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

fagun

Online statements
Eserim - Are you sure you can't get on-line only credit card statements.

I sent them a secure message asking them to change one of the savings accounts to on-line only (because it wouldn't allow me to do it through the system). They sorted that out for me (probably overnight - which was fine for me).

Using HSBC branches
CopperPlate - You can use the counter in HSBC branches (as well as the ATMs/other machines) - for paying in money ant taking it out. You can't do all the other more complicated stuff (not that I'd want to - much easier by telephone or internet).


ps. Eserim -Good luck with finding your perfect bank. I don't think you will.

Eserim

yep - double checked by secure message and they told me they had no way of doing it - I am guessing it is because the credit card stuff is handled by another party.

fagun

Eserim wrote: »

yep - double checked by secure message and they told me they had no way of doing it - I am guessing it is because the credit card stuff is handled by another party.

I suppose you don't have to have your credit card with the same institution as your current account. Both Egg and Halifax have online statements only options.

Eserim

Ah, but as I said originally, I am lazy and a low spender on "my" card, paying off all at once, never more than a few 100 a year, so I prefer this one to be with the same bank as my current account - the Tesco Platinum (old version, no longer available, with better points than the current ones) gets the real use (£600+) a month. And that suits us just fine, online statements and £30-40 in vouchers every 1/4

Eserim

neil9313

Eserim wrote: »

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

What you have failed to carry out was paying your salary in for 3 months, you just made a lump sum payment, maybe you didnt want the hassle of it, or you just wanted the £100 for joining and the £100 for leaving, nothing wrong in that, but you should have read the terms IMHO! :rolleyes:

neil9313

Eserim wrote: »

yep - double checked by secure message and they told me they had no way of doing it - I am guessing it is because the credit card stuff is handled by another party.[/quotcre


No, its because its a credit card, its something to do with CC regulations! The other paper statement you must have from FD is the offset mortgage interest each month, other that that you can go all paperless!

Essenchill

Eserim wrote: »

well I replied to the "why are you leaving us" email from Smile
Eserim

Hope you did so within the same day of them sending you the email?

Have you consider the questions such as 'where is my £100 (incentive)' and about paperless credit card could be classed as less important questions than someone asking something quite urgent and so your questions going to the back of the queue to be answered, but yet probably still answered within 24hrs by the sounds of it?

Eserim

Just thought I'd bump this one - I am still looking for a true "Internet" bank account that reacts to secure messages (and even secure instant messaging) in the same way that banks like First Direct react to phone calls - any takers a year or so on? Eserim

Rich1976

CopperPlate wrote: »

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.

I totally agree. IMHO First Direct is the closest thing you'll get to a perfect bank.

No Company can excel themselves all the time and to expect same day replies to everything is just ridiculous. Doesn't the OP realise they are not the only customer to be submitting questions. Why not just pick up the phone, you'll get an answer straight the way?

Eserim

Loads of reasons why I don't like phoning, one of course is the fact that in an open plan office I don't want all and sundry hearing my bank business, whereas we are allowed to use the internet during lunch time for our own reasons, so email is much more private

There are other reasons - I simply don't like phoning people - call me anti-social if you like - but I prefer, and my guess is as the first generation of Digital Natives (that is people who have always had internet access from birth) get bank accounts, more will prefer email type of communication.

Time is another reason - it takes a minute to fire off a query, and then deal with the answer later that day when it comes in. I mentioned earlier the fact that Swift manage this for insurance - I still think there will be such accounts before long - it is just a matter of time

Eserim