Backup Bank Account(s)

colsten

RG2015 said:

Thanks @Zanderman, Perhaps I should have done one of those dreadful polls. My feeling is that despite all the talk of having a backup account the likelihood of needing one is extremely small. 

How likely is it that your house burns down, gets struck by an out-of-control airplane, gets flattened in an earthquake or a gas explosion, gets flooded, gets wiped out in a hurricane? etc etc etc

Probably minute.

Yet you still have buildings insurance, don't you?

Why not have some kind of insurance on your current account? 

wmb194

Yes, a couple of times, to circumvent IT issues with my main accounts. It's a very rare occurrence but it was useful to have money sitting in easily accessible current accounts elsewhere.

LobsterMemory

I think there was 1 day a few years ago where VISA went down which affected contactless / debits so was able to use Starling Mastercard IIRC

I would have thought any TSB customer would have needed to use a backup account

Cisco001

I've got 4 current account for various reason.
And got AMEX, Master & Visa credit card.

colsten

LobsterMemory said:

I would have thought any TSB customer would have needed to use a backup account

Not those who only use TSB as a long-term savings vehicle

digalumps

I have only ever had to use a back up a bank account once in my whole life and that is when the dog ate my debit card

oldagetraveller1

"when the dog ate my debit card"

I hope that passed out with  no issues! Labrador Retriever?

Fingerbobs

I've got a number of current accounts. Some are just acting as savings accounts, but a few of them are used regularly for various things, and I don't really have a single "main" current account. It therefore follows that I don't have a "backup" account either. Any one of my accounts could take on the function of any other should that ever become necessary. 
I rarely use a Debit Card for anything other than withdrawing cash from an ATM, and even that is infrequent as I do virtually all of my spending on credit cards, so seldom need cash. 

Emmia

RG2015 said:

Good point @badger09, I meant has anyone HAD to use a backup account because something had gone wrong with one of their main accounts making it unavailable for one reason or another.

Yes - a few years ago my main account was cleaned out over the counter by fraudsters. I had to use my second account to pay bills for about a month before the bank gave me back the money.

I closed the account the fraud had been done on, and switched my main account to another bank. 

deadendwaterfall

Up until last month, my mum only had the one account with Halifax, but I suggested she get an account with a different bank so I could give her a Nationwide switching referral, so now she's got a 'backup' account  with Nationwide and is £100 better off. As for myself, my main account is with Halifax also, but my 'backup' accounts are with Natwest and Nationwide.