is "Student Service" important when choosing a bank?

MercilessKiller

Hi there. I'm a student shortly going to University so finding a suitable account with the help of Martin's information.

I am more persuaded to go to halifax for the £1,750 first year interest free overdraft, but am concerned about one factor. Unlike Natwest, I have found information that says Halifax don't do "Student Service". What that mean's I am not too sure so am asking in here to see if its important.

Credit card wise for the student account, Halifax have fee free, neg under the column labelled "Credit Card, Limit" but Natwest have "Fee Free, £500".

Please can someone assist me in my choice. Still more persuaded towards Halifax.

Thanks

andyspencerj

I can strongly recommend the halifax, although they have no specific student team, as far as i know, they have always been helpful and all the staff i have spoke to have a good knowledge of the student account and what goes with it. After my first year at uni I took two years off uni (going back this sept) and they allowed me to keep the account and the overdraft and even adjusted my course start and end dates so i will have student status for the length of the degree, whereas it would have originally ended part way through. In my opinion they appear to bend over backwards for students and are obviously becoming more competitive with the likes of overdrafts for e.g. - Also if you are not an existing customer and dont already know this, there online banking is pretty good.

MercilessKiller

I already have a current account with them and would be upgrading to the student account.

I'll go in tomorrow and upgrade. Thanks for your help! Much appreciated!!!!

Quite scary thinking I'll be at Uni in 2 months! Weird.

BWZN93

Good luck at Uni, and welcome to MSE too! One thing I would recommend is to look at the OldStyle board, they have loads of idea's to make a whole weeks worth of food very cheaply - always a good plan!

Jo xx

toastinbowl

I am with HBOS (Halifax Bank of Scotland) and used to find them fantastic. Recently however, they have slipped. I'm thinking of moving banks now. I have a student account.

They sent out notices that student overdrafts had expired (they never done this in previous years). I called up and got my renewed but my girlfriend called and was told she could only have £1000, not the £1400 she had last year. She's going into third year. Now, she earns the same amount as me and I have more credit out than her (she lives with her folks, I on the other have have tonnes of bills and such). She asked why and they simply said they can't renew any at over £1000 (which is wrong as they done mine a week before). They said it was some new policy. She asked them to email HQ (that's the usual procedure) and they said they have never done that in the past - again very wrong. They told her she'd have to go a branch (which she can't due to her summer work).

Obviously it's just someone at their end getting things mixed up but its caused us both a lot of hassle. Recently I applied for a credit card but there was a problem with my application and I was told by 4 people I would be called back by the end of the day - this went on for two weeks. And to add to it all, they had a record of my living in England (I live in Scotland) and apparently there was "bad credit" associated with it. When I asked them to remove it from my file (after proving my address for the last 5 years) and inform the credit reference agencies that it was incorrect they said the details of that address had disappeared due to a "clerical error". Now it's on my credit file and won't come off. I'm still trying to sort it out with head office.

And finally I bought contents insurance through them but the guy selling it didn't know what insurance premium tax was (I work in an insurance brokers - as he was doing the same thing I know that FSA's ICOB rules state he should know it like the back of his hand). He screwed up and overcharged me then when I went to cancel my policy I was told it would be done on Monday morning. Phoned back on Tuesday and was told there was no note to say it would be cancelled on Monday at all!

Obviously it's just training and customer services, and they do offer decent products. I would just say that you should be careful - I'm starting to with I went with someone else. And again, I know lots of people have had excellent experiences with them - hell I even did for about 7 years - but it is just my opinion that since the merger of Halifax and Bank of Scotland (over the last year or so) they have drastically changed and have become the o2 of the banking industry (low cost but poor service).

Just my 2 cents

David

crana999

I've found Halifax crap (for savings)

I've also not been impressed by Abbey (savings) or HSBC (my student one).

Nationwide (my main curr acc) and First Direct (ISA) get thumbs up so far.

Nationwide don't have any kind of student service or student accounts and they are by far my favourite bank/building soc. I use that acc for everything; I get my loans paid in my HSBC one then whip them out into my N'wide one.

pavlovs_dog

i have my student account with HSBC, and did have a lot of trouble with them whilst my account was being transferred from a young persons to a student account (sending statements, cards etc to addresses that i hadnt lived at for donkeys years, and at one point leaving me with no menas of accessing my money).

ive also found that service varies greatly from branch to branch. if you ask to speak to the student advisor, i've found you tend to get some jumped up little hitler who is irritated by having to answer your elementary questions. speak to a 'normal'memeber of staff, and you normally find someone much more knowledgeable, friendly and helpful.

know that you have discovered this board and the mine of info it contains, i wouldnt worry too much about the lack of dedicated student service - most of them are crap anyway, you'll get all the help and advice you need here.

MercilessKiller

Well, I spoken to a few mature students who say Halifax really so going to stick with that me thinks.

Hello to you too Jo. As for living cheaply.. I shall be hoping to make enough money playing poker to pay for the little luxuries of life

*waits for reply calling me an addict* lol