Poor UK Banking Services - when will it improve?

PhoneGuru

Is it just me who considers banking services in the UK to be decreasing in quality and becoming more difficult to access? I am getting seriously frustrated with the lack of access to funds at the time I want them, lack of ease of being able to move money around without physically going to draw it out etc. In this world of modern technology and the internet, I seem to be finding it more difficult to get access to my funds than ever. This includes the rediculous length of time it takes to do an automatic electronic payment (which I understand is based on the cheque clearing procedures).

I'll state some examples below:

Barclays
Barclays now have a £1,000 limit per day on the amount you can transfer to an account outside of Barclays...this is a pain as I now need 2 standing orders or transfers on different days to pay my mortgage or transfer savings to another UK account.

They have also recently introduced PINSentry, which means that although I can log into my online banking. To create a new Payee I "have" to use the Calculator type device they have posted to me. As I travel alot, this means I have to take it with me everywhere to setup a new online banking payee if I am abroad, which can be weeks at a time!

Barclays online banking has gone from one of the most usable I have tried to a service which is almost useless to me given the restrictions they now have on the service in the name of "security and for my protection".

First Direct
Generally I have found them to be very good. However, I prefer to use online banking in general rather than go to a branch. It takes effort. Today I needed to withdraw an amount of money from a branch..my FirstDirect card limit for withdrawels is £300 per day, again meaning I have to do consecutive withdrawels on more than one day. Secondly, upon vising a HSBC branch that was open...the Counter service was closed.

While first direct's online banking is generally ok. They have missed the facility to actually be able to remove new payee's that you set up...what an oversight! If your like me and you make alot of payments to other accounts or people online, having a very large list of payees that you can not delete becomes un managable. First Direct are totally unsympathetic. They cannot remove them over the phone, they can only mark them "do not use". More insultingly, they tell you that if you don't use a payee for approx 13 months, it is automatically deleted....they assume customers will stay with them for that long?

RBS
Branches don't seem to open on saturdays, which is about the only time I can ever get to a branch.

I am struggling at the moment to find a bank that meets all my requirements, basically.

1) I need an online banking service with no transfer limits to external accounts.
2) If there must be a limit for security purposes, as it's my account, why can't I decide what that transfer limit is?
3) I do not want to carry around a calculator type device just to setup a new payment / payee on that banking service.
4) I generally do not want to visit a branch, but if I must...can they please be open and give me access to my cash when I need it?
5) Can I have the option as to what my daily withdrawel limit is?

I'm quickly coming round to the idea of simply paying my salary into my account, then the day after withdrawing the whole lot and sticking it under the matress. I'm totally dismayed we cannot produce systems and services in the UK better than this.

I would be interested to read your experiences.

iceicebaby

I am with Lloyds

Their internet banking is easy to use, no limits on transfers (yet)
Dont need one of those hand help things to do online payments (yet)
Branches are open on Saturdays, miune is until 2.00
Daily withdrawal limit from ATM depends on the account you have, mine is £300. In branch is unlimited up to your balance however if its a high amount they need notice, not sure what amount is tho as I have nave been in a position to be withdrawing a huge amount! Would imnagine it would be a few thousand though.

I find Lloyds no trouble at all but then its horses for courses. I was with barclays, wouldnt touch them with someone else'e money!

icefall

agree with you on Barclays

I received my pinsentry last week :mad:

why oh why do they have to make the online service so complicated to use, when as you say it was very useable

Biggles

iceicebaby wrote: »

I am with Lloyds

Their internet banking is easy to use, no limits on transfers (yet)

The limit on online banking transfers is £10,000. Whether that includes SOs & DDs I'm not sure.

taless

Agree with Iceicebaby about LTSB. They are great, lots of branches, excellent internet banking (you can pay huge amounts out without problem). Not too sure too about the withdrawal limit over the counter, haven't really had to withdraw that amount of cash till now!

gt94sss2

PhoneGuru wrote: »

I am struggling at the moment to find a bank that meets all my requirements, basically.

1) I need an online banking service with no transfer limits to external accounts.
2) If there must be a limit for security purposes, as it's my account, why can't I decide what that transfer limit is?
3) I do not want to carry around a calculator type device just to setup a new payment / payee on that banking service.
4) I generally do not want to visit a branch, but if I must...can they please be open and give me access to my cash when I need it?
5) Can I have the option as to what my daily withdrawel limit is?

1. I believe First Direct are the only 'mainstream' bank which does not have a daily limit on transfer limits to external accounts.

2. All the main banks and building societies have stated they plan to introduce card readers for customers - with the exception of HSBC and First Direct who have ruled them out and Abbey who haven't decided yet..

As for the £300 daily withdrawal limit at ATMs- when HSBC introduced something similar a few years ago, I simply called them up and said I would prefer my limit to remain at their old default of £500.. and they were able to change it. I imagine First Direct can do something similar.

Regards
Sunil

PhoneGuru

Thanks gt94sss2 thats useful to know.

1. It is sensible to have a limit, but to me £1,000 seems quite low. Oh well.
2. I thought I had search something like that. I know RBS are now delivering them.

So, our once so simple, easy to use, online banking experience will become limited to wherever we have our card reader with us...oh well.

poppy_f1

PhoneGuru wrote: »

RBS
Branches don't seem to open on saturdays, which is about the only time I can ever get to a branch.

my local RBS branch is open on a saturday, maybe some of the smaller branches arent