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MSE Poll: When did you last switch your bank account?
Competition's been fierce in recent months, with 'bribes' of up to £175 offered to those willing to switch (see Best bank accounts). So whether you wanted better service, interest on your savings or just free cash – tell us when you last switched? Or if it's been a while or you've never done it, tell us why.
Never used the 'switching' service, always done it manually by opening a new account and setting up the DDs myself, before closing the old account. Always due to dissatisfaction with customer service. It's got to be about 15 years since I last did that as I'm happy with my bank.
I do have three other current account providers, as there's some interesting savings accounts I make use of.
Mortgage started 2020, aiming to clear it in 2026.
Every week I see details of how much cash banks are offering to customers who switch to them. Is it not time that they started offering their existing customers a loyalty bonus - I am not thinking of anything like the ridiculous amounts they offer to switchers, but just a token amount of say a tenner a year for customers who have always kept their account in credit, or within an agreed overdraft limit? Surely it is in their best interests to retain existing loyal customers instead of offering bribes to woo customers from other banks?
Why this constant 'Push' to change bank accounts? There are more purposes to a bank than just providing a money handling service (although it does seem to be that the 'customer' is doing more and more of the work we expect the bank to do) such as providing a secure deposit service. Having been into a Barclay's bank recently they don't appear to provide any Banking service whatsoever instead expecting the customer to do everything themselves 'on-line' outside of the banking hall. I don't see a need to switch - in fact I believe the service I would get from a new bank would be worse not better and certainly not worth the bribe to switch.