Starling Bank feedback

CRAIGEMMA

Thank you.

Yes I think my only concern is they seem a bit funny on different transactions.

My employer, also a bank, pays me monthly but once a year a bonus which comes with my salary every august. I also receive from them every week my expenses so they will see same salary credit monthly, a larger salary payment once and smaller variable payments every week or so. I am just hoping they dont freak at that re "not regular activity account frozen" but only one way to know!

CRAIGEMMA

Had a good chat with them all sorted they said it would be fine.

Daft question- balance in current account is it easy to know this v it including in goals does it split it for you

d123

I was pretty impressed by Starling customer service recently. I couldn't get the app to register on my new phone on the 24th so I sent them a message on the evening of the 24th (expecting an answer today). I woke up on the 25th to a message asking for further details which I sent and received a message on the afternoon of the 25th saying the issue was resolved and to try registering the new phone again (which worked as it should this time).

IvanDP

CRAIGEMMA wrote: »

Had a good chat with them all sorted they said it would be fine.

Daft question- balance in current account is it easy to know this v it including in goals does it split it for you

Main account balance is shown on the main screen
Anything you have saved in the "spaces" is kept separate, and each of these is separate to each other.

System

colsten wrote: »

Tell me, what good are branches, web access and telephone banking if a bank went bust? Only FSCS will help you then, and Starling have the fully £85k FSCS protection

Multiple channel access isn't more reliable than mobile app only?!

If you were concerned about their solvency or anything else, you can pop down to a branch and get cash etc. If this happens with an app bank, their bare-bones customer service would be overwhelmed.

colsten wrote: »

Aside from that, it's not correct to say that there is zero web access. They have web chat, and also have a published email address, plus an 0800 phone number. Criticise them by all means, but state facts, not guesses.

No web or telephone banking?
Web chat / email address in a crunch - rather you than me.

colsten wrote: »

As I have said earlier, Starling aren't my main account but I would happily make them so if they raised their interest rate to 1.5% on 20K.

I don't doubt the ultimate safety of funds but I'd rather not rely on the FSCS as my next move should an app fall over and my £300 ATM limit is exhausted.

d123

Heng_Leng wrote: »

No web or telephone banking?
Web chat / email address in a crunch - rather you than me.

Other than the telephone number they do have? 0800 023 4617.

Heng_Leng wrote: »

I don't doubt the ultimate safety of funds but I'd rather not rely on the FSCS as my next move should an app fall over and my £300 ATM limit is exhausted.

ATM? They offer full banking services at the Post Office, why wouldn't you just go to your nearest PO and do a withdrawal in that scenario?

Thrugelmir

colsten wrote: »

Although it's only pittance but it shows a fundamental difference in philosophy: one of them wants you to borrow money from them, they other encourages saving.

Starling will wish to attract customer deposits to underpin the strength of their balance sheet. Building a bank in terms of scale is highly capital intensive. As the problems at Metro bank have shown.

[Deleted User]

I like Starling and I have been using them as my main bank account (salary credited & DDs coming out) since 2017.

Only thing I'm noticing recently is that they class you as a second class citizen if you use an Android phone. The reason why I say this is because they have been releasing new features for the iOS App recently and plastering the good news all over social media without mentioning that it's iOS only. When asked when the Android update is coming, all they say is "we have no plans".

I get paid weekly and I got 3 weeks advanced holiday pay for Xmas (as office is shut) and as of yet I haven't had my account frozen for having extra pay paid in.

Also folk saying "they don't have branches" well most of the high street banks are closing their branches at the rate of knots. If I wanted to visit a branch of a high street bank, I'd have to take a day of work, drive 20 miles and pay for parking. A bank with branches isn't going to win me over.



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System

d123 wrote: »

Other than the telephone number they do have? 0800 023 4617.

As I've already said, the freephone number appears to be customer services rather than actual telephone banking

d123 wrote: »

ATM? They offer full banking services at the Post Office, why wouldn't you just go to your nearest PO and do a withdrawal in that scenario?

I've not seen any evidence that the PO withdrawal service isn't interchangeable for an ATM - i.e. limited to £300 in total. Not sure what bank you use, but mine aren't limited to £300 nor does the ATM limit affect a counter withdrawal.

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I'm not saying that Starling (& Cohorts) are bad but I wouldn't rely on them in a crunch - your risk appetite is obviously higher than mine

d123

Heng_Leng wrote: »

I've not seen any evidence that the PO withdrawal service isn't interchangeable for an ATM - i.e. limited to £300 in total. Not sure what bank you use, but mine aren't limited to £300 nor does the ATM limit affect a counter withdrawal.

That's my point. You brought up the problem of only being able to withdraw £300 (it's in your post that I quoted).

Heng_Leng wrote: »

I don't doubt the ultimate safety of funds but I'd rather not rely on the FSCS as my next move should an app fall over and my £300 ATM limit is exhausted.