Top Bank Accounts Discussion Area

Steve_xx

Dewpoint wrote: »

Not all banks are "no better or worse than any of the others" by any means otherwise MSE would be redundant and I'd wouldn't be posting here.
Real life experience:
1. I recently opened a regular saver account with Nationwide online - created instantly, transferred initial payment same time earning interest from day one, and the account was available to view online within 24 hrs. The whole process was effortless.
2. Tried the same today with FD - still waiting for confirmation, and my initial payment is still sulking in the FD current account earning no interest and waiting to be transferred to the Regular Saver account.

They stink and I'm seriously of closing all accounts with FD and trying TSB instead.

You were asking for other peoples thoughts/experiences. I gave you mine, but I didn't say that everyone would be of the same mind.

MSE is about a lot more than just banks. So doubt that the website would become redundant in their absence.

Yes, close your First Direct accounts, and forego the best paying regular savings account around for the sake of waiting a day or two. That makes a huge amount of sense, but not to me!

colsten

Dewpoint wrote: »

Not all banks are "no better or worse than any of the others" by any means otherwise MSE would be redundant

I see you have a low post count, so just in case you are not aware: there is a huge amount more to MSE than banks.

Simonne15

That's a positive suggestion to provide categories of information since there are I believe 'hidden' aspects to bank accounts - even those which appear to have the best features. By this I mean that customers only discover the quality of the bank's admin when something goes wrong and that's clearly not known before changing accounts.
Although my account ticks over without hitch generally, I've had two incidents when Nationwide's admin departments have caused disaster. One was when I allowed branch staff to persuade me to open a credit card account but despite my having had a current account for years there, central admin themselves got my personal details completely confused for months so wouldn't open the account; and the other more recently was with their 'Refer a friend' scheme, so that was particularly embarrassing. They failed to meet the advertised/stated duration for paying the £100 into her new account by two months, with the result that some of her direct debits then weren't paid. They refused to take responsibility and they charged her again and again. :mad:
By then we were both so sick of phoning them and waiting in their phone queues -(because of their delay these calls sometimes had to be from our holiday destination abroad)- that she has now changed back to her Halifax account and I am also after many years about to leave Nationwide for these reasons. Nationwide was the first to offer no charge on ATM withdrawals abroad but withdrew that years ago:(. Maybe they have someone coming up with innovative ideas but their admin systems can't back it all up properly???
Their branch counter staff are great BUT central admin departments are poor and what's more not directly contactable even by their customer service staff.
In other words, there are more aspects to banking than the obvious when things go wrong.

Simonne15

We have been with FD for years now and constantly praise their speed of answering calls and high standards of being clear and coherent on the phone; they are outstanding.
I cannot understand where the survey outcome score comes from unless people have confused FD with HSBC!

Dewpoint

After all the problems I've had with FD, their inefficiency and their ludicrously cumbersome online system no amount of money would induce me to switch. And I can get as much interest from my N/W regular saver as I can with FD! When the 12 months are up I'll be dumping FD and breathing a sigh of relief.

dave8204

Is anybody else frustrated by SMILE's new "improved" system? The new website is a total fiasco that I’ve had all kinds of problems with,messages refusing to send,payments being made and while the website shows I have paid it but need to phone SMILE to pay it (?).and showing elsewhere on the site that I'm still in arrears and owing the same amount.A call to one of their very helpful CS guys had him telling me the payment had probably gone through but he didn't understand what was going on with the website either and he couldn't pass me on to the credit card people as their systems had locked them out (!!!). I'm a formerly satisfied customer of 15 or so years standing but a quick look at reviews online shows many similarly long term customers are equally unhappy. Doesn't help that since the "improvements" their new site seems to be down most weekends for "maintenance",not ideal for an internet only bank.Currently researching different accounts.

QTC

dave8204 wrote: »

Is anybody else frustrated by SMILE's new "improved" system? The new website is a total fiasco that I’ve had all kinds of problems with,messages refusing to send,payments being made and while the website shows I have paid it but need to phone SMILE to pay it (?).and showing elsewhere on the site that I'm still in arrears and owing the same amount.A call to one of their very helpful CS guys had him telling me the payment had probably gone through but he didn't understand what was going on with the website either and he couldn't pass me on to the credit card people as their systems had locked them out (!!!). I'm a formerly satisfied customer of 15 or so years standing but a quick look at reviews online shows many similarly long term customers are equally unhappy. Doesn't help that since the "improvements" their new site seems to be down most weekends for "maintenance",not ideal for an internet only bank.Currently researching different accounts.

Hi Dave,

I'm thinking exactly the same myself. A few days ago, some sort of system error resulted in me making two council tax payments rather than the one I intended. The secure messages I sent to cancel one payment were ignored or not received.

I had a few emails a day or two ago telling me that a secure message is waiting for me, but at the moment, the site is "down for maintenance" - at 11 am on a weekday!

I am now seriously wondering whether it is a good idea to be paying all of my wages into this bank account. This is after 15 years with either Smile or The Cooperative Bank.

acorn59

If the 'game' of utilising the current accounts as savings accounts is played, you eventually run out of the required direct debit to use. Has anybody found a way round this?

badger09

acorn59 wrote: »

If the 'game' of utilising the current accounts as savings accounts is played, you eventually run out of the required direct debit to use. Has anybody found a way round this?

There are several solutions.

Many charities will accept a small monthly donation by DD. If that doesn't appeal, have a read around the forum for more ideas:cool:

acorn59

Thanks for that Badger. Worth thinking about.