Is First Direct Oversold?

Cotta

Hi All,

Whilst I am with this bank and agree that the customer service is good and the regular saver @5% is a market best I am still bewildered about how much it's promoted as the top bank on MSE. Personally I find the switching vouchers on offer poor and after the regular saver account there is nothing else of note offered by the bank in terms of financial products. Does anyone else find this or am I missing something with First Direct?

ColdIron

That about covers it and the online banking looks like it was designed when Alec Douglas-Home was PM

JuicyJesus

You're not missing anything. Ten years ago they were special, now they're an average bank that enjoys the smell of its own farts too much and whose reputation is a self-fulfilling one based on the notion of them being "the best".

agrinnall

Although I'v never needed to call them I understand that their response to calls is very quick and personal, and I would guess that their reputation has been made on people who prefer that personal touch rather than doing everything online (which as you've found is not a great idea with FD).

eskbanker

Cotta wrote: »

I am still bewildered about how much it's promoted as the top bank on MSE.

To be fair, MSE pieces normally refer to the fact that FD has topped every (subjective) customer service poll they've done, which is different from actually 'promoting it as the top bank' in an editorial sense.

PRAISETHESUN

They might be the "best" but since they are so choosy with their customers, it's not like the majority of us could ever get an account with them in the first place!

bxboards

I like their minimalist online banking and the mobile app, it's not as pretty as other banks, but honestly have black text on a white background, or vice versa in the list type format works just fine for me.

I think I've been with them 17 or 18 years, and I think I've needed to phone them twice, each time the phone seemed to be picked up instantly.

I'm not really the sort of person to 'vote' for a bank, it seems a bit of an odd thing to vote for a corporate entity, so I have no dog in this race.

JuicyJesus

bxboards wrote: »

I like their minimalist online banking and the mobile app, it's not as pretty as other banks, but honestly have black text on a white background, or vice versa in the list type format works just fine for me.

I don't mind the prettiness, I do think it looks quite nice overall, but I do mind the distinct lack of functionality. Nationwide, Barclays and even their sister bank HSBC all knock it out of the park compared to FD's poor functionality. There has literally been no new functionality added to FD's online banking since 2009. No I'm not exaggerating. It is precisely the same as it was in 2009, with the exception of the Secure Key (which doesn't count as a "function" as such).

I think I've been with them 17 or 18 years, and I think I've needed to phone them twice, each time the phone seemed to be picked up instantly.

I was with them for a year (most recently) and experienced hold times of up to an hour on multiple occasions. I also experienced their lovely staff, oh-so-friendly and good, whinging about the hold times themselves and basically saying "call this other number so I can get off the phone".

They really are nothing special. Maybe the reason you see them as such is because you've been with them for 18 years, and as such you can't see that other banks have actually met their standards and in many ways surpassed them.

eschaton

I am with:

Santander
Bank of Scotland
Halifax
TSB
Birmingham Midshires
First Direct
Nat West
Nationwide
Virgin Money
Barclaycard
Clydesdale Bank
Post Office


I don't rate First Direct any better than the others on the list.

They have a decent regular saver and nothing else.

When my FD Credit Card 0% finished I wanted to pay off the balance in full on their website, but l couldn't so I messaged them. Not a problem but you need to phone us to set it up.

They are still working in the past. A bit like their website.

enthusiasticsaver

Their website is not the best but if you ring them you get a person at the end of the phone. I think their mobile app is quite good.

sausage_time

I'm with each end of the polls (FD and RBS) and I can see little or no difference in customer service.