly than they used to be, one was extremely patronising towards me and the waiting time for them to answer is longer than before.

Yes this is all quite picky, I do 99% of everything online which works fine, but on the odd occasion I need to contact them, it has been poor. I was staring to think there was a marker on my account that said "been with us forever, not going to move, no need for good service"

Most banks get good and bad reviews though, its really what suits you best.