first direct - text msgs

Benuk73

Do they charge you to receive txts about your account info? If so how much, and does your operator charge you to receive them? Im with O2

Ta

greenwich

I get the daily texts from First Direct and have done for years. I can't speak for O2 but I am with Virgin and I've never been charged for getting them. FD don't charge for sending them.

moomintroll_3

Beware.

FD WILL start to charge as from next month - £2.50 a month, as per the charges page on their website.

G

bylromarha

Thanks for highlighting this. I get weekly texts and event texts. Will now cancel my event texts...which is a bit of a pain as I rely on them to tell me when I'm in danger of being overdrawn. Wonder why they're going to start charging for them?

Altarf

bylromarha wrote:

Wonder why they're going to start charging for them?

Because they want people to sign up for First Directory (a bundle of various products) that is not particulary good value. If you sign up you get the text messages 'free'.

greenwich

moomintroll wrote:

Beware.

FD WILL start to charge as from next month - £2.50 a month, as per the charges page on their website.

G

£30 per year just for sending texts. They've got to be kidding! Since I started getting these texts I don't bother checking through my bank statements as I know day by day what's going on in the account. But they can kiss my **** if they think I am going to pay them this fee. :mad:

isasmurf

moomintroll wrote:

Beware.

FD WILL start to charge as from next month - £2.50 a month, as per the charges page on their website.

G

Have they delayed introducing the charge then? They were going to start charging from this month.

MastG

A couple of months ago I complained about them charging fees.
I got a phone call from their CS and was told I could have mine free !!

Orange do not charge for receiving these texts.

FD did say they would send out letters advising customers of the fees shortly before implementation.

soolin

MastG wrote:

A.

FD did say they would send out letters advising customers of the fees shortly before implementation.

I have already received several mailings from them regarding the new charge for text messaging. There was one about 10 weeks ago when it was first announced, a letter enclosed with my usual bank statement. Another was tagged on to a change in terms and conditions shortly after that, and third letter on its own with details of the new charges.

I only ever used the text messaging as when it was originally offered users received £10 for signing up, I didn't find them useful at all so cancelled mine immediately i saw the new charge was being introduced.

Soo

CopperPlate_2

I had a current account with cahoot and set up their free text alerts. It was a pain in the bum to be honest. I check my accounts daily so knew what was what without waiting for a text message to tell me the balance. Invariably they came the day after the event anyway so I already knew my balance had dropped beneath the pre-set limit. I'm converting to FD for my main account now - nothing smile has done, but just fancy a change - and I won't be taking up the chance of these alerts!

CP

Rafter

Agree it is a shame, and £30 does seem a bit steep. Wish banks would think through their charges a bit better before introducing something that will be so unpopular.

It costs most people 10p-12.5p to send a text, so why not charge this amount the other way if they need to recover costs. £2.50 is 20 texts per month which seems a bit over the top.

£2.50 is a lot less than the cost of an unauthorised overdraft fee though.

The problems the banks have is that unless you have an overdraft, or pay interest on your credit card, or have a mortgage with them, they make no money out of current accounts. How can they? It costs millions to run computer systems, ATM networks, branches (although not in FD case), issue statements, cards, cheque books etc. Even if they only pay a small amount of credit interest, they still don't make enough to cover their costs.

The FirstDirect text message service is great, really useful, and something I'd pay for. 10p a text though, not £2.50 a month!

R.