Ulster Bank BEWARE

35har1old

Tommaso46 said:

I have several savings accounts and they are all linked (including the Ulster Bank one) to my FirstDirect current account (my main day to day current account for all transactions.

I am able to pay into/withdraw from all of them through my FirstDirect current account EXCEPT THE ULSTER BANK one. 

I have no intention of opening and operating another current account. Especially not an Ulster Bank current account - given the palaver of emails and texts I had to go through to open the deposit account.

Sounds like your First Direct account is your nominated account and the savings account  you hold are with providers that don't operate current accounts and the difference is Ulster Bank do

Bridlington1

35har1old said:

Tommaso46 said:

Seduced by the promise of a good interest rate, and in the absence of any **warnings** on the comparison websites, I opened an Ulster Bank savings account although the process was far more labyrinthine than it usually is when opening an account. I paid quite a lot of money into it. The paying-in process was very easy. TOO EASY as I then discovered when I decided to try taking some money out. YOU CAN'T! So I then decided to just close the whole account. BUT YOU CAN'T! The guy on the phone was flummoxed and had to go away for a long time, and ask his line manager. When he came back he told me the only way you can  get your money out of an Ulster Bank savings account is to have an Ulster Bank current account. OR (he suggested) go to a Natwest branch and ask them to do it. So I went to my local Natwest branch in London where the (very helpful) lady said there was nothing she could do. She did, however, manage to download a "close account" form which, however, she couldn't sign because she doesn't work for Ulster Bank. She suggested I write a letter to Ulster Bank in Belfast, giving all my details and enclosing the form the lady couldn't sign. Then she VERY KINDLY put the form and my letter in a NatWest envelope and posted it off for me. As of today 27 December I am waiting to see if they close my accoun as requested. so BE WARNED: UNLESS YOU LIVE IN NORTHERN IRELAND do NOT open any accounts with Ulster Bank.

Easy excess accounts usually have a nominated account that you setup at the time of application and can only pay money out to that account you can't setup a payee list. These easy access accounts are usually with the likes of Paragon who Don't offer current accounts.
Banks like Santander offer easy excess accounts but you can't setup a payee you can only transfer between your active accounts with Santander and if you want to transfer out you need to transfer to your current account and make onward transfer to the outside provider.
HSBC is exactly like that as I  discovered.
I still had online excess but no current account opened a savings account but then discovered could not make a withdrawal would have to go to branch to close.
I think banks that offer current accounts operate in the same way
When you  visited Nat West did you ask if you had a digital saver account with them could you make a direct payment out of that account to a outside source?

You can set up a payee on a Santander EA account and make payments directly from it to an external account. I also seem to recall LBG were the same when I banked with them.

35har1old

Bridlington1 said:

35har1old said:

Tommaso46 said:

Seduced by the promise of a good interest rate, and in the absence of any **warnings** on the comparison websites, I opened an Ulster Bank savings account although the process was far more labyrinthine than it usually is when opening an account. I paid quite a lot of money into it. The paying-in process was very easy. TOO EASY as I then discovered when I decided to try taking some money out. YOU CAN'T! So I then decided to just close the whole account. BUT YOU CAN'T! The guy on the phone was flummoxed and had to go away for a long time, and ask his line manager. When he came back he told me the only way you can  get your money out of an Ulster Bank savings account is to have an Ulster Bank current account. OR (he suggested) go to a Natwest branch and ask them to do it. So I went to my local Natwest branch in London where the (very helpful) lady said there was nothing she could do. She did, however, manage to download a "close account" form which, however, she couldn't sign because she doesn't work for Ulster Bank. She suggested I write a letter to Ulster Bank in Belfast, giving all my details and enclosing the form the lady couldn't sign. Then she VERY KINDLY put the form and my letter in a NatWest envelope and posted it off for me. As of today 27 December I am waiting to see if they close my accoun as requested. so BE WARNED: UNLESS YOU LIVE IN NORTHERN IRELAND do NOT open any accounts with Ulster Bank.

Easy excess accounts usually have a nominated account that you setup at the time of application and can only pay money out to that account you can't setup a payee list. These easy access accounts are usually with the likes of Paragon who Don't offer current accounts.
Banks like Santander offer easy excess accounts but you can't setup a payee you can only transfer between your active accounts with Santander and if you want to transfer out you need to transfer to your current account and make onward transfer to the outside provider.
HSBC is exactly like that as I  discovered.
I still had online excess but no current account opened a savings account but then discovered could not make a withdrawal would have to go to branch to close.
I think banks that offer current accounts operate in the same way
When you  visited Nat West did you ask if you had a digital saver account with them could you make a direct payment out of that account to a outside source?

You can set up a payee on a Santander EA account and make payments directly from it to an external account. I also seem to recall LBG were the same when I banked with them.

Just asked Sandi Santander  digital assistant about setting  up a payee on a savings account and all she came up with was how to delete a payee

35har1old

Bridlington1 said:

35har1old said:

Tommaso46 said:

Seduced by the promise of a good interest rate, and in the absence of any **warnings** on the comparison websites, I opened an Ulster Bank savings account although the process was far more labyrinthine than it usually is when opening an account. I paid quite a lot of money into it. The paying-in process was very easy. TOO EASY as I then discovered when I decided to try taking some money out. YOU CAN'T! So I then decided to just close the whole account. BUT YOU CAN'T! The guy on the phone was flummoxed and had to go away for a long time, and ask his line manager. When he came back he told me the only way you can  get your money out of an Ulster Bank savings account is to have an Ulster Bank current account. OR (he suggested) go to a Natwest branch and ask them to do it. So I went to my local Natwest branch in London where the (very helpful) lady said there was nothing she could do. She did, however, manage to download a "close account" form which, however, she couldn't sign because she doesn't work for Ulster Bank. She suggested I write a letter to Ulster Bank in Belfast, giving all my details and enclosing the form the lady couldn't sign. Then she VERY KINDLY put the form and my letter in a NatWest envelope and posted it off for me. As of today 27 December I am waiting to see if they close my accoun as requested. so BE WARNED: UNLESS YOU LIVE IN NORTHERN IRELAND do NOT open any accounts with Ulster Bank.

Easy excess accounts usually have a nominated account that you setup at the time of application and can only pay money out to that account you can't setup a payee list. These easy access accounts are usually with the likes of Paragon who Don't offer current accounts.
Banks like Santander offer easy excess accounts but you can't setup a payee you can only transfer between your active accounts with Santander and if you want to transfer out you need to transfer to your current account and make onward transfer to the outside provider.
HSBC is exactly like that as I  discovered.
I still had online excess but no current account opened a savings account but then discovered could not make a withdrawal would have to go to branch to close.
I think banks that offer current accounts operate in the same way
When you  visited Nat West did you ask if you had a digital saver account with them could you make a direct payment out of that account to a outside source?

You can set up a payee on a Santander EA account and make payments directly from it to an external account. I also seem to recall LBG were the same when I banked with them.

Had tried to setup payment via the app but couldn't see a way of doing it but signed on to online banking and I agree that you can do it on that platform.But i actually would not like to link my savings accounts in this way 
As the OP is with First Direct I have also attempted to setup a payee from the savings account but all it wants to do is add new payee to the current account

35har1old

Tommaso46 said:

Seduced by the promise of a good interest rate, and in the absence of any **warnings** on the comparison websites, I opened an Ulster Bank savings account although the process was far more labyrinthine than it usually is when opening an account. I paid quite a lot of money into it. The paying-in process was very easy. TOO EASY as I then discovered when I decided to try taking some money out. YOU CAN'T! So I then decided to just close the whole account. BUT YOU CAN'T! The guy on the phone was flummoxed and had to go away for a long time, and ask his line manager. When he came back he told me the only way you can  get your money out of an Ulster Bank savings account is to have an Ulster Bank current account. OR (he suggested) go to a Natwest branch and ask them to do it. So I went to my local Natwest branch in London where the (very helpful) lady said there was nothing she could do. She did, however, manage to download a "close account" form which, however, she couldn't sign because she doesn't work for Ulster Bank. She suggested I write a letter to Ulster Bank in Belfast, giving all my details and enclosing the form the lady couldn't sign. Then she VERY KINDLY put the form and my letter in a NatWest envelope and posted it off for me. As of today 27 December I am waiting to see if they close my accoun as requested. so BE WARNED: UNLESS YOU LIVE IN NORTHERN IRELAND do NOT open any accounts with Ulster Bank.

If you had asked the Nat West staff member is it possible to setup a payee from one of there easy access savers you would find that you would have received  the same answer as you got from the Ulster Bank
With Nat West you have 4 accounts that you can make payments from
First Saver Account
First Reserve Account (Offset)
Primary (Not available to new)
Limited Edition (As above NATN)
Hope you got the right address

flaneurs_lobster

35har1old said:

Bridlington1 said:

You can set up a payee on a Santander EA account and make payments directly from it to an external account. I also seem to recall LBG were the same when I banked with them.

Had tried to setup payment via the app but couldn't see a way of doing it but signed on to online banking and I agree that you can do it on that platform.

Noting that you don't need the functionality just now, you can use the app to add new payees to be paid from either of the Santander EA accounts, go to Pay & Transfer, Pay, choose a savings account, pick "To" and use the red "+" bottom-right to enter new payee details.

flaneurs_lobster

Just looking 35har1old said:

Tommaso46 said:

Seduced by the promise of a good interest rate, and in the absence of any **warnings** on the comparison websites, I opened an Ulster Bank savings account although the process was far more labyrinthine than it usually is when opening an account. I paid quite a lot of money into it. The paying-in process was very easy. TOO EASY as I then discovered when I decided to try taking some money out. YOU CAN'T! So I then decided to just close the whole account. BUT YOU CAN'T! The guy on the phone was flummoxed and had to go away for a long time, and ask his line manager. When he came back he told me the only way you can  get your money out of an Ulster Bank savings account is to have an Ulster Bank current account. OR (he suggested) go to a Natwest branch and ask them to do it. So I went to my local Natwest branch in London where the (very helpful) lady said there was nothing she could do. She did, however, manage to download a "close account" form which, however, she couldn't sign because she doesn't work for Ulster Bank. She suggested I write a letter to Ulster Bank in Belfast, giving all my details and enclosing the form the lady couldn't sign. Then she VERY KINDLY put the form and my letter in a NatWest envelope and posted it off for me. As of today 27 December I am waiting to see if they close my accoun as requested. so BE WARNED: UNLESS YOU LIVE IN NORTHERN IRELAND do NOT open any accounts with Ulster Bank.

If you had asked the Nat West staff member is it possible to setup a payee from one of there easy access savers you would find that you would have received  the same answer as you got from the Ulster Bank
With Nat West you have 4 accounts that you can make payments from
First Saver Account
First Reserve Account (Offset)
Primary (Not available to new)
Limited Edition (As above NATN)
Hope you got the right address

Just to complicate matters, Ulster Bank app, Loyalty Saver, setup new payee (my 1st Direct current a/c), sent a quid no problem.

Am I able to do this because I have biometric ID set up with Ulster and is this dependent on having a current account?

adamp87

I’m confused did this get sorted in the end? I thought in the absence of opening a current account on the application you set up a connected account elsewhere for withdrawal.

Is it the easy access? The official website clearly states you can withdraw 

“Yes, you can withdraw or transfer to any other account based in the UK up to the daily limits.

You'll need Anytime Internet Banking to withdraw or transfer money online. You can do this over the phone app too. If you do not have a card with your account, we'll send you a card reader and an Anytime Internet Banking card and PIN to make payments securely.

Remember, you'll need to enable the card reader to make payments online. Once you are set up, you can withdraw however you like.”

Tommaso46

Yes, I was told I needed a card reader but then I realised I would need a card so I called them again and was told you can only use a card reader if you have a current account. I have no intention of opening an Ulster Bank current account.

[Deleted User]

Tommaso46 said:

Yes, I was told I needed a card reader but then I realised I would need a card so I called them again and was told you can only use a card reader if you have a current account. I have no intention of opening an Ulster Bank current account.

They are talking tosh. If you do not have a debit/ATM card, they can send you an Digital Banking card (known as a CAP card) and PIN that you can use with the card-reader. 

NatWest (and RBS) branch staff can also sign/stamp Ulster forms and send directly via internal mail.