First ditect poor service

Surfer

A few days ago we applied to switch with me as the main account holder. Although the website crashed while doing the application, we repeated all the details and submitted the application which was succesful.
We then got a phone call asking our profession were prior to retiring. I have been retired for 7 years and the wife about 5 years. On informing them of our retirement status, they still required us to tell them our previous proffessions??? Not sure why they need thsi info.
Anyway today a letter arrives addressed to my wife who is not the main account holder stating that they need more details from us but nothing else in the letter.
On phoning to query this it took ages to get through and then the lady was unable to answer our query about the letter and asked us to hold while she consulted someone else. After about 5 minutes she came back and asked us to hold a bit longer. After another 5 minutes or so the same request.
At this point I requested that the application is cancelled and that all our data is removed form their systems. I have also sent an email as a follow up to the cancellation. A very disappointing start to switching banks.
They are now getting very poor reviews on Trustpilot. It may be because they have too many people switching and can no longer handle the volume with the current staff levels.

karlie88

Surfer wrote: »

They are now getting very poor reviews on Trustpilot. It may be because they have too many people switching and can no longer handle the volume with the current staff levels.

Just like every other bank:

First Direct - https://uk.trustpilot.com/review/www.firstdirect.com

Santander - https://uk.trustpilot.com/review/www.santander.co.uk

Nationwide - https://uk.trustpilot.com/review/www.nationwide.co.uk

Co op bank - https://uk.trustpilot.com/review/co-operativebank.co.uk

TSB - https://uk.trustpilot.com/review/tsb.co.uk

Halifax - https://uk.trustpilot.com/review/www.halifax.co.uk

Lloyds - https://uk.trustpilot.com/review/www.lloyds-bank.com

People are far more likely to submit a negative review rather than a positive review on these kind of websites.

I think you got unlucky, never had a problem with them.

Norscbu

My anecdote is that I think they are terrible.

Zanderman

Norscbu wrote: »

My anecdote is that I think they are terrible.

I've never had any probs, so my anecdote is that they are fine!

But I do think trustpilot (and many other similar websites) are terrible - they tend to be filled with people complaining - those who get good service don't bother to post - so I wouldn't ever actually, er, trust it.

bigadaj

Surfer wrote: »

A few days ago we applied to switch with me as the main account holder. Although the website crashed while doing the application, we repeated all the details and submitted the application which was succesful.
We then got a phone call asking our profession were prior to retiring. I have been retired for 7 years and the wife about 5 years. On informing them of our retirement status, they still required us to tell them our previous proffessions??? Not sure why they need thsi info.
Anyway today a letter arrives addressed to my wife who is not the main account holder stating that they need more details from us but nothing else in the letter.
On phoning to query this it took ages to get through and then the lady was unable to answer our query about the letter and asked us to hold while she consulted someone else. After about 5 minutes she came back and asked us to hold a bit longer. After another 5 minutes or so the same request.
At this point I requested that the application is cancelled and that all our data is removed form their systems. I have also sent an email as a follow up to the cancellation. A very disappointing start to switching banks.
They are now getting very poor reviews on Trustpilot. It may be because they have too many people switching and can no longer handle the volume with the current staff levels.

You appear to be quite naive.

Most reviews are by definition poor, people will only leave reviews in the small number of cases, and people are generally far more animated by poor service than good.

If you had done a bit more see research on here prior to the application you would know that any process within the HSBC stable, including first direct and m&s, is slightly painful and long winded.

Did you have a particular problem with telling them what you used to do?

Also it is a little hypocritical to complain about the poor service when the intent is simply to grab ten icnetive which you appear to want to undertake in a serial fashion. Nothing wrong with that as I and many others do, but don't be so thin skinned about slightly bizarre processes within certain banks. If you are then the account switching game probably isn't for you.

meer53

Why did you ask to cancel the application ? If you'd asked for someone to call you back instead of holding, i'm sure they would have done.

amanita

Can I point out that there is no such thing as a main account holder? They will write to both or either of you. They won't talk to YOU about a letter for your wife, so that's obviously why she couldn't see the record.

As for holding for five minutes, it takes that long to get a human with every other bank when you get through the robots. At least this adviser picked the phone up straight away!

maninthestreet

Been with FD for over 22 years, never had any reason to complain.

Surfer

I do read the good and the bad and then average it out. FD had good reviews but lately seem to have gone downhill. As for the phone all it took ages before it was answered and then the holding game started. When I said I want to cancel, she simply said okay. Did not even offer and apology so I think I am better off without the stress.

meer53

Surfer wrote: »

I do read the good and the bad and then average it out. FD had good reviews but lately seem to have gone downhill. As for the phone all it took ages before it was answered and then the holding game started. When I said I want to cancel, she simply said okay. Did not even offer and apology so I think I am better off without the stress.

What stress ? Why did you cancel the application ? Switching would have given you £125, i would have held on for that.

DCFC79

Never read reviews for a bank on the internet as the reviews will be from folk who weren't happy the bank didn't bend over for them, basically customers not happy.