Anyone tried First Direct?

YorkshireBoy

I've recently gone back to them after an 8 year absence. I was up and running in 4 days flat...with telephone banking, online access (using my old details, just had to reset the password [to the same one!]), debit card, PIN, £1K deposited, regular saver funded, and £700 withdrawn*.

And the icing on the cake?...because I've been away so long they offered me the switching incentive for a second time. Didn't expect that!

* The key device came a week or so later, so this was done by phone.

ccdorset

YorkshireBoy wrote: »

And the icing on the cake?...because I've been away so long they offered me the switching incentive for a second time. Didn't expect that!

That's great! Did you ask them about the switching incentive before they offered it to you? Or did they just offer it without prompting?

Butch_Dingle

polymaff wrote: »

Yet again, still trying to get FD to process this year's RS application.


The desktop interface is pretty poor, both in its clumsy black and white layout and in using a daughter window.


Just saying!

No need to use a "daughter" (pop-up) window, if you use & save the following URL:

https://www2.firstdirect.com/1/2/pib-service

YorkshireBoy

ccdorset wrote: »

That's great! Did you ask them about the switching incentive before they offered it to you? Or did they just offer it without prompting?

Offered without prompting. I was asked if I would be switching in and I said I would be (a couple of donor accounts I had to close anyway) but that I wouldn't be eligible as I'd had an incentive previously. They were adamant I'd get it, being as it was so long ago, and put a note on my file to say so. All I had to do was meet the T&Cs and give them a call to get it paid.

EarthBoy

YorkshireBoy wrote: »

They were adamant I'd get it, being as it was so long ago, and put a note on my file to say so. All I had to do was meet the T&Cs and give them a call to get it paid.

You must be the first customer to go back to First Direct and get the incentive. I wonder if the person you spoke to has been reprimanded and sent for retraining.

carapace

YorkshireBoy wrote: »

I've recently gone back to them after an 8 year absence. I was up and running in 4 days flat...with telephone banking, online access (using my old details, just had to reset the password [to the same one!]), debit card, PIN, £1K deposited, regular saver funded, and £700 withdrawn*.

And the icing on the cake?...because I've been away so long they offered me the switching incentive for a second time. Didn't expect that!

I read somewhere that banks tend to keep data for 7 years or something like that (don't quote me on it). Perhaps they've deleted your records completely and they were able to give you the switch incentive.

eskbanker

carapace wrote: »

I read somewhere that banks tend to keep data for 7 years or something like that (don't quote me on it). Perhaps they've deleted your records completely and they were able to give you the switch incentive.

I'm quoting you on it!

Banks, like all organisations storing personal data, have to have data retention policies that clarify what they'll use such data for, and for how long. Much of their normal day-to-day transactional data will be wiped after 7 years but some data can be retained for longer if compliant with their policies - for example, there was another recent thread about longer retention of data about a customer defaulting on a debt.

First Direct have always been known on here for retaining sufficient customer records to allow them to deny switching incentives to those who've ever been customers, but perhaps they've changed their underlying data retention policies since GDPR came into force. They do still say "Sorry, we can only offer this [switching incentive] to people who haven't previously held an account with us" on their website though....

stclair

There internet banking and mobile app are very outdated. In addition there debit cards get tatty looking quiet quickly.

EarthBoy

carapace wrote: »

I read somewhere that banks tend to keep data for 7 years or something like that (don't quote me on it). Perhaps they've deleted your records completely and they were able to give you the switch incentive.

YorkshireBoy said he was able to log on with his old details, so they've clearly kept some of his old records.

Rich1976

I've been with First Direct for quite some time and on the whole have generally found them to be the most efficient out of the banks I have used such as HSBC, Nationwide and Halifax.

Never had any real problems I dont think and when I have called they have generally dealt with the query there and then without hassle.

We have a joint account and I also have a sole account, Regular Saver and Credit Card.

The only downsides is that a secure message can take them 3 days or longer to respond to so it is quicker to call them up if you want an instant response and also the savings accounts need an overhaul as they haven't changed these for a long time, but for instant access we save elsewhere.

Apart from that I'm happy to remain with them and certainly wouldn't use the other banks I've mentioned if I can help it