Ulster Bank: Easy Access Savings Account at 1.25% pa

LuxuryWoman

G_M wrote: »

I agree it took a bit of time (2 weeks) to get the card reader, card, PIN etc, but opening the account itself was instantaneous, as was the ability to transfer money in.

In my case (and I suspect this is true for most people) I intended to deposit money there and leave it for a while to earn the interest, so the time-lag getting facilities to make withdrawals really wasn't a problem.

I'm happy with the account. It does what it says on the tin: 1.25% and I can now withdraw instantly whenever I want.

That's my experience too, like you I'm leaving money (house proceeds) there quite while so although it was a bit slow to receive PIN and reader it's not an issue for me and I'm also happy with the account. I only post this for balance.

Ian011

paul.comps wrote: »

If you have any queries please call our technical helpdesk on 0845 300 6365, quoting the error details below.

Usage of a premium rate 0845 number for this is very off-putting. The FCA has banned usage of these numbers for contact by existing customers. It's a very poor decision to continue using them for contact by new customers.

Additionally, failure to declare call costs alongside a premium rate 084, 087 or 09 number is a breach of Ofcom regulations. It begs the question, what other regulations are they ignoring?

EDIT: Checking again, the 0845 number no longer functions. It gives a simple Number Unobtainable message. So here we have a failure to keep the website up to date - poor internal communications and lack of attention to detail. Just here, or where else?

ajo24

For those of you that have a substantial balance in Ulster and have been waiting for a while for the card and card reader, it really is worth complaining. I ended up submitting two complaints and was given a £50 goodwill credit twice. Not sure what the result will be if you've only got a few quid in there but worth a shot for the time it takes to type a quick email.

johnmoney05

ajo24 wrote: »

For those of you that have a substantial balance in Ulster and have been waiting for a while for the card and card reader, it really is worth complaining. I ended up submitting two complaints and was given a £50 goodwill credit twice. Not sure what the result will be if you've only got a few quid in there but worth a shot for the time it takes to type a quick email.

I hate making complaint. I will wait for another week for the card and pin to arrive. Although it is more than 2 months now!

talexuser

Ian011 wrote: »

Checking again, the 0845 number no longer functions.

I have 2 numbers for them 0800 161 5154 and 0345 300 430.

eskbanker

talexuser wrote: »

I have 2 numbers for them 0800 161 5154 and 0345 300 430.

For anyone needing to call them, there are many (all non-0845) contact numbers listed at http://digital.ulsterbank.co.uk/personal/help-and-support/contact-numbers.html and there's a link from there to their call costs page at http://digital.ulsterbank.co.uk/_shared-content-area/call-charges.html

I think Ian's point was that, even though that 0845 reference was apparently a rogue outlier that hadn't been removed from an error message on their website, this is a lack of attention to detail that potentially signifies a broader quality control problem....

Ian011

eskbanker wrote: »

For anyone needing to call them, there are many (all non-0845) contact numbers listed at http://digital.ulsterbank.co.uk/personal/help-and-support/contact-numbers.html and there's a link from there to their call costs page at http://digital.ulsterbank.co.uk/_shared-content-area/call-charges.html

I think Ian's point was that, even though that 0845 reference was apparently a rogue outlier that hadn't been removed from an error message on their website, this is a lack of attention to detail that potentially signifies a broader quality control problem....

Indeed, and to follow up on that, the call charges listed on the page you linked to above ceased to be correct after 30 June 2015 and yet on the page it says "current at July 2015".

Ofcom reforms effective 1 July 2015 split the call charges for 084, 087, 09 and 118 numbers into two parts, each separately declared. At the same time, calls to 080 numbers became free-to-caller from mobile phones. FCA regulations effective 26 October 2015 then banned financial services from using 084, 087 or 09 numbers. Finally, on 5 June 2017, all 0500 numbers ceased to exist.

brianBarrett

I opened an account about a month ago. As has been detailed the process is much slower than would be anticipated, but the staff were able to confirm that they would transfer monies for you (below around £20k) before you received machine/card/pin.
The main issue I have had, however, is that in spite of this being a Savings account, they still perform a full credit check IF you are new to Ulster Bank. Stupid - I know - but for some reason they do this. Note that this is the case even though, as I am, already a customer of RBS - Nat West. So a Credit Check when the account cannot give you Credit.
This credit check has had an effect on my credit profile, according to Experian, who had added this to the 'number of Credit Applications' in the past 6 months. Ah!!
I have spoken to Ulster Bank about this, who have agreed to correct this for me, but apparently there is a big discussion going on about the correctness, or otherwise, of this full Credit Check within RBS and the [UK] Ombudsman.

soulsaver

brianBarrett wrote: »

....but the staff were able to confirm that they would transfer monies for you (below around £20k) before you received machine/card/pin.

They may say that, but they likely won't be able to. Max telephone banking w/d is £10k per day... if you have managed to activate it without a card.

adindas

I have tested their Incoming Faster Payment (FPI) it is instant.

Those who managed to get Card Reader and tested the Faster Payment Out (FPO).

How reliable are they once the beneficiary has been set up. Is it instant like their FPI ??