Metro Bank -now accepting online applications

NoodleDoodleMan

Plenty of ways to deposit money without going to a branch, I fund mine with Faster Payments, and you could always send in a cheque. I haven't been in a Metro branch since I opened my account on a visit to London from Scotland quite a few years ago, and have not been adversely impacted in any way.

I opened a Metro Bank account without having to visit a branch.

A few years back they announced they were going to open out to potential customers who didn't live in branch areas, so I contacted head office enquiring about details. Received a polite letter from the CEO promising to include me in due course.

They eventually reneged on this however (trying to run before learning to walk) so I wrote back and he apologised and honoured his promise, allowing my application by mail.

This was actioned by a senior colleague in double quick time and the card etc. dropped through the letterbox soon thereafter.

I was attracted to the then worldwide ATM fee free offer, since revised to Europe only - still a good deal.

Not our principal current account, but fine for SEPA zone countries when on holiday.

No idea what will happen after the dreaded Brexit !!!

A Starling account is fee free worldwide for hole in the wall usage, so it's probably a better option.

Anthorn

OMG ageism?

Went through the online application for a current account, uploaded a photo of my passport and a selfie quoted my basic pension and age (67 years), provided more than 3 years address history and consented to "checks" including my more perfect than perfect credit history.

Lo and behold rejected on the grounds that I don't meet their criteria and it's not the best account for me! Not recommended for O.A.P.s eh?

Wellard_Mann

Anthorn wrote: »

OMG ageism?

Went through the online application for a current account, uploaded a photo of my passport and a selfie quoted my basic pension and age (67 years), provided more than 3 years address history and consented to "checks" including my more perfect than perfect credit history.

Lo and behold rejected on the grounds that I don't meet their criteria and it's not the best account for me! Not recommended for O.A.P.s eh?

I’m slightly younger at 66 but was accepted with no issues – albeit in branch, not online – and didn’t have to provide any details of income. Perhaps it was my youthful looks that did it – or perhaps not

Anthorn

Wellard_Mann wrote: »

I!!!8217;m slightly younger at 66 but was accepted with no issues !!!8211; albeit in branch, not online !!!8211; and didn!!!8217;t have to provide any details of income. Perhaps it was my youthful looks that did it !!!8211; or perhaps not

Cannot comment further because I have entered Metro Bank's complaints procedure. It was online and therefore an automatic procedure but their email following the online decline confirms their decline which in itself is probably also automatic.

Mr_Goodkat

Anthorn wrote: »

Cannot comment further because I have entered Metro Bank's complaints procedure. It was online and therefore an automatic procedure but their email following the online decline confirms their decline which in itself is probably also automatic.

What do you have to complain about?

Banks are free to decide who they have or do not have as customers and from your positing history and financial behavior both in the past and more recently your credit history is not more perfect than perfect!

Anthorn

Mr_Goodkat wrote: »

What do you have to complain about?

Banks are free to decide who they have or do not have as customers and from your positing history and financial behavior both in the past and more recently your credit history is not more perfect than perfect!

How do you know that my credit history is not perfect? Do you have access to my credit history?

Let's look at this in more detail: First and foremost if a bank says they will check a CRA but they don't do that then the reason for declining must be something else. Now if that same bank does not specify a minimum income and states that the minimum balance is nil then the reason for the decline must be something else. All that's left is age and state pension.

Whether a bank can decide whether to accept or decline an application depends on the reason for declining. Back in 2014 Lloyds Bank came unstuck when they declined an application due to the advanced age of the applicant:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/personalfinance/borrowing/creditcards/10991292/You-are-too-old-for-a-credit-card-bank-tells-customer.html

Specifically in the case of Metro Bank apart from referring to searching Equifax they refer to their "criteria" which as far as I can see is not published.

I subscribe to Equifax and there has been no credit searches nor ID searches from Metro Bank. In fact no credit searches at all in the last four months.

So therefore if it's not age that is the reason for the decline then it must be the mysterious "criteria" and that is the basis of my complaint.

WillPS

Anthorn wrote: »

Now if that same bank does not specify a minimum income and states that the minimum balance is nil then the reason for the decline must be something else

Just because no minimum income is specified doesn't mean there is no minimum income, or acceptable income type. Banks don't have to (and do not) tell you absolutely all their criteria before you apply.

Anthorn

WillPS wrote: »

Just because no minimum income is specified doesn't mean there is no minimum income, or acceptable income type. Banks don't have to (and do not) tell you absolutely all their criteria before you apply.

If there is a minimum income and/or income type they should state it. Conversely if they do have a minimum income and income type and that falls above the level of a state pensioner then they are discriminating against state pensioners!

Metro Bank were silly in giving definite reasons for the decline and even more silly in giving reasons which can so easily be verified. And yet even more silly in referring to unwritten and therefore unverifiable "criteria".

Age discrimination in finance needs to be stamped out. It's been going on for far too long: Try google searches to verify that. For a start making someone ineligible for finance purely because they have reached a certain older age is ridiculous. Further, it should concern everyone because as time passes everyone is getting older!

Commenting on the generally held premise that challenger banks are the future of banking, if Metro Bank is the future then we can expect a bleak future indeed possibly harking back to the bad old days before basic bank accounts!

mgdavid

Katiehound wrote: »

and now I am green with envy!... or not..... Never seen a Metro bank, think they must be a very rare species in the rural zones!
Perhaps I need my binoculars out.............. then I can report... a bit like seeing the first cuckoo of spring!

https://www.metrobankonline.co.uk/get-in-touch/store-locator/

Anthorn

mgdavid wrote: »

https://www.metrobankonline.co.uk/get-in-touch/store-locator/

There is a Metro Bank Store recently opened in the city where I live. But since the area has a large percentage of O.A.P.s and Disabled I think we might jump the gun and already refer to that Store as "failed". Hey I could be wrong but I doubt it.