Co-operative Refer a Friend Switching Offer £125 (Nov 2022)

Aidanmc

Bridlington1 said:

Bridlington1 said:

Bridlington1 said:

masonic said:

Bridlington1 said:

bristolleedsfan said:

I was referred the first time in April this year so the switches were pretty close together.

Did you fully switch out before £125 offer started on 1 November ?

No. I started my switch out shortly after they launched the £125 switching offer. The switch out completed on 14th November and I applied for a new Co-op current account on 15th.

It's very fortunate for you that they've given you a specific reason for not paying out. You have the copy of the T&Cs in pdf format, marked in the margin of the last page with a reference number and date?

The previously highlighted discrepancy between full T&Cs and landing page information might come in handy should the situation evolve, i.e. if they say holding a Co-op current account at the start of the offer period is a disqualifying factor.

Thanks for pointing this out. I've kept print outs and PDFs of the Ts&Cs of both switching offers and if they edit the website I can always use the wayback machine. Every letter I've ever had from Co-op is all filed away somewhere and I never deleted a single email from Co-op so I can easily find any reference numbers I could possibly have.

Once I've received a reply from the secure message I sent them I shall be complaining.

The secure message I sent them has disappeared from online banking. I've just telephoned them and made a complaint regarding the £125 refer-a-friend bonus. They said they will respond within the next 3 working days.

I've just had a phone call from them. They said that I am not classed as a new customer as I closed my old account after they launched the £125 refer-a-friend scheme and am therefore ineligible for the £125 and that they would not overturn their decision. They are sending me a letter within the next 3-5 working days and have advised that if I am not happy with their decision I should contact the Financial Ombudsmen service.

Once I have got the letter I shall be contacting the FOS.

So your referrer also never got the £125?

Seems like this should read,

To be eligible for the offer, the person you’re referring must:

• Not have a Co-operative Bank current account of any type (on 1st November)
  
• Open a new Co-operative Bank Current Account or Everyday Extra account
• Complete a full switch from their main current account to their new Co-operative Bank account using the Current Account Switch Service.

Bridlington1

Aidanmc said:

Bridlington1 said:

Bridlington1 said:

Bridlington1 said:

masonic said:

Bridlington1 said:

bristolleedsfan said:

I was referred the first time in April this year so the switches were pretty close together.

Did you fully switch out before £125 offer started on 1 November ?

No. I started my switch out shortly after they launched the £125 switching offer. The switch out completed on 14th November and I applied for a new Co-op current account on 15th.

It's very fortunate for you that they've given you a specific reason for not paying out. You have the copy of the T&Cs in pdf format, marked in the margin of the last page with a reference number and date?

The previously highlighted discrepancy between full T&Cs and landing page information might come in handy should the situation evolve, i.e. if they say holding a Co-op current account at the start of the offer period is a disqualifying factor.

Thanks for pointing this out. I've kept print outs and PDFs of the Ts&Cs of both switching offers and if they edit the website I can always use the wayback machine. Every letter I've ever had from Co-op is all filed away somewhere and I never deleted a single email from Co-op so I can easily find any reference numbers I could possibly have.

Once I've received a reply from the secure message I sent them I shall be complaining.

The secure message I sent them has disappeared from online banking. I've just telephoned them and made a complaint regarding the £125 refer-a-friend bonus. They said they will respond within the next 3 working days.

I've just had a phone call from them. They said that I am not classed as a new customer as I closed my old account after they launched the £125 refer-a-friend scheme and am therefore ineligible for the £125 and that they would not overturn their decision. They are sending me a letter within the next 3-5 working days and have advised that if I am not happy with their decision I should contact the Financial Ombudsmen service.

Once I have got the letter I shall be contacting the FOS.

So your referrer also never got the £125?

Seems like this should read,

To be eligible for the offer, the person you’re referring must:

• Not have a Co-operative Bank current account of any type (on 1st November)
  
• Open a new Co-operative Bank Current Account or Everyday Extra account
• Complete a full switch from their main current account to their new Co-operative Bank account using the Current Account Switch Service.

That is correct. My referrer never got the £125 either.

Co-op appear to have missed that crucial bit of information from the Ts&Cs of the offer regarding what a new customer is. I suspect this is why they are ending the offer this early, as they will now be getting quite a few complaints regarding this. It wouldn't surprise me if their new offer is the same as the current offer but with the wording tweaked.

AmityNeon

Bridlington1 said:

I've just had a phone call from them. They said that I am not classed as a new customer as I closed my old account after they launched the £125 refer-a-friend scheme and am therefore ineligible for the £125 and that they would not overturn their decision. They are sending me a letter within the next 3-5 working days and have advised that if I am not happy with their decision I should contact the Financial Ombudsmen service.

Once I have got the letter I shall be contacting the FOS.

Rinse them. They had every opportunity to be explicitly detailed and specific in their terms. Incompetence at every level.

youngretired

Looks like a complaint will be coming from my sister and husband, as obviously the reason they first quoted for being declined they couldn't back up and so instead using the launch date the referral scheme started. My sister was already switching out from them before the £125 was launched, as her switch out completed 4/11 so they can't say she closed it to benefit from the scheme.

As everyone has stated there is no date on the T&C's like previously, so this is Co-op fault and so cannot say that customers aren't new customers just because they held an account on launch day.

blindman

AmityNeon said:

StevenGude said:

I'm lost for words
Rang customer service as not heard about switch date since application

Said went ahead on 7th - impossible as that's when I opened account

Told them the date that it said when I applied and asked them to confirm - they couldn't but it sounded 'about right'.....

It depends on who answers your call. General customer service don’t have access to your switch information and prefer not to bother the switching team unless absolutely necessary. You need to be firm and insist on being provided accurate details; do not settle for an inexperienced or untrained call handler who just wants an easy ride.

I had a call that was answered by someone likely on their first day on the job, as not only did they fail to take me through security to access the general notes on my account, they relied on details I provided then and there, e.g. “I called last Wednesday to switch”, to generically ‘confirm’ my switch completion date as seven working days from that Wednesday. Needless to say they were incorrect about everything, because I called the next morning and was received by someone far more experienced and apologetic.

I've had to call 5 times to get the switch done.

Every time I explain the problem and the CS says I'll get the switch team to sort it-Never happens.

Finally got one that actually initiated the switch over the phone. Finalised yesterday-though not had the email\text to say so.
The clue that something was happening was an Email from my old bank saying they had received a switch request.

Mrs B in EXACTLY same scenario. Just got the CS to initiate the switch over the phone. Supposedly will now complete on the 29th Dec.

Raised a complaint, so lets see how that goes.

blindman

Well I never.

After their total incompetence at getting this switch done-I started it on 20th November. I got an email at 16:00 today saying it was complete ( was due 15th Dec). 

Then at 16:20 today saying I'd been paid.

Just checked I've just been paid £125. 

grizzlegrizzle

blindman said:

Well I never.

After their total incompetence at getting this switch done-I started it on 20th November. I got an email at 16:00 today saying it was complete ( was due 15th Dec). 

Then at 16:20 today saying I'd been paid.

Just checked I've just been paid £125. 

The one thing that they are fast at is paying the referral bonuses thankfully! 

flaneurs_lobster

Still going through the initial application process (started 8/12) got as far as being asked for identity verification (online) yesterday. No opportunity so far to enter switch-from bank details.

This current switch bonus has gone away hasn't it?

wiseonesomeofthetime

Ended 16 December, ie yesterday 

bristolleedsfan

Our Refer a Friend Switching Offer ended on 16 December 2022

You and your friend can still enjoy £125 each if:

• Your friend was eligible for the offer and completed their application by 16 December 2022, and
• Your friend fully completes a current account switch from another bank, and we receive their completed referral form by 20 January 2023