first direct--a cautionary tale

meer53

Was your account closed in 2017 ? What happened to the £5k you owed them, did they agree a repayment plan with you ? It's not unusual for a bank to end a relationship if they cannot agree a way forward with you. What has prompted you to post now ?

eskbanker

averageguy wrote: »

I opened a first direct current account in 2010. I'm a healthcare professional with a regular salary. Happy with the service provided and their smartphone app is excellent.

About seven years later I had severe depression, was admitted to hospital for two months and resigned from my job while receiving treatment, and because it was clearly going to take a while to get better and return to work.

While I was a hospital inpatient I called first direct to let them know about my circumstances, specifically that my income would stop for a while. I had an overdraft of £1k and £4k on a credit card not at that point in arrears. Because I had stopped working and was not sure when I was likely to return to work they closed my bank account.

While you're focusing on FD's lack of sympathy (and I can see why), surely if you're employed as a healthcare professional (and even if not to be honest) you'd have had the right to expect a sympathetic response from your employer to your illness?

I'm not trying to defend FD here but just wonder if they may have perceived the situation as you effectively depriving yourself of income deliberately while owing them £5K, without giving them any sort of meaningful assurances that you'd be planning to service the debt and eventually repay it?

[Deleted User]

maisie_cat wrote: »

I've been with FD since 1995 and had a mortgage since 2002. I don't particularly rate them, I do most things online but I've had 2 issues in the last year and frankly the response I got was not what I'd expect from a so called gold standard bank.
We're trapped with them because we are trapped in a mortgage, our income has fallen and although we've never missed any kind of payment they will not allow a transfer.
Businesses don't care about their customers. only the business they bring.

How can a bank (any bank) "trap" you if you want to pay your mortgage off by remortgaging with another lender? Unless you mean no other lender will touch you and First Direct won't give you a better deal?