First Direct £100 Goodbye Bonus

aparky85

I've just switched an account away from First Direct, and was told by them I qualified for the £100 goodbye bonus when I phoned them. Does anyone else have any experience of receiving this, and if so, how long does it generally take for FD to pay up?

robatwork

I got it.

However it wasn't automatic. I had to contact them to get it - I think by email but it could have been a phone call. Took about 6 weeks to come through (by cheque).

Shakin_Steve

Good grief! You must have been awful customers if they paid to get rid of you.

bigadaj

Shakin_Steve wrote: »

Good grief! You must have been awful customers if they paid to get rid of you.

Didn't get mine when I closed an account though got the opening bonus for switching, not sure if that makes me a more awful customer or less!

I certainly don't want to be considered a good customer by a bank for sure.

System

Shakin_Steve wrote: »

Good grief! You must have been awful customers if they paid to get rid of you.

More of a vanity project from the bank.

I decided after repeated mistakes, and having used their prehistoric internet banking, that I was going to leave but waited for 6 months to get the goodbye bonus.

It was like talking to someone from a cult, they seemed genuinely surprised someone wanted to leave.

johnac

Heng_Leng wrote: »

It was like talking to someone from a cult, they seemed genuinely surprised someone wanted to leave.

Same for me, staff on the phone seemed astonished I'd move away.

Received a hand written cheque a few weeks later.

PrettyFlower90

When we switched from First Direct about a year and half ago, we had to contact them to request the leaving bonus (we did it via the online secure message while we still had the account). I stated that I didn't like the mobile banking app at all and found it the most irritating to use out of all my banking apps. They apologised and got sent a cheque in few weeks after switching. Tbh, their customer service is very good in my experience.. just wanted the switching bonuses elsewhere lol

robatwork

I have a feeling if you criticise First Direct here you are ticked off a secret MSilluminatE list as they seem to occupy a special place at the top of every survey about banking ever.

I hated their prehistoric internet banking and dared to criticse it here - shabby, old fashioned and illiterate. So just to really wind up some incumbents:

Santander are a better bank than First Direct.

JuicyJesus

robatwork wrote: »

Santander are a better bank than First Direct.

I think FD are definitely a bit overrated but I wouldn't go that far!

FD are at least basically competent if nothing more. Santander's reputation very much precedes it.

Shakin_Steve

I don't know if the problems I had with Santander still persist, I haven't used them for a while. I had an everyday saver with A&L which, of course, along with Abbey National was taken over by them. The IT systems must have been so different. At one point I had and old A&L card which still worked in the ATM, a new Santander card which didn't and they completely lost my wife. :rotfl:
Poor lady couldn't access the account and had to be added as a joint holder again. The account is still open, but I'm afraid to use it. The interest rate is rubbish now, anyway, 5.5% when I first opened it

aparky85

rawhammer wrote: »

But what about the linked regular saver? Madness!

According to the regular savings calc on MSE if I maxed it out I'd end up with £96.77 at the end of the year, so what about it indeed?