Alliance and Leicester

Hazzanet

Used the online interface to ask for a Tax Deduction Certificate. Five days later a certificate turns up saying no tax deducted, double check the dates and the certificate was for the 07/08 period, i.e. before the account was opened.

I call up stating that they've sent the wrong certificate and get told that no tax was deducted - that's what the computer says. I disagree, the advisor tells me that the computer generates the certificate and if it says no interest paid and no tax deducted, that's the truth. I again explain it's wrong, and has the wrong dates. The advisor gets a little rude so I direct her to two dates where interest was paid, and tax was deducted. I get put on hold for eight minutes.

Advisor returns to say she's dealt with it and a new certificate will be sent out.

Four days later I return home to find 6 letters from A&L. Each contains a tax certificate for either the 06/07 or the 07/08 tax year, each with nil interest and nil tax deducted.

I call again explaining that I want the 08/09 certificate. Two days later, two letters from A&L; both tax certificates for the 07/08 tax year with nil all over.

What can I say really?

sujman

This post has reminded me that I need to get in touch with A&L about a £1.50 overdraft charge they applied but couldn't justify.

Initially, I called the contact centre and asked for the reason. I said, show me where I went o/d - I've been with them about 2 years and not once was I or every have been o/d.

The woman said good question, let me speak to my supervisor. She came back and said the supervisor couldn't explain the charge either. So she said she'd refer the issue to the specialist unit or something and I should eventually see my account refunded.

Week or two later, I got a written response (standard template type) saying that they have reviewed my account carefully and are satisfied that they have applied the charges fairly and correctly and no refund would be given.

ehhhh?????

Decided it wasn't worth getting worked up over £1.50 but principles suggest I shouldn't have to pay this charge and I'll need to chase them up again about it!

sujman

Result!!!

Just called up and I'm getting my £1.50 refunded!!!

Not bad for a mornings work!!

Hazzanet

sujman wrote: »

Result!!!

Just called up and I'm getting my £1.50 refunded!!!

Not bad for a mornings work!!

How much did it cost you on the 0844 number?

sujman

Hazzanet wrote: »

How much did it cost you on the 0844 number?

I used the 0800 number. Totally free.

Surfer

ackl wrote: »

I opened an account with A&L about 2-3 weeks ago and will be in the process of closing it. The transfer and standing order time takes too long. I am used to transfers being done on the same day and had assume that this would be the same, found out today that it takes 4 days and now there is a possibility that direct debits from my joint account will bounce because of this.
I tried sending secure messages through my account but it always says that there is a problem and my messages never got sent and I should call up instead! Messages that did manage to go through were not replied till a day later.
I am just really annoyed with them and wished I never bothered switching! Nothing but a waste of time.
Regarding the £100 you are suppose to receive.... mine is apparently being considered!??
Can't wait to get rid of this useless account and return to Natwest!

I agree totally with you as they are slow to update yhour account even when cash is paid in. I have also noticed that although a DD is only going out the next day, the available balance indicates that it has already been taken. This can be confusing as you assume you have insufficient funds and rush out to top up the account only to find out a day or two later that there were sufficient funds anyway. If you write a secure message it times out after a few minutes meaning you have to log in agasin. Their solution is that you write the message in notepad or Word and then copy & paste. I now only use this account for DDs and SOs. My wifes's wages go into another account.

Obukit

A&L are a bit of a joke. I wrote a letter to them almost a month ago asking for a bank reference for a commercial lease. I didn't hear anything from them so called them a fortnight ago to be told they don't send them directly to an agent, and that it had to be sent to me. Fine, I said.

I then called them back the other day to ask where my reference was. "We couldn't issue it because you didn't tell us what the reference was for", they said. I pointed out that this was in the original letter I sent them and I had assumed they could take it from there. The girl on the phone agrees, then goes on to tell me that A&L don't issue references for specific enquiries, but could only give a general reference. This making the previous ten minutes of conversation a complete waste of time.

They still haven't sent the reference so it's almost time to give them another call to find out which ridiculous excuse they have this time - I assume they've exchanged my reference for magic beans or are having trouble finding someone truthful who works there...

bjones4

I transferred to A&L Premier from a HSBC Graduate account in January and they've been less than brilliant.

Firstly during the transfer process they didnt transfer all my direct debits which left my regular payments to O2 and Mint late, i didn't realise until they both sent reminders.

Secondly, the Visa Debit they sent, is apparently from a bad batch which are masquerading as Visa Electrons, apparently they were given the wrong chips, I found this out at Sheffield train station trying to buy my montly ticket, I was told it was a regular occurence with new A&L cards and to request another. I did exactly that, and as of yesterday, my old card wasn't working, so I gave them a call, and was told, yes it wouldn't work because it's been deactivated, they said they were having problems getting new cards and it should be here next week.... great! so I had to draw cash out on a credit card which I hate having to do at all, let alone when theres a healthy bank balance i cant get to!

Internet Banking in general, isn't as clean, polished or as functional as HSBC, nor is it as quick to show transactions, it can take upto a week for payments to occur and the available balance often bears no relation to reality, this month my salary got paid on the 26th and upped the balance accordingly, it showed that money as being available, on the 27th i made a number of payments, a few days later when it all showed on the itemised list, it turns out the salary went in the day after and the payments sent me overdrawn to the order of £150.

Were it not such a stresfful activity, i'd be more than willing to move again... even back to HSBC!

MarkyMarkD

I don't understand your comments about available balance. Whilst other balances shown on A&L's internet banking need some interpretation, available balance generally does not.

It INCLUDES your authorised o/d limit. It EXCLUDES uncleared cheques deposited. Apart from that, it should be pretty much your actual balance - taking account of authorised, but not debited, payments for example.

I can't see why your authorised balance would have increased for a salary credit before the date it hit the account for real. That has never happened to me.

blueberrypie

MarkyMarkD wrote: »

I don't understand your comments about available balance. Whilst other balances shown on A&L's internet banking need some interpretation, available balance generally does not.

It INCLUDES your authorised o/d limit. It EXCLUDES uncleared cheques deposited. Apart from that, it should be pretty much your actual balance - taking account of authorised, but not debited, payments for example.

No interpretation needed? I beg to differ...

One of my accounts currently shows an available balance of £500 less than the actual balance. I know what this £500 is - it's a standing order that is set up to leave my account on the 5th of each month. Today is the 3rd. The payment does not show on the list of transactions - and nor should it, as it's not due to leave the account until Tuesday. But it doesn't show on the list of pending transactions either, or anywhere else - except in the available balance. The only way I can tell that it's that standing order is by looking at the list of standing orders, which shows that the next payment date for that one is June 5th.

If that £500 payment had taken my available balance to below zero, I'd be charged for being overdrawn, despite the fact that it's not even due to be paid until Tuesday, and that I could easily fund the account via faster payments from another bank before then. How can it not be "available" when it's not actually due to be paid yet?

Another of my A&L accounts is fed on the 1st of each month, by standing order, from the current account. That payment left my current account on 1st May, and it shows on the "balance" of the receiving account - but is *not* included on the available balance.

It's only because I have been using A&L internet banking so long and know how it works and where to look for clues, and because I keep a very close eye on my accounts, that I'm able to figure out what's going on at all.