Banks

Well quite. I'd suggest to Paul that he opens a Premier private banking
account with Natwest. If I want assistance I call the personal manager or
assistant. Out of hours I go straight through to the dedicated hotline. Job
Done.

It did go through a stage when I thought it was going tits up but it was the
local manager. She was replaced and ever since I get excellent service
again. The new She calls every month or two and is proactive.

 

Even if Santander take over RBS, and Spain's economy collapses to the
point that Santander go belly-up, upto £50k will still be safe.

 

Been banking with them since 1995 and literally never had a problem.

Now have 9 or 10 accounts with them.

 

It went up to £85k at the start of the year.

Doesn't stop it being a right pain in the arse if it's ever needed,
though.

 

That's the case for HSBC. I haven't found their non-UK call centres too
bad, but if you pay for a premier account apparently you get put through
to at least a UK centre. I'm still with them after 30 years (starting
with the Midland) because they have never pissed me about too much. The
one time they tried to sting me with mega charges for a one day
overdrawn period I wrote to them and pointed out how long I had held my
account and asked if they still wanted it. All charges were refunded.
Probably wouldn't work these days though.
--
+-------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Pete Fisher at Home: |
| Aprilia Shiver Yamaha WR250Z/Supermoto "Old Gimmer's Hillclimber" |
| Gilera GFR * 2 Moto Morini 2C/375 |
+-------------------------------------------------------------------+

 

Even better.

Yebut, no point worrying about it. The money's safe - move on.

 

My banking is very simple - debit card plus cashpoint withdrawals for
most transactions plus direct debits for bills. My branch is in
Newcastle and I've had no reason to move it. Until this week I've
only been into (a London) branch about twice in six months.

As my needs are simple I don't feel I need web or phone based banking.
The rigmarole I have been put through this week has been caused by
phone systems and computers that don't work properly and are not
designed to be linked properly. Only human beings have been able to
rectify the problems so why would I "co-operate" with moves by the
banks that keep reducing the number of bank branches and staff inside
them?

The same nonsense applies to supermarkets and shops that try to get
you to use self scanning tills - I've never managed to get one of
those to work properly. I also don't really want to put shop
assistants out of their jobs.

I'm not anti-technology per se - happy to use the web to order goods
and services - but overall I prefer dealing with human beings when it
comes to certain types of transactions.

 

I don't understand this - if you've only been inside a branch twice in
six months, why do you need a bank that has branches?

As I and several other have said, First Direct (excellent phone service
- usually a max of three rings before being answered) and HSBC branches
for those odd occasions where going to a branch is required.

I also use the internet banking a lot, and have never had an issue, but
if that's not the way you want to do things, fair dos, but I wouldn't
discount FD IIWY.

I'm with you all the way on this one, though!

 

You might care to ponder possible reasons for the infrequent branch
visits, given his job and the location of his branch.

 

Erm, with LTSB it doesn't matter where 'your branch' is - they never
move an account from the branch at which it was first opened - you can
do all your banking from whichever local branch is most convenient.

However, I haven't been into a branch for anything other than paying in
cheques in several years - LTSB's internet banking system is excellent.

 

Wot 'e said. And it's the same with any bank, really.

I hated receiving cheques due to then having to go to a branch but FD
provide postage-paid envelopes for paying in.

 

And also, why worry about where 'your' branch is any more? Treat all
branch of the Halifax interchangeably. After all, it's all the same
computer system behind the till.

 

Blimey, I use them all the time (on the odd occassion that I go instead of
the mrs) and I seem to manage quicker than I would if I had to queue for a
normal checkout person. Rarely do they go wrong, and the times I need
assistance it's because I've bought an age limited item and it needs
authorising by the supervisor bod, which takes about 5 seconds.

 

+1 on all counts.

 

I'll use them very occasionally, like when I've only bought a few
items, none of which require "assistance" and only then if I can go
straight to a till.

But in general, I find them a real PITA and usually regret it in no
short order. They can stick their "Unexpected item in the bagging
area" messages right up their jacksies.

 

I am a fan of the scan system sainsbury have where you wonder around
the store zapping stuff yourself and hand the scanner over at the end.
That seems to be much quicker as all the conventional tills are rammed
but so far never the dedicated line for selfscan.

 

<small voice>

I've been very happy with Santander, formerly Abbey, for thirty years.

<I expect it to go to ratshit now>
--
Adie
(replace spam with nickname to reply)

buy my R6 Tat - http://shop.ebay.co.uk/adie_efc/m.html?_trksid=p4340.l2562

UKRM FAQ: http://www.ukrm.info/faq/

YZF-R1 : FZ1N : RD350LC
(anyone would think I was partial to Yamahas)
keeper of the FAQ for my sins
MRO#11 BOTAFOF#7 BOTAFOT#130 DIAABTCOD#17 MIB#24 YTC#16
BOB#15 ex-UKRMMA#22 BOMB#11

 

V was with them, had an absolute nightmare with unpaid DDs and whatnot,
gave up and moved to LTSB.

I used Barclays when I was a student and they were shit. Used them again
for an ISA a few years ago and they were shit then too.

Been with LTSB for 29 years and, aside from one slight hiccup when they
upgraded an account by mistake, they've been the epitomy of perfect
banking. Particularly the time I walked in and asked for a three grand
overdraft out of nowhere.

 

I like standing in the queue, I get to leer at all the fit crumpet and
they can't run away or cross the road or stuff. I do some of my best
panting in supermarket checkout queues I do.
..

 

You may be able to move on but don't think for a moment that your money
will. It will be safe right enough, so safe it will take you a lifetime
to prize it from the cold dead hands of the gummint officials in charge of
keeping it safe. Good luck top you if you actually need your safely held
money for anything other than proof of asset enough to prove you don't
need to borrow.
..