Left Smile, Leaving 1st Direct - where to now?

Eserim

the easiest way is to take it to a HSBC branch - remember 1st Direct is a HSBC bank.

tc80tc80

Sorry, I didn't realize that you could do physical transactions at HSBC banks on behalf of First Direct. In my previous experience with these types of co-owned banks, they acknowledged that each other exist but that's as far as it went.

This is good news actually since I deal with a higher than average number of checks (cheques).

CopperPlate_2

As far as paying in cheques go to FD - post it with a paying-in slip or if you live in Scotland, take it to a Post Office in a cheque deposit envelope with paying in slip. You can also pay it in using the automated deposit machines in HSBC branches but AFAIK you can't do transactions over the counter in HSBC branches involving your FD account. I only have a back office type HSBC branch where I live - no counters, just deposit machines and staff who you phone and they come through if you need help to the front lounge part. Never needed it though.

As far as what the OP is looking for - it's Utopia. It isn't available from any one bank. I can't believe that the website of smile is as bad as to make you leave! I was with them for about 4 years and left to go to FD because their service had deteriorated so much in that time and they offered particularly uncompetitive rates at a time when interest rates were rising quickly.

You can save messages with FD - just click on print and you can eventually 'save to file' which saves them on your computer. I've done it countless times on my Mac. when I've needed it.

Eserim

the Smile site hasn't been touched since I joined 6+ years back - it annoys me (as a web developer) that their strapline is "The Internet Bank" - a total load of toss!

As to saving to file, a very poor way, as the authenticity is impossible to prove, at least in Smile (and A&L before I think) you can se everything that has been said to you.

I was annoyed that a FD message saying the £100 would be on its way wasn't saved, so when it didn't turn up I didn't have anything to refer to. So now I have to wait another "up to 28 days" - this already 40 days after depositing nearly £10K - but that didn't count because it wasn't 1/12 of what I said my salary was. Any bank that nit picks over the wording of their promotions doesn't deserve my custom.

Eserim

CopperPlate_2

The smile site isn't the best, but it's certainly not the worst. I can't see, other than a few minor issues, what the major problem is with it.

As far as your 'bribe' from FD - the terms of the offer from their site requires you to transfer a salary or income to the new account. You said you deposited money into it? Have you checked to see if this qualifies as 'salary or income' according to their criteria? There are other threads on here regarding the same subject - you might be better checking to see if any of the points raised by others in a similar position to yourself have been given the answers to their queries.

Where are you getting the 29 days deadline you're mentioning? Is there anything in the literature regarding the promotion that stipulates a time that they will pay the first £100? And given that you've 3 months to comply with the terms of the offer, i.e. transfer your salary/income of at least £1500 I'd say that there is the possibility of the first £100 being paid into the account any time within that 3 month period unless it says otherwise elsewhere.

Don't you think you're being just a little bit demanding? Responses to secure messages in a day seems a bit extreme? FD were set up first and foremost as a telephone bank and the internet part came later. To me, secure messaging responses if they come on the same day is a bonus, but I don't expect an instant reply. If you wanted an answer to a question quickly, then pick up the phone and call them.

What's the big issue with the credit card statements not being paperless? Just shred them when you get them if it's the security aspect that bothers you.

Eserim

They didn't specify what constitutes salary in their literature, just that it has to be paid, and then, within 28 days, they give you £100. If I had paid in 10% of my £10k then the rest that would have been OK with them. As it is I had to wait until my normal salary got paid. Then something went wrong (no explanations) just a email saying they had "manually triggered" it and I would have to wait "up to 28 days" again

I must be odd then to expect that email communication get treated at the same priority as other communications. I hate calling people and much prefer writing. Why is this such a hard ask? Simply for a bank to be truly an internet bank, not a phone bank with a web interface.

Eserim

CopperPlate_2

So they're not saying you're not getting the money, just that you've to wait a bit longer? Surely, if you were genuinely looking at moving to FD - and staying - the increase in time to wait for the £100 wouldn't matter? If, of course, you're just moving to them to grab the £100, with no intention of staying, then that's too bad...

If you have an email popping up on your screen at work, or the phone ringing beside you, which do you do first? Reply to the email...or pick up the phone? Or is there someone sitting next to you that just answers the phone all the time, leaving you to reply to your emails?

You hate calling people and prefer writing - fair enough. I think you're getting stuck on the minute detail of the definition of an 'internet bank'. As I said, FD were created as a telephone bank and the internet came later. Does that mean that organisations who develop web interfaces to bolt on to current operations suddenly have to re-invent themselves? Why is it such a hard ask? Because that's the way they have evolved - and there don't appear to be too many people clamouring for them to re-invent 'the wheel'.

I think you're being unreasonable in your expectations IMHO.

Eserim

two further points, my current car insurance company (Swift) have email at the heart of their business, and prefer contact that way, to phone calls. An enlightened approach.

Secondly, some of us work in offices where we can easily write a message to a bank, but not so phone calls. I believe that more and more customers will start to demand a bank that has dedicated staff to answer emails/secure messages, rather than leaving it to the night shift.

I work closely with our Customer Service Centre, and we are trying hard (not their yet) to get emails answered with the same priority as phone calls, at least within a day. We are getting them sent internally to those who can answer the question almost instantly, however getting those people to answer is still a problem.

Eserim

CopperPlate_2

But you don't know that FD aren't trying to achieve this either though do you?

Swift appear to have been created as an internet organisation - rather than telephone based/high street based operation. It's obviously easier when you're building from the bottom up, rather than trying to make the new fit in with the old, to incorporate technology and changes.

FD don't leave the messaging to the nightshift; I've had same day replies for a variety of queries - I just don't expect them that day, usually the next, so when it comes back same-day it's nice.

By your own admission your own organisation isn't achieving the high standard that you're expecting from FD with regard to contact times. You must find that extremely irritating?

As I've said already, how do you know that FD aren't making the same attempts that your own company are?

Eserim

True, I don't know , they may well be trying, but I see nothing to show that they are, but I am sure that of all the banks out there FD are one of the most likely to improve this area.

I've now evidence at all to support my statement about leaving it to the night shift to do the messages - I worded it badly - I believe that messages are dealt with by the same people who handle phone calls, and this means that they are more likely to get done during low periods of calls - I'm sure some do get done during the day, but most seem to be handled over night.

This certainly seems to be somewhere for a new bank - or a revitalized Smile "The Internet Bank" (who couldn't comment on any plans on their web site)

To answer a question on an earlier post - paper based statement in 2008 are archaic - I haven't had one for nearly 7 years, then all of a sudden I get one. Phone, Gas, Electric, Tesco Platinum, all are paperless now. It really seems a strange thing for FD not to offer, especially with their "Virtual Forest" campaign and their parents save a tree TV adverts.

Eserim