UBL bank 2025 update

kfsimpson

In hindsight I wish I had looked on this forum before I chose UBL as the provider for my cash ISA transfer. I foolishly took it that if the MSE website listed a bank as offering the best interest rate without any warnings, it would offer a decent standard of service.

Since the earlier warnings about dreadful UBL customer service date from a couple of years ago or longer, may I warn others looking for an ISA provider that UBL customer service is still terrible at the end of 2025. Took four weeks to open my account in the first place, failed to inform me of progress, took a further week to send off the transfer form to my previous provider, failed to advise me of any progress. In contrast the previous provider emailed immediately it received the transfer out request and made the transfer the following day. UBL then failed to inform me when it received the funds, failed to inform me when it received the ISA history form, and sent me a letter confirming the start of the fixed rate period over three weeks after the start and one week after my cooling off period had run out, sent by second class post. I am already dreading the transfer out process at the end of the two year term.

While the headline interest rate may look good, with the delays I have experienced I have probably lost most of the extra interest earned by the better rate. I had sold the funds in my S+S ISA before starting the process and thus lost interest on the cash balance throughout the entire farce. Please may I urge MSE forumites to consider very carefully before attempting to transfer an ISA to UBL? I made a second ISA transfer a month later and chose not to use UBL because of the issues experienced. I have switched into a Yorkshire BS flexible ISA and will be moving from there into a fix with a better provider. If anyone can recommend a provider who has made the transfer process easy I will be glad to receive your advice.

Thanks, and if I have saved anyone from the painful UBL experience, good.

eskbanker

kfsimpson said:

I foolishly took it that if the MSE website listed a bank as offering the best interest rate without any warnings, it would offer a decent standard of service.

The generic warning is at the foot of each page on here:

• This info does not constitute financial advice, always do your own research on top to ensure it's right for your specific circumstances and remember we focus on rates not service.

Blackingstone

Thank you, I'll stop trying to open an ISA with UBL. Clearly a lucky escape based on the experiences given here!

Repeat after me ... 'Rates not service, rates not service ...'.

doomeddrone

A couple of additional things worth noting about UBL:

1. Their login page is not on the UBL domain, and they appear to share it with a number of other companies (for example, Ordnance Survey!). I don't know what this means for the security of my information - username, email, password - but it's disconcerting to say the least.
2. Emails from them fail their domain authentication check and are reported by Proton mail (a notably secure email system) as phishing attempts. This is a fundamental security issue. Do they have an IT department?

These two things alone were sufficient to raise warning flags and I've asked them to closse my account with immediate effect, before risking moving an ISA to them.

bristolleedsfan

doomeddrone said:

A couple of additional things worth noting about UBL:

1. Their login page is not on the UBL domain, and they appear to share it with a number of other companies (for example, Ordnance Survey!). I don't know what this means for the security of my information - username, email, password - but it's disconcerting to say the least.
2. 
   

Top right hand corner "login"  what have I missed ?????

https://www.ubluk.com/