Ulster Bank: Easy Access Savings Account at 1.25% pa

miller

Despite the frustrations in this thread, I'd stick with it (you could always put the money elsewhere until you are able to make a withdrawal). Once you are up and running you probably wont need much service so to speak and can manage it all on your own.

When NatWest did an eSavings account, once it was setup it actually worked OK with Faster Payments etc.

TiVo_Lad

Just be aware of a few thing with this account:

1. It takes a few days for the account to appear. Ulster Bank is an old fashioned "overnight" bank so everything gets batch processed overnight during "working days" only. I opened the account over the weekend and it took until Tuesday to appear. If you try and transfer money in beforehand it just fails even though you have the Account No and Sort Code.
2. Ulster Bank supports Faster Payments both inbound and outbound. For those moving from RCI Bank (as I have) this will be a vast improvement to their two day transfers.
3. You can't withdraw money (or set up payees) until you have a card and card reader which takes 7-10 days to arrive. If you transfer money in before you get the card reader, it is effectively trapped in the account.
4. Telephone Banking requires you to use the Card Reader so you're stuck either way.
5. If/When you want to close the account you have to WRITE A LETTER :mad:

johnmoney05

steve65e wrote: »

11 days in and the only communication I've had is a request for my signature. Hopeless service, I'm going to forego the extra 0.15% and put my money elsewhere.

Tesco is doing 1.11%, so that will be just 0.14%.

Wheres_My_Cashback

A couple of points...my card reader took 11 days to arrive.

My 2nd transfer out was blocked by their security team as suspicious even though I was logged in and used the card reader.
3 hours After noticing the payment had left the account, but not arrived the other end I contacted UB to ask whether it had been held up for security.
I actually asked them 3 times and they assured me it wasn't stopped for security and would arrive 'soon'. 12 hours later, still not arrived so called again, nightmare wait time for them to answer the call. Standard voicemail message states call time wait is two minutes, actual wait times 23 mins and 32mins. After a lot insisitance by me I was eventually transferred to their fraud team who advised that the funds had been immediately held up on request due security reasons.

Not a good start to this account, though I have been re-imbursd for my wasted time/effort/call charges/appalling customer service + goodwill.

buffman

My card reader took 11 days to arrive, but still no card (nearly three weeks now). Has anyone actually received a card?

miller

TiVo_Lad wrote: »

1. If/When you want to close the account you have to WRITE A LETTER :mad:

It did say somewhere in the mountain of webpages you could do it by telephone banking. When I closed my NatWest eSavings I went into a branch, not so easy in this case!

With regard to withdrawals being blocked, I wonder if they had not put the signature on file.

eskbanker

miller wrote: »

TiVo_Lad wrote: »

If/When you want to close the account you have to WRITE A LETTER :mad:

It did say somewhere in the mountain of webpages you could do it by telephone banking. When I closed my NatWest eSavings I went into a branch, not so easy in this case!

According to clause 22.15 (referring to the eSavings account-specific conditions) at http://digital.ulsterbank.co.uk/content/dam/Ulster/documents/ni-region/ni-personal-ulst-brochures/personal-banking-terms-and-conditions-ULST1571NI.pdf:

If you wish to cancel or close your account you can do this via our Anytime Internet Banking service or by sending a written notice to Ulster Bank eSavings, Customer Service Centre, Danesfort, Stranmillis Road, Belfast BT9 5UB.

Archi_Bald

TiVo_Lad wrote: »

If/When you want to close the account you have to WRITE A LETTER :mad:

You can give instructions to close a savings account online. I have done this before. They take a few working days to do it.

veryintrigued

Archi_Bald wrote: »

You can give instructions to close a savings account online. I have done this before. They take a few working days to do it.

I was tidying my accounts three months ago and tried to close a current account by contacting them online three months ago but was refused. They stated it was by post or at branch.

So I didn't bother and left my account dormant - which worked in my favour on this account as I was still an online member.

darren72

I know have access to my online account, but cannot see where to order the card reader and card ?

Can anyone who has done this please confirm ?

Thanks in advance