First Direct App

UKX69

ZeroSum said:

gsmh said:

It’s USP is that you can call them and talk to someone easily - but using the RBS/NatWest over 60s helpline I can do that with RBS too.

It's the Apple paradox. Their fans claim that they 'just work' and great customer service. But if they just work, you'd never use the CS & never know what it was like

Similarly, FD claim they have great CS, but if they just worked as effectively as other banks, you'd never need to use their CS. I've had to complain to them numerous times about how poor their systems are, and each time it was, well we're not fixing it as it's just the way we roll but here's £25 to shut you up.

As I said above, I had an account with them 25 years ago, but to be honest I can’t remember what they were actually like. Only two things stand out; I phoned up to transfer cash from a savings account to my current account that at that time was done overnight. It didn’t happen and they phoned me to apologise and then at a later date, I drew maximum cash from ATM’s over a few days and they again phoned me to ask if my card was safe. I did this with NatWest recently and they blocked my card! 😳

ZeroSum

DasTechniker said:

ZeroSum said:

gsmh said:

It’s USP is that you can call them and talk to someone easily - but using the RBS/NatWest over 60s helpline I can do that with RBS too.

It's the Apple paradox. Their fans claim that they 'just work' and great customer service. But if they just work, you'd never use the CS & never know what it was like

Similarly, FD claim they have great CS, but if they just worked as effectively as other banks, you'd never need to use their CS. I've had to complain to them numerous times about how poor their systems are, and each time it was, well we're not fixing it as it's just the way we roll but here's £25 to shut you up.

As I said above, I had an account with them 25 years ago, but to be honest I can’t remember what they were actually like. Only two things stand out; I phoned up to transfer cash from a savings account to my current account that at that time was done overnight. It didn’t happen and they phoned me to apologise and then at a later date, I drew maximum cash from ATM’s over a few days and they again phoned me to ask if my card was safe. I did this with NatWest recently and they blocked my card! 😳

25 years ago, the banking landscape was very different to now in terms of online banking. You shouldn't need to phone up to transfer savings to current account, you should just be able to do it at a click of a button. Are you referring to the reg saver maturity by any chance? Again this is something that should just happen, but it doesn't. You either have to chase them or wait a week.

I agree with you with the cash thing, anything suspicious they should phone you first & not just block you without any contact. But then again, I'm no fan of Nat West either.

wmb194

I know a couple of people who refuse to use online banking as they think it's unsafe so they do everything via telephone banking with FD and they love it.

RS mat doesn't take a week anymore, just a day or two if you have an existing ordinary saving account for the matured funds to be transferred to. My last two were next day with no phoning.

UKX69

ZeroSum said:

DasTechniker said:

ZeroSum said:

gsmh said:

It’s USP is that you can call them and talk to someone easily - but using the RBS/NatWest over 60s helpline I can do that with RBS too.

It's the Apple paradox. Their fans claim that they 'just work' and great customer service. But if they just work, you'd never use the CS & never know what it was like

Similarly, FD claim they have great CS, but if they just worked as effectively as other banks, you'd never need to use their CS. I've had to complain to them numerous times about how poor their systems are, and each time it was, well we're not fixing it as it's just the way we roll but here's £25 to shut you up.

As I said above, I had an account with them 25 years ago, but to be honest I can’t remember what they were actually like. Only two things stand out; I phoned up to transfer cash from a savings account to my current account that at that time was done overnight. It didn’t happen and they phoned me to apologise and then at a later date, I drew maximum cash from ATM’s over a few days and they again phoned me to ask if my card was safe. I did this with NatWest recently and they blocked my card! 😳

25 years ago, the banking landscape was very different to now in terms of online banking. You shouldn't need to phone up to transfer savings to current account, you should just be able to do it at a click of a button. Are you referring to the reg saver maturity by any chance? Again this is something that should just happen, but it doesn't. You either have to chase them or wait a week.

I agree with you with the cash thing, anything suspicious they should phone you first & not just block you without any contact. But then again, I'm no fan of Nat West either.

No, just an ordinary savings account. Stretching my memory, it may have been even longer in the past as I know I didn’t have a computer at that time. That was the time when I used to buy shares over the phone. Ah, happy days!

lr1277

I agree with you with the cash thing, anything suspicious they should phone you first & not just block you without any contact. But then again, I'm no fan of Nat West either.

As this conversation mentions security, I would add that I would never trust anybody who called and said they were from my bank. I would always call back (possibly using a different phone depending on the situation) and then find out what they wanted.

EarthBoy

A lot of people like First Direct for the same reason that other people dislike them; the app is basic, but it works.  You can check your balance, pay bills, and transfer money, and that's all that many people need.  It doesn't have all the bells and whistles that come with the apps from other banks, but a lot of First Direct customers don't want that; they'd find it very confusing.  For anything that you can't do in the app, help is only a short phone call away, and when you ring them there's none of that press this, press that, enter your account or card number nonsense, you get through to an actual helpful human being.