First Direct Current Account Switch Blagged Deal

kpk2000 · 17 June 2018 at 4:29PM

Hoping someone can help with £125 switch - opened account couple of days before switching bonus changed, used switching service to move and deposited over£1000 to qualify for bonus. Anyone know how long it should take for the £125 bonus to be put into account & if there is any notification?

RG2015 · 17 June 2018 at 4:57PM

meer53 wrote: »

Several friends and members of my family have opened accounts with them without a telephone interview and without having to provide any documents for identification purposes so it's not mandatory.

I stand corrected.

I have also just checked my records and my telephone interview was a week after I had received my welcome letter confirming that my account had been opened.

My file note was headed "Phone First Direct to set up security" so perhaps this was specifically to set up online and telephone banking. Nevertheless, the customer services agent called it an interview and they did ask several personal questions.

dalef · 18 June 2018 at 11:19AM

Can you get this bonus if you are named on a First Direct mortgage (added during remortgage) but have never had any other type of account with them?

ValiantSon · 23 June 2018 at 6:39PM

dalef wrote: »

Can you get this bonus if you are named on a First Direct mortgage (added during remortgage) but have never had any other type of account with them?

No, I don't think you can. First Direct exclude anyone who has ever been a customer, no matter what type of account.

Joelinit · 11 July 2018 at 12:17PM

Hey all - just wanted to post my experience with First Direct's switching service, as sadly, it didn't go to plan and now mine and my wife's credit ratings have been affected.

Our switching date fell upon the same day as our mortgage payments and subsequently this payment didn't come out. First Direct refused to take any responsibility, claiming it was our old bank's duty to pay as it fell on the switching date, even though they'd now closed that account on our behalf and thus we had no way of tracking.

An apology and recognition of a shortfall in writing is all we'd have needed to reverse the credit report with our mortgage provider, but they've refused throughout. Subsequently we've had to complain to the ombudsman to try to correct our credit ratings as we don't feel the missed mortgage payment was our fault. First Direct advertise and guarantee such a simple switching process, which has ultimately failed us.

In hindsight, we shouldn't have switched on the same day as our mortgage payment. In summary, First Direct's switching service is not quite as straight forward as they "Honestly. Truthfully" guarantee it will be.

The silver lining of course is the £100 First Direct offer if you leave unhappy after 6 months, which, needless to say we'll be doing.

Westie983 · 11 July 2018 at 11:22PM

Joelinit wrote: »

Hey all - just wanted to post my experience with First Direct's switching service, as sadly, it didn't go to plan and now mine and my wife's credit ratings have been affected.

Our switching date fell upon the same day as our mortgage payments and subsequently this payment didn't come out. First Direct refused to take any responsibility, claiming it was our old bank's duty to pay as it fell on the switching date, even though they'd now closed that account on our behalf and thus we had no way of tracking.

An apology and recognition of a shortfall in writing is all we'd have needed to reverse the credit report with our mortgage provider, but they've refused throughout. Subsequently we've had to complain to the ombudsman to try to correct our credit ratings as we don't feel the missed mortgage payment was our fault. First Direct advertise and guarantee such a simple switching process, which has ultimately failed us.

In hindsight, we shouldn't have switched on the same day as our mortgage payment. In summary, First Direct's switching service is not quite as straight forward as they "Honestly. Truthfully" guarantee it will be.

The silver lining of course is the £100 First Direct offer if you leave unhappy after 6 months, which, needless to say we'll be doing.

Hi,

If you used CASS why did the mortgage payment fail as it would have been redirected from your old account as part of the switching process.

I would also say that you should have pushed for first direct to sort out the issue when it happened as again part of the T&Cs is that they cover any issues you have between switching accounts so you are not out of pocket.

Did you put in a complaint to first direct before approaching the ombudsmen?

I would push for an explanation from them as they have failed to abide to the CASS T&Cs they display on their website. *noted it’s not the 125 incentive but this part has remained the same.

https://www1.firstdirect.com/1/2/banking/switching-bank-accounts#fully-guaranteed

Westie983

jimmydangerous · 8 August 2018 at 11:46PM

Hi there, new to MSE forum but have been receiving Martin's weekly/monthly email for a while.

I currently have a Halifax current account and I want to get the First Direct switchers incentive, however, I would like to perform a partial switch (not a full switch) and wonder if I would still get the incentive?
First Directs T&C's don't say anything about needing a full switch to get the incentive.
Does anyone have any experience with this/ any advice?

Thanks

eskbanker · 8 August 2018 at 11:59PM

jamesharveyham wrote: »

I currently have a Halifax current account and I want to get the First Direct switchers incentive, however, I would like to perform a partial switch (not a full switch) and wonder if I would still get the incentive?
First Directs T&C's don't say anything about needing a full switch to get the incentive.
Does anyone have any experience with this/ any advice?

On the contrary, the First Direct switching offer includes the same small print that all other such incentives do, namely that to qualify you need to "switch your everyday banking to us using the Current Account Switch Service", among other conditions.

CASS switches are by definition full switches not partial ones, so you wouldn't receive the incentive if you did a partial switch.

If you're looking to retain your Halifax account, you could follow in the footsteps of others and open a second account there and switch that instead....

jimmydangerous · 9 August 2018 at 11:30PM

Thanks eskbanker, I will open a second account in that case...

emilyela536 · 6 September 2018 at 10:19AM

I already have this
thank you

First Direct Current Account Switch Blagged Deal

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