FIRST DIRECT

ZeroSum

Bigwheels1111 said:

ZeroSum said:

Yup, I've been critical of these many a time. For me, the whole set up process should be classed as part of the customer service. Because its extremely user unfriendly, and therefore customers are being mislead.

I only joined for the switching bonus & then 5% regular saver (I didn't use the current account other than transferring the savings money into)

Also, when you get a new phone, you need your old phone to set up the new phone. Which is a problem when your old phone is broken

Not sure on the old phone part.
I switch from phone to iPad and back to another phone etc.
I call them and they delete the old phone access and I just add new device.
Same with iPad, I upgraded to a new IPad Pro last year, Wiped the old one clean.
Just called FD and they deleted old iPad and I just downloaded the new app of off you go.

Yes, you need to call them up as an alternative. It's an extra effort that shouldn't be needed

ZeroSum

gt94sss2 said:

ZeroSum said:  Even now, you can't even access their website online banking without a smartphone. What's the point in that? The website is supposed to be the alternative for those who don't have smartphones

You can use a physical security key. You don't need a smartphone.

So that's something else, I'd have to phone up & request, then wait a few days until it arrives. Which btw they've not actually told me about. Ie poor customer service 

Daliah

ZeroSum said:

gt94sss2 said:

ZeroSum said:  Even now, you can't even access their website online banking without a smartphone. What's the point in that? The website is supposed to be the alternative for those who don't have smartphones

You can use a physical security key. You don't need a smartphone.

So that's something else, I'd have to phone up & request, then wait a few days until it arrives. Which btw they've not actually told me about. Ie poor customer service 

It’a hideous gadget, something that should be in a museum now. They know this, it’s why they try and stear people towards their digital secure key. But they still cater for the dwindling number of customers who for one reason or another don’t have a phone which can run their app.

kaMelo

And here's me using the "hideous gadget" in preference to any form of app or text message verification.

adamp87

ZeroSum said:

Bigwheels1111 said:

ZeroSum said:

Yup, I've been critical of these many a time. For me, the whole set up process should be classed as part of the customer service. Because its extremely user unfriendly, and therefore customers are being mislead.

I only joined for the switching bonus & then 5% regular saver (I didn't use the current account other than transferring the savings money into)

Also, when you get a new phone, you need your old phone to set up the new phone. Which is a problem when your old phone is broken

Not sure on the old phone part.
I switch from phone to iPad and back to another phone etc.
I call them and they delete the old phone access and I just add new device.
Same with iPad, I upgraded to a new IPad Pro last year, Wiped the old one clean.
Just called FD and they deleted old iPad and I just downloaded the new app of off you go.

Yes, you need to call them up as an alternative. It's an extra effort that shouldn't be needed

Then the answer is go to another bank. First Direct is primiarlly a telephone only bank, it's hardly unexpected that you need to call them

ZeroSum

adamp87 said:

ZeroSum said:

Bigwheels1111 said:

ZeroSum said:

Yup, I've been critical of these many a time. For me, the whole set up process should be classed as part of the customer service. Because its extremely user unfriendly, and therefore customers are being mislead.

I only joined for the switching bonus & then 5% regular saver (I didn't use the current account other than transferring the savings money into)

Also, when you get a new phone, you need your old phone to set up the new phone. Which is a problem when your old phone is broken

Not sure on the old phone part.
I switch from phone to iPad and back to another phone etc.
I call them and they delete the old phone access and I just add new device.
Same with iPad, I upgraded to a new IPad Pro last year, Wiped the old one clean.
Just called FD and they deleted old iPad and I just downloaded the new app of off you go.

Yes, you need to call them up as an alternative. It's an extra effort that shouldn't be needed

Then the answer is go to another bank. First Direct is primiarlly a telephone only bank, it's hardly unexpected that you need to call them

Its 2022 for goodness sake. 

I currently don't use FD, but the discussion is around their fabled great customer service. These antiquated systems they insist on, means that their actual customer service is poor in reality

Brewer21

Once set up FD is fantastic, been with them for 20+ years. If you can't set the security/passwords up that's the users fault.
Never had problems setting up any banks secure systems that they require and if I have had problems, (Lloyds spring to mind with there over zealous of me money laundering) I can't think of any other bank, and I've had most of them, that's been troublesome.

TJfromBrum

The main problems with first direct - & I was with them for 29 years till last week.
a)  they MIGHT be OK if you use their mobile banking app AND you only or mainly contact them via the phone – but ... 
1)  they've not updated their login-security setup for decades  & so they pressure all customers to use their mobile banking app,  to save a few p on replacing their Physical Secure Key (Pin-generator)  when its battery goes flat, because they've not upgraded to rechargeable & which they will prevaricate for 6 weeks about replacing (or did to me, locking me out of my accounts for 6 weeks!) – of course what they should rally do instead is upgrade their system to sending a PIN-code to either your website-logged-in-page or to your phone  & then you have to input that Pin-code to whichever they didn't send it to, as is logically done by other banks & by HMRC 
2)  & this is the list of things they did to me recently, which drove me to leave them:
  a)  "restricted" ALL my accounts, giving the reason that this was because 1 account had 0p in it for 2 years (it was 18 months, but details)  AND they only gave me 10 days' notice of this, which I didn't see cos I don't login every week or even necessarily every month - they failed to tell me what the "restricting" involved nor why it was done to me, & wouldn't tell me when I asked either, any of the many times I asked
  b)  this meant that my DD to my mobile was bounced because it's from my card & my card was "blocked" as part of "restricting" all my accounts - this despite the fact that the illogical bank kept asking me to ring them!  - although they've known for years that I don't phone, only text  - my friend had to make a one-off payment to my mobile to keep it in use; I've never felt so humiliated (& I cried) 
  c)  altered my address on ALL my bank statements (I mean the latest month on all accounts)  to the bank's own address instead of my address! - this was fraud! - because they're only supposed to do that if they have a serious concern about money  laundering, which they can't possibly have had about me, & certainly not about ALL of my accounts - 
AND they also did this without telling me at all - I just saw it on my statements -
they also wrote "G/A" next to their address on my statements, so obviously I looked this up -
it's for collecting money from "inactive" accounts, to basically harvest that money for the bank ALTHOUGH MY ACCOUNTS WEREN'T INACTIVE except the 0p account.
  d)  they kept sending me to their "online chat" & including telling me to "ask for Finn" but all this die was waste literally hours of my time, because the staff at that section aren't authorised to do anything except LOOK at your accounts, NOT tell you anything, & just ask you to phone - 
& their online chat also logs you out every 10-20 mins, however often you type in a word to try to stay logged ni - & this of course means logging in again, which of course means further towards flattening the batter in you non-rechargeable Physical Secure Key, which if it goes flat means that you're locked out of your accounts completely, can't even see them
  e)  so I left FD, took out all of my money from all of my accounts, before they could harvest it into their central account - & this was only possible because ni the last 20 months I'd moved some of my banking back to my previous bank, so I had an "existing payee" to that other bank - new payees can't be set up when your accounts are restricted, nor can payees be altered or deleted, I found
2)  18-20 months ago, First Direct seemed to take great delight in prevaricating for 6 weeks about replacing my Physical Secure Key when it went flat, & only replaced it when one of their online-chat answerers had typed after I'd left the chat   that APPARENTLY I'd downloaded their mobile app & I'd said I could work it OK - 
gotcha! - cos then I said I've not got a mobile, whereupon they must've twigged that their little game was up & they finally sent me the replacement PSK in 2 days flat, which they should've done in the first place 6 weeks previously.
   THIS BANK IS NOT SAFE TO BANK WITH - not if you're 65 & you don't do phonecalls.  Elderly are somewhat widely targeted (not just by this bank)  as being thought of as unlikely to notice that their money's been misappropriated.  & people who can't do calls are also targeted, as being thought of as mentally !!!!!! & therefore also unlikely to notice that their money's been misappropriated nor be able to do anything about it.

TJfromBrum

Correction to my above comment – I've not got a SMARTPHONE – I have got a 2G fick-fone, just for texting (in emergency, & for sort of short-chat with people) – I can't do calls, & the fick-fone won't take any apps either.

EarthBoy

You've posted this twice, and I've replied on the other thread.