First Direct

Lotta_Littlies

Are they really that naff?

I sent an email last week saying that I was considering opening an ISA with them and could they tell me if they charge if I were to transfer.

I have now received a standard C&P'd replyas follows:

Thank you for your message dated 29-Sep-2005.
>
>Unfortunately we are unable to accept this instruction, as email is a non-secure form of communication and does not allow us the opportunity to verify you as a first direct customer. Also, we are not able to check the authenticity of an email address or the person who is using it.
>
>If, however, you are a first direct customer and use our internet banking service, please send your instruction via the secure 'customer services' and 'instruct us' or 'have your say' facility on the main menu.
>
>Alternatively, please either call us on 08 456 100 100 (+44 113 234 5678 if calling from overseas), so that we can carry out your request, or supply us with your postcode (for identification purposes), a contact number and convenient time when we may call you.



Ummm.... that is nothing to do with my original query! :rolleyes:

Doesn't fill me with much hope for letting them look after my money really.

Lotta

Ember999

I agree with that they have written hon. I have been a First Direct customer for almost 15 years and I won't have a bad word to say about them, unless it is justified, which in this case, I don't think it is. You sent a query via Email which is an insecure method of communication, just like they say. They cannot verify who you are or who they are responding to. Had you called their phone number you would have had all your answers provided politely and carefully as First Direct customer service is one of the best you can get! Kindly phone them up, ask them your questions and you will see I am right or do as they say, send an email including your phone number and they will be happy to call you at home.

Ember xx

Lotta_Littlies

Where do you need security to answer a question which is simply is there a charge to transfer out? Should be in the T&C's (and may well be) but couldn't find it for looking.

Sorry, but I have to disagree with you - that query could easily have been answered.

Lotta.

grumbler

I have to disagree too: very stupid excuse for not giving an answer. I think for the person resposible for this it is more easy to send everyone the same reply than to do the job properly and work with request on individual basis. This way he/she can do the daily job in one hour and then relax for the rest of the day :coffee: .

BTW FD do not charge for transfer.
New First Direct e-isa
Advice for a 1st Isa (first direct)

Sooler

Ember999 wrote:

They cannot verify who you are or who they are responding to.

How would they do this by phone?

grumbler

Sooler wrote:

How would they do this by phone?

In fact they can and do it (more or less) with some 'security questions'. In this case the the question is not 'HOW?' but 'WHY?' ...

Lotta_Littlies

Point is I don't have an account with them so what good is phoning them to verify who I am?

Quite simply, if they can't be bothered to answer a question for someone who has clearly stated they are considering opening an account they obviously aren't that bothered about getting new customers.


By the way, thank you for answering my question Grumbler.

Lotta

mdb99jh

Got to agree with you lotta. It wasn't exactly sensitive information you were requesting so I can't see why it had to be sent by "secure" means! I also can't see how telephone is any better!! Very strange indeed.

grumpyoldgit_2

How about this then? I rang to ask FD what charges they would make if I had money paid into my account from abroad - failry straightforward question I thought.
Staff would not answer the question or transfer me to the foreign dept unless I went through the security questions
I told them it was just a simple query and declined to do so - next time I tried to log on to my account I found they had blocked my internet access having "failed security"
Despite writing, phoning etc I could not get them to see that their ridiculous requirement was likely to cost them business and inconvenience customers - so I moved the accounts which I had had with them since they opened.
FD are positively anal about security (a good and a bad thing) for me BAD!!!
I will not put another penny their way or recommend them to anyone as their customer "service" falls way short of what it should be.
Good Luck
GoG

natalie1980_2

grumpyoldgit wrote:

How about this then? I rang to ask FD what charges they would make if I had money paid into my account from abroad - failry straightforward question I thought.
Staff would not answer the question or transfer me to the foreign dept unless I went through the security questions
I told them it was just a simple query and declined to do so - next time I tried to log on to my account I found they had blocked my internet access having "failed security"
Despite writing, phoning etc I could not get them to see that their ridiculous requirement was likely to cost them business and inconvenience customers - so I moved the accounts which I had had with them since they opened.
FD are positively anal about security (a good and a bad thing) for me BAD!!!
I will not put another penny their way or recommend them to anyone as their customer "service" falls way short of what it should be.
Good Luck
GoG

I think their a bit too stringent, I phoned them once was going through security, they asked me my place of birth, i told them the guy said "no thats isnt your place of birth", I was like "yes it is, i think i know where i was born" becasue I never said SCOTLAND after the place of birth I had to go through a whole rigmarole with them, I thought that was really stupid.

They seem to want your life history, Im waiting on them coming round to my house to give me an anal probe :eek:

Indispensable_Hobbes

Well for one, a simple enquiry didnt require you to go through with your account details so why not just stop them then ask your question.

Then again why not just answer the security questions if you had already proceeded to tell them your details? Seems a bit odd that you didnt cooperate with them and they are the ones in the wrong???

Perhaps the charges depend on the account and therefore they had to access it.

Never had a problem with FD since I started banking with them last year.