M&S Bank

TheShape

Norscbu wrote: »

I applied friday and am still waiting for a response, not the typical "you've been accepted" from the other current accounts I've opened in the last few months.

Is this typical of m&s bank?

It certainly is!

LesU

I hope you weren't expecting anything before 2017.
I applied on 8th November, got no response until 11th November, when I received an e-mail asking me to ring them . I rang them on the same day and cleared up a couple of questions. Ten days later I rang them to find out if they had forgotten me. No, everything is progressing OK.
So on the 23rd November I received an e-mail telling me I had been accepted. On 25th November I received some paperwork to sign and send back.
Yesterday I received another e-mail welcoming me to my new account.
'Over the next two weeks you will receive a welcome pack, debit card etc etc'.
So I can now look forward to being within 2 weeks of having an account open which I can then switch to. The switch, of course, taking another 7 days.

So after a month I'm still around 3 weeks away from a fully functioning switched account. Hang on, doesn't that coincide with Christmas? In that case probably add another 4 days on the process.

During this prolonged wait I have also managed to open and switch to a Co-op account.

d70cw6

i really do like the M&S 70% off sales they regularly have - makes those £100 gift cards go a long way.

Norscbu

LesU wrote: »

I hope you weren't expecting anything before 2017.
I applied on 8th November, got no response until 11th November, when I received an e-mail asking me to ring them . I rang them on the same day and cleared up a couple of questions. Ten days later I rang them to find out if they had forgotten me. No, everything is progressing OK.
So on the 23rd November I received an e-mail telling me I had been accepted. On 25th November I received some paperwork to sign and send back.
Yesterday I received another e-mail welcoming me to my new account.
'Over the next two weeks you will receive a welcome pack, debit card etc etc'.
So I can now look forward to being within 2 weeks of having an account open which I can then switch to. The switch, of course, taking another 7 days.

So after a month I'm still around 3 weeks away from a fully functioning switched account. Hang on, doesn't that coincide with Christmas? In that case probably add another 4 days on the process.

During this prolonged wait I have also managed to open and switch to a Co-op account.

Wow, OK I was not expecting that haha. I will change my strategy for this month then, thanks!

Gary1963

The process requires at least a couple of acres of wood to be used in order to manufacture all the paperwork you will receive!

schiff

I don't understand the relative reluctance on the part of some about the M&S gift card. I don't shop at M&S all the time but with their cut price offers, added to a money off (£5 off a £50 shop) chit (which pops up sometimes with your till receipt) and a gift card it can make things exceptionally cheap (especially for M&S). And Marks is always reducing stuff.

Last week I used a £37 gift card (from TCB) to acquire 12 bottles of good quality red wine, a chicken and two packs of chicken thighs for £19. Some of the wine was half price (and it's perfectly OK) and there was 25% off for 6 bottles; the chicken was 3 packs for £10.

Think MSE

I've now got two vouchers - £5 off £50 and/or £10 off £100 to decide what to do with

bigadaj

For me they haven't been too bad, account was opened within two to three weeks and I've just activated a switch of one of my 123 accounts which should be done early next week.

Very pleasant telephone conversations, slightly annoying that you can't do everything online with the hold music on the phine but not the end of the world. I was warned not to panic when their documentation arrived and mentioned HSBC.

In contrast applied for a HSBC account on the last day of October to benefit from their switch incentive and there is faster continental drift. Had to post back a form to set up Internet banking at the end of last week, so might be in a position to commission the switch early in the new year and get my regular saver.

schiff

Generally speaking what does M&S expect by way of monthly incomings. I will be switching one of my Santander accounts to M&S, it has a decent balance and two existing direct debits. But it has no deposits other than a modest monthly investment income deposit, plus transfers I make from my main Santander account.

xylophone

My experience was over a month to get the account up and running, switch organised etc, during which time the regular saver rate had reduced from 6% to 5% but, when I rang to set it up, the helpful customer service agent told me that as I was 'caught mid-stream" as it were, the 6% rate would be paid - full marks to Marks!

As for paying in, I have a regular SO from another account to M&S for the required £1000 - I leave in enough to cover the RS and DDs and FP the rest to another account.

Norscbu

i applied on a friday evening, 2nd dec, its now 12th dec but I guess only 5 working days. I got the welcome email 1am this morning. I am hoping I'll be able to switch before christmas but it's highly unlikely at this point.