Metro Bank 'issues'

Scuba_M

I've happily been with First Direct for a few years, but as I'm going through a separation and it was a joint account, I had to open a standalone bank account at the end of 2020.

So I opened a Metro Bank account which I've been using for 9 months. I have to say, it's been the worst experience I've ever had from a bank. Their banking platform is exceptionally strange - weird double debits of pending and live transactions showing a strangely low balance for a few hours in a morning, or their online banking just not working, or their link into FPI being super flaky and just not being able to send/receive any money for days on end which is frustrating.

The final straw for me has been their iOS app on iPhones has stopped working properly on the 20th September due to Apple upgrading the iPhone Operating System to version 15. Now I have been beta testing it on my iPad for months, so there's no excuses from the Metro Bank app development team not to have pulled their finger out, but they still haven't fixed the huge bug that forces pretty much every Metro Bank customer on this version of the iPhone OS to have to delete and reinstall the app and go through the full setup daily. This is fundamental functionality they seem incapable of fixing and this worries me greatly. (I used to work for the Co-Op bank and remember when they started to go through their financial troubles, the IT support and development teams were the first signs of things to come - especially when they tried to take over what ended up being TSB... but I digress). 

I was really happy with First Direct - does anyone know if First Direct will let me get a separate current account alongside my joint account? I've tried to look through their website but it seems very generic and talks about freezing accounts.

I don't want to freeze my joint account (the relationship with my ex is amicable and we still use it for things we had that were joint that hasn't been moved into our individual accounts) but I also don't want to stay with Metro Bank as I plainly now don't trust them. 

Either that or can anyone recommend a bank similar to First Direct I should current account switch to?

Sensory

You can have an account in your sole name alongside your current account in joint names if you really like First Direct.

If you want to switch away from Metro, Lloyds Bank has good online/app functionality with a switch bonus (£100 for the Club accounts), assuming you don't care about telephone banking, and some branches are open on Saturdays.

PRAISETHESUN

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/banking/compare-best-bank-accounts/#switch

Multiple banks are offering switching incentives at the moment. Most high street banks offer more or less the same experience in my opinion so you probably won't find too much difference between what's on offer. If you like FD however, then stick with them and open a sole account as suggested above.

Shakin_Steve

I had a message from Metro bank a couple of weeks ago saying that the app would be upgraded soon and I'd have to download the new version. This is probably because of iOS15. Fortunately, I have iOS15 on my iPad but haven't bothered with my iPhone yet.
From what I've seen of it, I'll be in no hurry.

[Deleted User]

A joint account can be made in a solo account, so that may be an option or open solo one to operate alongside.

Having a solo bank account outwith HSBC would be advisable anyway - Lloyds, Nationwide, Santander and RBS are all options that are currently paying a switch reward.

mgfvvc

My wife and I both have separate accounts alongside our joint a/c with First Direct. Mostly they are still there because we've been not been motivated to fully merge our accounts (may be just plain lazy?). So yes, there is no reason why you shouldn't have a sole account alongside the joint account.

Scuba_M

Thanks all - lots of good options there. I have a credit card with Lloyds and have always found their service to be good, so I may well switch to them. Probably wise to have an alternative bank to First Direct. 

The metro bank saga is still ongoing - their app keeps requiring a delete & reinstall now on iOS 15 and the lady I spoke to today admitted to me it’s a huge issue and they are getting hundreds of calls a day with the same issue (but they seemed to be reticent to share that information!) - the reason I had to ring them was the app today said I had activated my account on too many devices (only ever used the same device, just having to reinstall). So for the short term until they have upgraded the app (and I assume it’s related to the back end platform upgrades they are having to do tomorrow) they suggest using the phone’s browser which isn’t ideal but usable (even if you have to authenticate every time rather than using Face ID) 

username

If you wish to stick with HSBC (since FD is part of HSBC Group) then you might as well see if you are able to switch to HSBC.

The thing I find strange about Metro Bank is the length of time for which debit card transactions take to debit out of the account (upto 3 days, whereas most clear next working day), the fact that their branches have very little self-service technology, such as automated payin (bar the coin counter machine) and no ability to manage the account or get account information in branch without having to go to the counter.

I guess it must be to do with the software or platform which they use.

Scuba_M

username said:

If you wish to stick with HSBC (since FD is part of HSBC Group) then you might as well see if you are able to switch to HSBC.

The thing I find strange about Metro Bank is the length of time for which debit card transactions take to debit out of the account (upto 3 days, whereas most clear next working day), the fact that their branches have very little self-service technology, such as automated payin (bar the coin counter machine) and no ability to manage the account or get account information in branch without having to go to the counter.

I guess it must be to do with the software or platform which they use.

As it happens, there was an interesting article on 'The Register' which goes into their complete IT woes. https://www.theregister.com/2021/09/27/metrobank_techies_redundancy_at_risk/

Not altogether unusual for a bank - I've worked in IT at a few of them. Most are the same - minimal investment in IT and the banking platform, maximal investment in the senior directors bonuses and company cars. Co-Op Bank was the worst. So many vanity projects. And the top floor of Balloon Street where the senior directors worked had super expensive wood panelled walls & bloody shag pile carpet! No wonder they were haemorrhaging money.

The only one that bucked the trend was HSBC who actually did invest in IT pretty well when I was there.

Alex9384

Metro must be the most useless of the 10 banks I have current accounts with. At least for me. The coolest feature in their app is that you can log out by shaking your phone...  That's pretty much it.
I'm actually surprised how poor their platform is, given that they built a new bank from scratch in 2010. They have recently "refreshed" the look of online banking, just so it looks worse than before. It's harder to navigate and since I usually zoom in websites to 120-130%, the Metro online banking requires scrolling not only vertically, but also horizontally from right to left and vice versa. Really bad! You can't activate your debit card online or in the app. You have to call them. Metro is one of those banks that ask you to call them whenever you need something.

I think it's a good bank for old people who like to do banking in branches and don't care about online banking and apps. Or if they feel bored or lonely, they can just call Metro bank who wants everyone to call them all the time.
For everyone else, I don't see the point of having it. They've never even offered me a single product. Not sure how they actually make any money. I only keep it because it's one of my oldest accounts so it increases the average age of my accounts. But eventually I'll switch it away in a couple years.

Sensory

Alex9384 said:

Metro must be the most useless of the 10 banks I have current accounts with. At least for me. The coolest feature in their app is that you can log out by shaking your phone...  That's pretty much it.

A brilliant feature that is, if it works properly. If you're ever in the app when out and about for whatever reason and your phone gets snatched, the thief won't be able to dig into your details. I've wanted phones to develop a 'shake to lock' feature for years.