Smile Bank Customers - Email Campaign to improve website?

I emailed them about this when I opened an account with them in late 2006. The reply then was;

"At the moment smile is not directly 'downloadable' to software like Microsoft Money or Quicken. We're looking into providing this service in the future, though have no plans to incorporate it in the next few months."

Or, it would seem, in the next 18 months!

In fairness I think Smile are at the mercy of the Co-Operative bank in terms of what they can and can't offer in their internet banking service.

Smile's internet banking appears to be a slightly reworked version of the Co-Op's. I've got accounts with both and the same login details even work with both sites! Neither allow statement downloads.

ali007 wrote: »

TBH I'd prefer to lobby them to increase their interest rates.

Agreed. When I joined them in 2000 the interest rates were some of the best in the market. Now, however, they're quite mediocre.

Whilst a good proportion of people will stick with them because their customer service is better than the likes of Alliance and Leicester and Abbey, the vast majority that simply use the online banking and rarely have cause to come into contact with Smile's customer service may well be better off exploring the market.

I think this may have been a "get em in and they'll stay" tactic, although I might just be being cynical again . Has anyone else noticed that the overdraft rate has gone up to 15.9% AER? When I joined they were somewhere between 8 & 10%. Both Nationwide and NPBS beat them on this rate.

Such a shame really. I quite like Smile, although I couldn't care much for the vivid pink they have on the back of the debit and credit card!

I've also had my Smile Account for 8 years since Oct 99, when it first opened. It hasn't changed much in terms of the interface - it hasn't needed to - its perfect, except small points mentioned above. The customer service by phone is fantastic, but slowly more and more fees have been introduced and the rates charged reduced, or increased (overdrafts). Fee's now apply for renewing your overdraft if the amount isn't the default £500. This has annoyed me somewhat as I have had an overdraft of £1500 since 1999, now I'm charged an annual fee of £20 to renew it - this is the last straw for me. A £20 fee is supposed to reflect the admin involved. What is the difference between the admin for a £500 overdraft and a £1500 overdraft? Also what admin is involved in keeping my overdraft the same as its been for 9 years without default?
The £20 charge increases the overdraft rate between 17.23%-19.99% for the overdraft between £500 and £1500.
The new management policy seems to be how can we completely destroy the loyal customers fanbase (who's word of mouth recommendations has saved them 1000's), introduce 'unlawful' charges for admin work that clearly doesn't take place. They obviously have a plan to go the same way Abbey National went in the late 90's and have never recovered.
If you work for Smile in Customer Services 'jump ship' its sinking fast - customers are on the verge of a Mutiny! Its probably being a nice place to work at the glass pyramid - but the next 12 months look like good training for working for one of the big 4 - p*issed off customers and more unnecessary / 'unlawful' charges that are just impossible to justify to an educated customer base.

Sadly - If you are thinking of opening an account look elsewhere - the only direction Smile.co.uk seems to be going is downhill - AVOID.
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If you are been asked to pay the £20 Overdraft fee, I suggest you refuse to pay it until at least September 2008, ie. they extend the overdraft until then at least so that all customers are treated equally, as before Sept 2007 people would have negotiated the next 12 months free.
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Tirian wrote: »

Um, this seems a bit OTT to me. A free overdraft facility is not a exactly a fundamental human right - and good luck finding somewhere else that will automatically give you a free £500 overdraft.

I would agree with you to a point - the £500 o/d is fee free, as is one from Nationwide, however a product that was comparatively excellent value some two, maybe three years ago doesn't cut the mustard now - e.g. Nationwide @ 9.9% vs Smile @ 15.9%. Also, the credit interest is lower - 2.78% vs 4% on an account with a monthly credit of >£1,000. I think the point is that Smile sold itself on being fresh, new and cutting edge, but now lags behind the opposition with its differential solely being customer service and a vivid pink website

This is a shame as most of us look for the "best deal", and I for one would accept less from them if they were relatively comparable with other offerings. Sadly, they don't just come close A rate nearer the 4% at Nationwide and 9.9% o/d rate would entice me to move my main current account back to them, instead of me leaving an account open which has a monthly turnover of £50 and costs them money to run.

Tirian wrote: »

And I'm sorry to inform you that there is nothing 'unlawful' about a £20 admin charge. You are confusing this with the case over penalty charges, which is an entirely different thing. Penalty charges are not supposed to be significantly greater than the cost to the bank of the activity that they penalise. If they want to set an administration charge for setting up an overdraft that is an entirely different thing, and they are within their legal rights to set it at whatever they like.

Again, I agree, but at the same time they've priced themselves out of the equation. They're already charging a higher APR on their o/d than some others (Nationwide, NPBS and the like) AND if you have a higher limit than the bog standard £500, they want an extra £20 a year off you. Whilst there's nothing illegal/unlawful about providing this service (it annoys me when people shout unlawful at any old charge they don't like!) I would say that this is a bad business decision. I have the bog standard £500 with them, but if I needed more I wouldn't be inclined to ask them. There's better value elsewhere

Tirian wrote: »

Seems they are pretty desperate to make some money somewhere ... they offered me a £25,000 loan when I rang up to check my balance. Which is quite astonishing really, because (a) it's more than my salary (b) I don't even pay my salary into this account, so as far as they know I have no regular income at all.

And this is one of the reasons I'm not behind the reclaiming bank charges campaign. Smile is now just a shadow of its former self, and it's a shame that it would appear to be struggling to compete in such a cut-throat market. It should still be a market leader.

Tirian wrote: »

Anyway, I have no complaints about the service I've received from them at all. Oh, and although they don't provide pre-printed freepost deposit envelopes any more, there is still a Freepost address you can used to send deposits in. I just print off a few sheets of labels with the freepost address on and pop them on old envelopes as and when I need them. Saves paper, and is still free - double bonus. Well, OK there's the cost of a label and a bit of printer ink, but I think that I can probably stretch to that.

I've had several issues with their service in the past, but where things have gone wrong they've admitted that they messed up, apologised quickly and put things right with the minimum of fuss. As for freepost envelopes? I'm happy to drop cheques into the local co-op bank, and the local co-op supermarket will also take them for me.

My gripe is with their value to me as a customer of theirs, and that alone