What an ordeal! With First Direct

DukeEllington

I phoned up my bank today FIRST DIRECT to open an Easy Saver account. I was on the phone to them for 30 mins which I will have to pay for. They asked all manner of questions regarding employment, outgoings etc. The last time I opened a savings account it took five minutes. I will seriously consider changing my account or are all banks the same these days.

Duke

grumbler

>>First Direct - 20 minute phone quiz now needed to open savings account

colsten

Why do you want the account? Why did you ring them to open it?

There is only one good reason why you'd want to open a savings account with First Direct - to save on the £10 monthly charge. You'd certainly not want this account for keeping more than £1 in it.

But regardless of the reason, you could have done it online in no time.

DukeEllington

Well because the first time I opened the same account it took five minutes and was straight forward.

GingerBob_3

DukeEllington wrote: »

I phoned up my bank today FIRST DIRECT to open an Easy Saver account. I was on the phone to them for 30 mins which I will have to pay for. They asked all manner of questions regarding employment, outgoings etc. The last time I opened a savings account it took five minutes. I will seriously consider changing my account or are all banks the same these days.

Duke

When it became apparent that they were snooping you should have told them to stick it up their corporate backside!

colsten

DukeEllington wrote: »

Well because the first time I opened the same account it took five minutes and was straight forward.

That still doesn't sound a good reason for wanting to open a savings account with one of the most miserable rates in the market, or for making a phone call to open a savings account.

nearlyrich

I had the same issue opening a Halifax card recently I don't think FD are the only bank who are reading out all the t's and c's etc which makes for an extensive call.

colsten

The main reason why we now have to endure the reading out of T&Cs is that too many of us have claimed compensation for not having been told about T&Cs for accounts we agreed to take out years ago, and that there are now steep penalties on the providers if they fail to make us aware of the T&Cs. Providers will therefore now make damn sure they have proof that we agreed to the T&Cs. In telephone or personal applications, this involves the recording of us having been told about the T&Cs. In online applications, it involves recording that we ticked we read, understood and agree to the T&Cs - and hopefully we aren't just ticking them without even reading them.

Cue those that say the T&Cs are too complicated as it takes too long to listen to them. I'd invite all of those saying so to draft and agree shorter T&Cs that will stand the scrutiny of a Court Of Law.

G_M

First Direct is constantly reviewed as best for customer service.

Load of tosh!

By the way, call them on 0800 9172424 new customers and ask to be transferred.

or 0800 242424