Can anyone recommend a decent internet current account?

realaledrinker

Hooo wrote: »

1. At the top of the login page it says "Enter your sort code and account number, or 16 digit Visa card number". I have a card with "Visa" on it and a 16 digit number on it, so I tried that a few times. Apparantly that only works if it's a credit card.

Maybe that's because the actual wording on the log in page is "Visa Credit card number".

You are getting confused with the telephone security questions.

The back button option was removed a few years ago when smile upgraded their security features. This is a requirement of the ISO27001 Certificate for Information Security Management.

Hooo

realaledrinker wrote: »

Maybe that's because the actual wording on the log in page is "Visa Credit card number".

The atual wording, pasted from the page, is
"to access your account please enter your 6-digit sort code and
your 8-digit account number or your 16-digit Visa card number. "
To me, that says that I can use either my account number or my card number to log in.
It does say Visa credit card further down the page, I admit, but I missed that the first few times.

realaledrinker wrote: »

You are getting confused with the telephone security questions.

Eh? I'm getting confused with this comment.

realaledrinker wrote: »

The back button option was removed a few years ago when smile upgraded their security features. This is a requirement of the ISO27001 Certificate for Information Security Management.

I thought I'd have a look at this document, but it seems you have to pay for it. Fancy posting the relevant part on here so that I can see?

Mikeyorks wrote: »

Well not really. I see so many posts on here where people clearly have online access but appear 'forever' to be complaining at attitudes / ignorance / confusion etc of the Help desk people. And I keep wondering 'but why ring'? I can find out most stuff I don't know from their website .... or from on here.

Believe me, I'll only ever call customer services as a last resort, I'll do anything to avoid it! That's why I want an internet account with a good UI.

I will look into Halifax. Never even considered them before. I hope there's a branch somewhere I can get to.

moredough

fagun wrote: »

I haven't tried NatWest, but FD's online functionality is vastly superior to A&Ls.

For example, A&L has contradictory balances depending on what level you've drilled down to (some show money transfers going out on the day, while other's don't). Transfers between FD accounts happen instantaneously (which they don't for A&L). And they have better customer service.

I haven't tried FD, but Natwest was easy to use and I used to know where I was with transactions as they showed up pretty quickly. This was before Switching to A&L.

I switched to A&L because of the free/low cost overdraft, but you are right about the contradictory balances. I never know where I'm up to with the A&L Account.

For example: on my A&L A/c. On Friday 29th Feb, 3 direct debits for 3rd March show as being paid in the D/D section, but not on the running balance. Available Balance on Friday 29th shows £330, Available Balance on Sat 1st £207, Available Balance on Sunday 2nd £91. I have made several card purchases during the week and my running balance shows as having £300 left so that is £209 of transactions not yet showing. Are the D/Ds included in this or not.

Has The money for the D/Ds gone out or not:mad: ? I really don't know ! The D/Ds amount to £88 so I'll have to wait until morning to find out.

The only real way to keep track of this account seems to me to be by keeping a written record of spending.

I didn't have this Problem with Natwest.

ShelfStacker_3

Mikeyorks wrote: »

Well not really. I see so many posts on here where people clearly have online access but appear 'forever' to be complaining at attitudes / ignorance / confusion etc of the Help desk people. And I keep wondering 'but why ring'? I can find out most stuff I don't know from their website .... or from on here.

The banks' websites are usually quite unhelpful, and when you want an answer to either a quick query about your account/certain facilities or you want something currently not IBable done then you have to resort to telephone banking! I often phone up the bank with little queries, or even drop into the branch if I'm in.

Barclays, for what it's worth, have an extremely good website that tells you virtually everything you could possibly need to know about any of their accounts, with a full searchable database of FAQs. This is probably a courtesy measure, however, as their phone banking is sh**e.

ajaxgeezer

Fedz wrote: »

NatWest I really did think would be terrible at customer services/relations but, was totally shocked to find them friendly, polite and genuine on the numerous calls I've made

....ditto. I've heard folks moan about Natwest but I find them fantastic. I set up a switch to Abbey from Natwest but I'm abandoning the 8% interest after a few months because I find Abbey to be a joke. Natwest have UK call centres, an easy, helpful and user-friendly website, genuinely helpful staff and they answer the phone quickly. Sure there's paltry interest on a current account but it's easy to set up a completely flexible e-savings account to instantly transfer in and out of as you see fit.

Grade_A_Reject

frivolous_fay wrote: »

.. if you logged out of your internet banking, walked away, and a stranger sat down... you'd be happy if they could click 'Back' and get back into your account? Because I think that's the reasoning behind the feature.

As I only ever do my internet banking from home I'd be more concerned as to how the stranger got into my house. :rotfl:

It is annoying when reconciling transactions against an online statement to those I have in MS Money to constantly have to keep logging back in after the message pops up saying sorry you appear to have blinked so we've logged you out for your safety. A degree of configurability in user preferences would be nice.

Quiet_Life

I left Abbey and went to Smile a couple of years ago, sorry to hear that you have had problems. When viewing your statement, click print and from this format copy & paste into excel. I don't have a joint account (can't understand why anyone would to be honest) so haven't encountered those problems. When you have got logged in have you tried sending them a complaint or writing to their head office about your problems?

cottager

moredough wrote: »

I haven't tried FD, but Natwest was easy to use and I used to know where I was with transactions as they showed up pretty quickly. This was before Switching to A&L.
... I didn't have this problem with Natwest.

ajaxgeezer wrote: »

I've heard folks moan about Natwest but I find them fantastic.

Ditto these comments. IMO the NatWest online interface is brilliant. The service is also very quick to use, very smooth, everything's clear, plenty of options to view everything you need and in different ways, and transactions show up promptly. Always know exactly where we are (that's for a business account, plus two personal current A/Cs).

Don't have experience of all the many other alternatives obviously, but for savings use Abbey, Halifax and Nationwide, though less frequently -- all pretty good too, but I'd still say NatWest Online was better (possibly because I spend far more time there than at the others, and operating it is second nature).

Hooo

Quiet_Life wrote: »

I don't have a joint account (can't understand why anyone would to be honest)

For richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, 'til death us do part......
How do you deal with all the household DDs otherwise? I can't understand people who will set up home with a person whom they don't trust enough to share their finances with.

Quiet_Life wrote: »

When you have got logged in have you tried sending them a complaint or writing to their head office about your problems?

Yes, loads of times. The response is just the usual automatic "We're sorry you are experiencing problems, why don't you try (insert something I've already tried here)"
The actual questions I had for Smile have been answered now, for example I now have an explanation for why I keep getting locked out. They aren't going to change any of the bad design, so I now I know how to work the account, I'll just have to live with it or find someone else with a decent UI.

Useful tip about printing and pasting into Excel. Does it all format sensibly when you paste it in, or do you have to fiddle around every time? That would at least enable me to search transactions.

h5djr

As so far no one has mentioned Lloyds TSB I will. I have banked with them for over 40 years and I have had not real problems. Their 'Plus' accounts pay a reasonable rate of interest. I have been using their internet banking ever since it was launch and have never had any problems with it. It has a good interface and is quick and straight forward.

In the last few weeks I have been into my branch a couple of times and received excellent service. I have also called the phone banking service and had an almost instant answer, the person at the call centre knew what the were doing and were polite and efficient.

It would take a lot for me to change at this stage. I use various other banks for some savings where the rate is better than Lloyds, but have just changed my ISAs back to Lloyds with their 6.5% Fixed Rate ISA.

I also had a visit from a Private Banking Manager a few weeks ago in connection with writing a will and he mentioned that, due to my level of savings, I would be entitled to Private Banking, with some added advantages if I was interested.