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What are your 'honest' thoughts on First Direct?

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Comments

  • username
    username Posts: 740 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 500 Posts
    I've been with FD for nearly a decade. I've never really had any issues other than they went through a phase of using some crappy courier (DX) to deliver their cards in my area, which they have thankfully dropped - however, they were happy to make alternative arrangements and also paid some unexpected compensation for the issues caused.

    Don't phone for a chat that often, but on the occasions I have phoned, have been able to get things sorted on the one call and a plus of course is no 'speak to the robot' type IVRs.

    They are hot on fraud detection, I recall going to the states last year, and as soon as I touched down and I ied to buy something in the airport they were on the phone within minutes trying to verify if it was me. I also had some fraud on the card in the US and again, I got a phone call and we got it sorted. A day later when I had got home there was a card waiting for me on my doormat.

    I recall Halifax took several days for a replacement card to arrive and freely let the transactions be debited from my credit card account!

    The internet banking, I don't see the massive problem with. It does what I need - of course, it can be improved (downloading pdf statements etc).
  • AirlieBird
    AirlieBird Posts: 1,046 Forumite
    username wrote: »
    It does what I need - of course, it can be improved (downloading pdf statements etc).

    To download statements in pdf you need to go to view statements > print > print as pdf.
    Did you really mean to put loose?
    Lose: no longer possess, not to retain, unable to find
    Loose: not firmly or tightly fixed in place
  • username wrote: »
    I've been with FD for nearly a decade. I've never really had any issues other than they went through a phase of using some crappy courier (DX) to deliver their cards in my area, which they have thankfully dropped - however, they were happy to make alternative arrangements and also paid some unexpected compensation for the issues caused.

    Don't phone for a chat that often, but on the occasions I have phoned, have been able to get things sorted on the one call and a plus of course is no 'speak to the robot' type IVRs.

    They are hot on fraud detection, I recall going to the states last year, and as soon as I touched down and I ied to buy something in the airport they were on the phone within minutes trying to verify if it was me. I also had some fraud on the card in the US and again, I got a phone call and we got it sorted. A day later when I had got home there was a card waiting for me on my doormat.

    I recall Halifax took several days for a replacement card to arrive and freely let the transactions be debited from my credit card account!

    The internet banking, I don't see the massive problem with. It does what I need - of course, it can be improved (downloading pdf statements etc).

    I always message them before I go overseas. They say they can't guarantee I won't get a phone call but it does help, only ever used my debit card in Egypt (apart from UK) and I had no problem as I had told them I was there.
    What is this life if, full of care, we have no time to stand and stare
  • sausage_time
    sausage_time Posts: 1,622 Ambassador
    Tenth Anniversary 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    I'd never use my FD card abroad because of the outrageous charges.
    I’m a Forum Ambassador and I support the Forum Team on the Credit CardsSavings & investments, and Budgeting & Bank Accounts boards. If you need any help on these boards, do let me know. Please note that Ambassadors are not moderators. Any posts you spot in breach of the Forum Rules should be reported via the report button, or by emailing forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com.
    All views are my own and not the official line of MoneySavingExpert.
  • i'm considering switching from Barclays to FD, primarily due to poor customer service from Barclays (and a few trivial niggles).

    i was all set to switch to FD, but reading the comments about "clunky" online and app experiences has got me thinking... as i do most of my banking online or via the app.

    i like the online/app experience of Barclays (but i've nothing to compare it to)... how does FD compare, and what are the practical things which make them "clunky"?

    thanks!
  • Jibeddy
    Jibeddy Posts: 86 Forumite
    Fifth Anniversary 10 Posts
    i'm considering switching from Barclays to FD, primarily due to poor customer service from Barclays (and a few trivial niggles).

    i was all set to switch to FD, but reading the comments about "clunky" online and app experiences has got me thinking... as i do most of my banking online or via the app.

    i like the online/app experience of Barclays (but i've nothing to compare it to)... how does FD compare, and what are the practical things which make them "clunky"?

    thanks!

    I'm not sure how far Barclays' online/mobile banking has come since I left them for FD a couple of years back, but I quickly got used to First Direct's systems.

    My only niggles are:

    - Having to call them to change the standing order for my regular saver, but it's always quick to be fair
    - Not being able to create standing orders on mobile (has to be done on a computer)
    - Navigating the online banking is a bit weird, but you get used to it after a week or 2

    All of this is more than made up for by the superior customer service, I had some woeful experiences with Barclays.
  • Jibeddy wrote: »
    I'm not sure how far Barclays' online/mobile banking has come since I left them for FD a couple of years back, but I quickly got used to First Direct's systems.

    My only niggles are:

    - Having to call them to change the standing order for my regular saver, but it's always quick to be fair
    - Not being able to create standing orders on mobile (has to be done on a computer)
    - Navigating the online banking is a bit weird, but you get used to it after a week or 2

    All of this is more than made up for by the superior customer service, I had some woeful experiences with Barclays.

    thanks Jibeddy :)

    when you say "Navigating the online banking is a bit weird" - how so?
  • AirlieBird
    AirlieBird Posts: 1,046 Forumite
    Have a look at the Internet banking demo
    http://www3.firstdirect.com/demos/ibdemo/ib_nonflash_demo.shtml
    Did you really mean to put loose?
    Lose: no longer possess, not to retain, unable to find
    Loose: not firmly or tightly fixed in place
  • AirlieBird wrote: »

    thanks airliebird!

    does anyone know if you can rename the accounts, e.g. change Savings Account to Holiday Savings, for example?
  • jimmycam
    jimmycam Posts: 21 Forumite
    First direct are very picky with who they want as customers.

    Owned by HSBC.

    Martin Lewis always raves about them because they probably gave him an account in return for him having to tirelessly promote them. But at the end of the day nobody listens to Martin Lewis he’s got his beak in everything, first direct aren’t really the best. Barclays or Bank of America are.
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