Smile bank account

grumbler

Well, I think all banks have at least some internet functionality and many offer same services via PO despite having own branches.

FD, Smile and Cahoot were the first banks without any own branches and relying on internet and phone mainly. From them only FD survived while Smile and Cahoot are hardly alive.

System

First Direct has never really been marketed as an internet bank.
It's portal is dated and it actively markets it's limited HSBC branch functionality.

Smile came around the same time as Egg, IF and Cahoot. Smile should have been closed to new business or merged into the main Coop some time ago

isasmurf

Heng_Leng wrote: »

First Direct has never really been marketed as an internet bank.
It's portal is dated and it actively markets it's limited HSBC branch functionality.

Indeed. They are a telephone bank with a very poor online banking facility, which is still the same as it was 17 years ago. The web has come along way since then, and most high street banks now offer a better online experience than FD.

EarthBoy

I agree. First Direct offer a fabulous telephone service, and this is the only thing that wins them all their customer service awards. If you like to conduct your bank business by phone you'll love them. When it comes to internet banking, most other banks are miles ahead of them.