ISA with good customer service

DJ123

Hi all

I would like to open a fixed rate cash ISA for 1 year. I'm not after the absolute best interest rate. Instead I would like something that is reliable and easy to manage, where I can speak to someone if needed. Basically I'm willing to sacrifice the interest rate for an easier life with good customer service. Does anyone have any recommendations for such an account? Everything on MSE is about the highest interest rate you can get, and not what is easiest to manage (not a criticism in any way). I was looking at the Post Office, but couldn't really see if they have a recent good track record or not with customer service.

Thanks for any help!

A._Badger

Personally, I have had good service from several online companies and I would include Oaknorth, Paragon and Aldermore in a list of the best I've used. Additionally, I have just transferred a matured ISA from Coventry (who were also good) to Kent Reliance and I've been highly impressed with them, too. Among 'old fashioned' building societies I would cite Principality as being good. I've been less impressed by Virgin and Santander, neihter of which strike me as being very customer friendly.. 

Loanranger21

Coventry Building Society is very good indeed and their call centre is in Coventry. Their staff go above and beyond. I have been with the Coventry for more than twenty years and highly recommend them. They have branches, too, somewhat of a novelty these days, though these are dotted around the East and West Midlands and towards Swindon area I believe.

Malchester

Have had ISAs with numerous banks/building societies. Like A._Badger, many of them have been good, or excellent. Among those are:

Gatehouse Bank, West Bromwich Building Society, Coventry Building Society, Ford Bank, Paragon, Buckinghamshire Building Society

Those I have had where I would not use them again:
Hodge Bank, Lloyds Bank, Principality, Mansfield Building Society, Swansea Building Society, UTB.

Hope it helps

eskbanker

DJ123 said:

Hi all

I would like to open a fixed rate cash ISA for 1 year. I'm not after the absolute best interest rate. Instead I would like something that is reliable and easy to manage, where I can speak to someone if needed. Basically I'm willing to sacrifice the interest rate for an easier life with good customer service. Does anyone have any recommendations for such an account? Everything on MSE is about the highest interest rate you can get, and not what is easiest to manage (not a criticism in any way). I was looking at the Post Office, but couldn't really see if they have a recent good track record or not with customer service.

Thanks for any help!

Post Office seems to have a pretty atrocious record on here if you search previous threads, but if you're looking to lock money away for a year, why would customer service and easy management matter (beyond the routine admin of opening/funding/closing)?

DJ123

Thanks for the replies everybody - this is exactly what I was after
What a lovely lot you are!

DJ123

eskbanker said:

DJ123 said:

Hi all

I would like to open a fixed rate cash ISA for 1 year. I'm not after the absolute best interest rate. Instead I would like something that is reliable and easy to manage, where I can speak to someone if needed. Basically I'm willing to sacrifice the interest rate for an easier life with good customer service. Does anyone have any recommendations for such an account? Everything on MSE is about the highest interest rate you can get, and not what is easiest to manage (not a criticism in any way). I was looking at the Post Office, but couldn't really see if they have a recent good track record or not with customer service.

Thanks for any help!

Post Office seems to have a pretty atrocious record on here if you search previous threads, but if you're looking to lock money away for a year, why would customer service and easy management matter (beyond the routine admin of opening/funding/closing)?

Thanks for the feedback on Post Office! That's a fair comment (why care about customer service for a fixed account you don't interact with). I have just had an ISA fixed account end, and didn't have a good experience. I explored transferring it to the Post Office, and the whole thing just got so complicated with moving it to a holding account that I just gave up. It burned a load of time and I'm not blessed with lots of free time at the moment, so I just want the easiest route, even if it costs a tiny bit of interest. So I guess my answer is that even with a 1 year fixed, there is still limited admin to do.

refluxer

Who is your matured ISA with ? If it's a bank or building society who are on this list of providers who use the BACs ISA transfer service and you pick a new provider who is also on the list, then your transfer should be carried out electronically without the need for paper forms, so should (in theory at least) be easier and quicker...

https://help.shawbrook.co.uk/hc/en-gb/articles/5598619267474-Electronic-ISA-Transfers 

If your current provider isn't on the list then they're likely to need paper forms posting off but it could be worth choosing a new provider from the list anyway, to set yourself up for an electronic transfer when the new ISA matures.

Personally, I've had ISAs with Paragon, Nationwide, Shawbrook, Halifax, Santander and the Principality BS in recent years and have had no issues with any of them as far as ISA management is concerned. Transfers in and out have taken anything from a few days to a few weeks, depending on whether both providers were on the list above or not.

Obviously, setting yourself up as a new customer with a new provider may involve some hassle, though. In my experience, it's often the building societies (particularly the smaller ones) who require you to send ID documents in the post. Whenever I've dealt with online-only providers who don't have branches (such as Paragon or Shawbrook), as a new customer, I've always been able to have my ID confirmed electronically which speeds things up and avoids extra hassle. 

Albermarle

 I was looking at the Post Office, but couldn't really see if they have a recent good track record or not with customer service.

You probably have picked on one of the worst ones !

To add to ones already mentioned, Ford Money are pretty good as well.

Quite a few providers in fact use the same back office support system based in Newcastle.

mark_cycling00

When the post office was particularly loss making they made a deal with Bank Of Ireland to exclusively sell their financial products in return for £150m cash to boost their bottom line 

The call centre you call is just an external, low cost place that serves lots of different companies. 

Sadly the post office has a very high brand image with people over 50 and they get away with it.

I've always had good experience with Shaw brook and aldermore