Scottish Building Society. Any thoughts?

Malchester

Last Friday tried to open online Cash ISA with Scottish Building Society by transferring an existing ISA. Very cumbersome process. Thought I was opening an account but later got email saying thanks for registering for online banking but not saying the account was open. In the application process you have to tell them you occupation but there is i a list of over 100 occupations but nothing remotely linked to retired. However you cannot progress through the application without choosing one of the occupations. Unlike most sites where you enter an occupation you cannot type in a few letters to narrow the choice down. So I chose an occupation at random!!!!!

The website is confusing. At one point it says you must be a Scottish resident to open an account. At another point it says UK resident. Haven't heard anything from them about the new account. Seem to be operating their new online system with last century systems. will give them a couple of days and see.

Anyone had dealings with them? TIA

Malchester

Just spoken to SBS. The customer services advisor was excellent and admitted that their systems were way out of date (even though they have only been online for 1 year) and, whilst it was an online account it couldn't all be done online as transfers of ISA's are, for them, a paper only system and they would not, unlike other banks and building societies, accept a scanned copy of a signed form. They need to get themselves sorted out. I have cancelled my request to open an account.

veryintrigued

Their ID checks are something out of Victorian times.

They lost (and then found) a passport of ours.

Each time a RS was closed and another opened (if there was a gap in membership) needed this 'show us your papers' approach.

Way out of kilter from the dozens of others of institutions (including equally sized ones) I deal with.

It's an avoid from me.

Gers

I was very happy with SBS and their RS - I wish they had a new one.  The staff were really helpful both on the phone and in person. There are other more difficult-to-deal-with building societies out there.

After my RS matured I've opened an online saver just to have a foot in the door!

Malchester

veryintrigued said:

Their ID checks are something out of Victorian times.

They lost (and then found) a passport of ours.

Each time a RS was closed and another opened (if there was a gap in membership) needed this 'show us your papers' approach.

Way out of kilter from the dozens of others of institutions (including equally sized ones) I deal with.

It's an avoid from me.

And it's a NO from me as well. Half expected Queen Victoria's voice to erupt on the call. And I don't have a Penny Black to use to send my ISA transfer request in to them

Thrugelmir

It's a small regional BS. Not the funds to invest in multi million pound solutions. The customer service will exceed anything on offer from the mainstream banks. Depends on what your personal priority is. Despite Covid being well publicised no shortage of high expectations still. 

Malchester

Thrugelmir said:

It's a small regional BS. Not the funds to invest in multi million pound solutions. The customer service will exceed anything on offer from the mainstream banks. Depends on what your personal priority is. Despite Covid being well publicised no shortage of high expectations still. 

Thanks but it's not about Covid or being a small BS. It's about being able to do what you set out to do properly. So providing an online application system means getting things right- so having the facility to say you are retired and not having to search through over 100 occupations and lying just to get to the next stage of the application. It's about not having conflicting info - not saying on one page you have to be a Scottish resident and on another page you have to be a UK resident. That's not about spending millions, that's common sense, basic skills and knowing what you're doing which XBS fail at

Albermarle

Thrugelmir said:

It's a small regional BS. Not the funds to invest in multi million pound solutions. The customer service will exceed anything on offer from the mainstream banks. Depends on what your personal priority is. Despite Covid being well publicised no shortage of high expectations still. 

There are plenty of small banks , like Aldermore, Shawbrook, Charters, Paragon etc , who seem to have perfectly good online systems , fit for purpose.

Malchester

Albermarle said:

Thrugelmir said:

It's a small regional BS. Not the funds to invest in multi million pound solutions. The customer service will exceed anything on offer from the mainstream banks. Depends on what your personal priority is. Despite Covid being well publicised no shortage of high expectations still. 

There are plenty of small banks , like Aldermore, Shawbrook, Charters, Paragon etc , who seem to have perfectly good online systems , fit for purpose.

Totally agree.

soulsaver

Never any problems here with SBS. 

Thrugelmir

Albermarle said:

Thrugelmir said:

It's a small regional BS. Not the funds to invest in multi million pound solutions. The customer service will exceed anything on offer from the mainstream banks. Depends on what your personal priority is. Despite Covid being well publicised no shortage of high expectations still. 

There are plenty of small banks , like Aldermore, Shawbrook, Charters, Paragon etc , who seem to have perfectly good online systems , fit for purpose.

A BS is not a bank.