Disabilities and bank login traumas

Clarey74

Please some advice needed. I am looking to switch from HSBC current account to a bank with a simpler online banking access. I have an illness that affects my brain and after months and months of failed attempts to resolve and terrible assistance and many appologies (a box of chocolates even) from HSBC I am still locked out (through no fault of my own) and have had enough. I have slightly less than £1000pm coming in.
PLEASE is this something you could talk about? People with cognitive difficulties are being failed by banks and not listening.
Ideas for easier access online banking please!! 🙏🏻

Shakin_Steve

Although I have every sympathy for you, you must realise that what your asking is very hard for any bank to fulfil. As far as I can see, a whole new app would have to be developed, and browser based logins cannot be simplified without creating security issues. I would hate to see HSBC cave in to such demands, only for stories of money being lost to fraudsters to emerge.
Fraudsters have no scruples, they'll rip you off just the same as anyone else.

Archi_Bald

Many of the banking apps can be operated by touch ID. Could that be an alternative for yourself? Someone you trust could help you with the initial set up? Are you sure though your cognitive problems are limited to logging into a bank account? What if you send money by mistake to a wrong payee etc?

Would telephone banking be more suitable for you? HSBC, and I believe also First Direct, now offer voice identification for their telephone banking and they could make payments on your spoken instructions.

alanq

Perhaps not of help to the OP but for people who have difficulty using HSBC / First Direct SecureKeys there are alternative devices with larger screens / buttons. These were discussed at the time of the launch of SecureKey but there is no obvious mention on the HSBC website now.

FirstDirect still mentions them in FAQs
"We have special, larger Secure Keys just for you - call 03 456 100 100 to order one."

grumbler

Santander is the easiest to login IMO.
8 digits + 5 digits, job done. Even easier if you use cut&paste or drag&drop.

DigForVictory

That you're here posting is a good sign - me, I'm using an iphone with fingerprint recognition to make banking easier, but I do still have to remember the password & count through the letters.
Best of luck!

agrinnall

Of my current accounts, First Direct (which uses the same type of login as HSBC) is by far the worst to use, so I'm not surprised you have problems. Of the others:

Nationwide is generally easy to use, but if you want to do new things you have to use their card reader (although it's a lot better than the FD/HSBC SecureKey).

TSB is pretty straightforward, as is Tesco, although the only online activity I ever do on them is transfer back the monthly funding to Nationwide.

Metro login is easy but I find that changing payments once they are set up can be a bit tricky.

RedMonty

I use 1Password to remember all my logins. You can find details about it through a quick google, but suffice to say, I love it. All my passwords are long and complex and I happily go without remembering them. I just remember a simple master password (which I don't use anywhere else). If a website asks me to log in e.g. MSE, I press two keys (which I can choose), 1Password pops ups and fills in the form with my login and password. (If I haven't used 1Password in a while, it asks me for my master password first).

That said, it doesn't work for all bank websites. It doesn't work for 1st Direct, Barclays, but works fine for Santander. HSBC works but took a bit of setting up (2 stage log-in). Santander's login is very simple hence 1Password works fine. That said, Santander's customer service are famously terrible and I can't wait to be rid of them. 1st Direct are known for good customer service though.

PasturesNew

I have issues. I've had money in Barclays for about 10 years and can never log in ... and end up every 2-3 years going into a branch to do stuff.

Nightmare.

I bank with the CoOp and find their login easy to do. Been with them years, never had any problems... of course, this doesn't work for most people as they do like to be able to walk into a Coop bank and there aren't many.

EarthBoy

Is it online banking or the banking apps on a mobile phone that you're having problems with, or both? If you tell us what you find difficult about the online banking and/or the app, we might be able to suggest a different bank which you might find easier.

mt99

Yes I agree totally with Earthboy if you could let us know what it is you find difficult we might be able to suggest something also as I'm sure you know Windows (and ios?) itself has accessibility options that might help you for example speaking to enter text and so on