First Direct Current Account Switch Blagged Deal
Comments
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Assuing you're referring to the way in which First Direct repeatedly top the polls of MSE readers, these are based simply on perceptions of customer service, rather than any measure of the breadth and usability of their facilities.ministe2003 wrote: »I now realise that MSE's high rating must presumably be based on their telephone service
The question asked in the polls such as https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/poll/31-07-2017/how-do-you-rate-your-bank-accounts-service is "please vote based on CUSTOMER SERVICE for your main CURRENT account over the last SIX MONTHS" (from a simple choice of great/OK/poor) and the process is heavily skewed by the fact that roughly twice as many First Direct customers respond versus Halifax customers, which I believe is somewhat disproportional to their account base....0 -
Aw I'm so miffed about First Direct. I was all set to switch to them from my current account because of their great incentives right now. They've knocked me back and the reason is so weak!
Basically, back in 2015 (The last week in May to the first week in June) I was trying to get my head around the Martin Lewis idea of having multiple savings accounts and moving money around from one to the next and so on. I sent in an application for a First Direct account, I think at the time they were offering a £100 joining incentive. Shortly after applying in 2015 I realised that the moving savings around thing would only really be of benefit to people who had significant savings, which I do not. So I called them up, apologised, and terminated my application. I've banked with a number of different banks before but not with First Direct , and I didn't for one minute think that my application and termination would leave any kind of black mark on my record.
However, now I actually want to transfer my account across lock, stock and barrel I'm told that as I've previously been a customer of First Direct, I don't qualify for an incentive. I spoke to a chap from there on the phone and explained that I'd applied, I'd cancelled, I'd not actually received any incentives the last time and I actually want to go ahead and have all my direct debits etc with First Direct. I said that Money Saving Expert rates them very highly indeed.
He said that I don't qualify for incentives and I never will qualify for incentives unless they decide to change their policy, which they haven't done since they opened in 1989 he said. He said I can go ahead and open an account with them if I want, but I won't get any incentives for it and would that affect whether I wanted to join?
I said yes, it does a bit to be honest with you. I think I'll go else where. He said fine, have a nice day.
I'm really down hearted now. After all the good things I keep hearing on here about how great First Direct is. I make one tentative application back in 2015 and I'm now registered, for life, as a First Direct customer without receiving any kind of joining incentive!! What the actual heck?! :mad:*********************************************************************
jack-knight.graphics
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jackknight wrote: »I sent in an application for a First Direct account, I think at the time they were offering a £100 joining incentive. Shortly after applying in 2015 I realised that the moving savings around thing would only really be of benefit to people who had significant savings, which I do not. So I called them up, apologised, and terminated my application.
I make one tentative application back in 2015 and I'm now registered, for life, as a First Direct customer without receiving any kind of joining incentive!! What the actual heck?! :mad:
But it wasn't a tentative application was it. It was an actual application and the account was probably opened before you called them. This probably resulted in the account being closed rather than terminating your application.
Consequently, you were a customer in the past and hence don't qualify for a switching incentive...
"Sorry, we can only offer this to people who haven't previously held an account with us, and we reserve the right to refuse your application and extend or withdraw this offer at any time".
As you will probably never qualify for a switching incentive from First Direct you may want to look elsewhere. Some banks offer incentives if you haven't received one from them in the past so you would be better switching to one of them instead.0 -
I switched to Halifax in the new year and got I think it was £100 but looking for a new bank as I had problems with them but will they take the money back off me if I switched again?0
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Clojohn777 wrote: »I switched to Halifax in the new year and got I think it was £100 but looking for a new bank as I had problems with them but will they take the money back off me if I switched again?
Unless there was anything in the switching T&Cs about retaining the account for a specific length of time, then, no, they won't.
What is not said in T&Cs is just as important as what is said;)0 -
A follow up to my first comment, the service has got even worse since that post and I've already started switching away. They've even managed to mess that up for me, rejecting my initial application saying my address didn't match - but it did. Unbelievable. I've had to resubmit the application.
My access to online banking has twice disappeared due to some issue at their end where my account has gone funny and each time they've told me to reregister for online banking, god only knows how many accounts I must have floating around with them now.
Shambles from beginning to end, I cannot recommend avoiding First Direct enough0 -
If anyone has tried to switch to 1st Direct recently, please be aware that they do not have any welcome packs available for new customers! Some welcome.
I have spent about an hour today trying to find out what is happening to my new bank account without much success.
So much for customer service.
I can't register for an online account, They have sent be a debit card, but nothing else.
Not impressed so far.0 -
I tried to sign up during the last offer before Christmas, I gave up half way through due to the sheer number of questions & information they required, the process took far too long.
So, with a bit more time on my hands, & the new offer, I thought I'd try again today, after an hour of gathering the required information & filling in the online forms for both my wife & I, I pressed the continue button only for a message saying there had been a problem & I would have to start again!
No thanks, I not sure I'd want to trust my money to a Bank like this, I'll stay with the bank I trust. I've wasted too much of my time on these incompetents. The forms alone seem to written by someone who has no experience on banking, many questions are irrelevant & others are obtuse.
Chris0 -
How long do FD usually take to pay the switching incentive?0
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Is there a minimum amount of time before I can close this account without incurring any penalties?0
This discussion has been closed.
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