Bank branches

samw_3

I've just moved to Edinburgh. I've had an HSBC current account for 11 years and have no problems except the awful customer service now it has gone to India.

The problem is that I went to pay in some cheques this weekend and found that where I live there isn't an HSBC branch within 20 miles.
I really don't want to put cheques inthe post as I've had a really bad run of luck recently with things being delayed in the post.

I'm thinking of changing banks to one that will have branches so I can pay in. Or has anyone got a better idea?

CopperPlate_2

You should check out the Post Office website - they list the banks that they will offer limited services on behalf of. HSBC isn't one of them (!)

http://www.postoffice.co.uk/portal/po/content2?mediaId=load101014&catId=1400104

The internet banks - cahoot and smile - both allow you to pay cheques into the account over the counter, and you get a decent interest rate on the money in your account too.

Otherwise, check out:

http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/cgi-bin/viewnews.cgi?newsid1109610116,88950,

for the low-down on the best current accounts.

CP

Ember999

samw wrote:

I've just moved to Edinburgh. I've had an HSBC current account for 11 years and have no problems except the awful customer service now it has gone to India.

The problem is that I went to pay in some cheques this weekend and found that where I live there isn't an HSBC branch within 20 miles.
I really don't want to put cheques inthe post as I've had a really bad run of luck recently with things being delayed in the post.

I'm thinking of changing banks to one that will have branches so I can pay in. Or has anyone got a better idea?

I moved to Scotland from England and I joined LLoyds TSB Scotland as they have branches everywhere! I also kept my First Direct (HSBC) account as I love First Direct and have been with them for 15 years, but I also have a SMILE current account etc. All 3 I can recommend but if you are wanting branch based services above all else, go for Lloyds TSB Scotland and you won't go wrong.

Ember xx

CopperPlate_2

I've never looked back after taking my smile account. I know that you're looking for branch based services, but I have never had anything that I couldn't send a secure message and sort out or phone smile and it's done. Any cash that I have going back into my account (a rarity ) is easy to deposit at the Post Office and clears immediately. Cheques take about 4 days if you post them. I'm not on commission from smile...honest...:D

CP

MORPH3US

Not sure if there will be one near you OP, but I swear by Nationwide. They are a building society so unlike banks don't have shareholders and therefore supposedly have better interest rates cos they don't need to make huge profits to keep shareholders happy.

AFAIK they only have call centres in the UK (I could be wrong though) and their online banking is spot on!

LMK how you decide

M

samw_3

I never thought about the Post Office, thank you very much! It's not so much that I want a branch I just won't put cheques in the post as it is so awful. I guess cheques paid in at the post office go through the post as well though? :think:

If I did decide tomove current accounts completely rather than just opeing another one, how does the moving of all the direct debits work? I'm scared my mortgage or insurance wouldn't get paid.. I'm really bad as I don't have all the documentation about all the payments that do go these days.

CopperPlate_2

Cheques can be posted using the pre-paid envelopes smile provide you with or they can be paid over the counter at the Post Office. A special envelope is used for this so the cheque is sealed inside with a paying-in slip. The S/C and A/C number are written onto the front of this envelope. I usually post cheques as they arrive a bit quicker at smile and therefore clear a day earlier. The other benefit of paying over the counter though is that you get a receipt for the envelope (okay, it doesn't detail the value, but it's proof you handed them an envelope )

smile organise everything for you. There is a switcher service - you can print off letters via their website (I think it's via the "Toolbox" option on the homepage) once you get your new account numbers, etc. These letters go to your current bank asking for all details of DD's and SO's to be sent to smile. There are also letters for your employer - to change the account your wages are paid into. Again, smile keep you right about what to do and when to do it.

I swapped over and did it like this:

Opened the account online with smile.
Printed off all the letters and sent the DD/SO one away. You can check via your smile account page to see when the DD's start to appear on your account ready to be used. There shouldn't be any problems - but I just kept checking my old and new account to watch that they were all transferred over okay. I had a problem with one DD so I had to fill in a mandate, but otherwise it was completely plain sailing.

If you're worried about important payments like your mortgage/insurance and which account they will come out of - they'll come out of whichever account the DD is set up on. If you see that it's still on your old account and the payment is due soon, just make sure you've enough in that old account to pay it. It's easy enough to transfer cash back to the old account and then once it's been taken give the provider a quick call to see when it will go across. Some of them like a full month of notice to swap; others will do it as soon as they are told.

Smile also give you a fee free overdraft of £500 (not interest free mind) so that helps in the switching process too.

Cahoot also offer a similar service - a higher interest rate, but cash doesn't clear immediately and I gave up recently trying to open a current account again with them. They were sending me agreements for Personal Loans and when I gave up, they kept sending me emails about opening current accounts - I'd steer well clear of them, but that's just my own tainted opinion

CP