Rant about my bank

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Rant about my bank
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cab

Joined: 01 Nov 2004
Posts: 32429

Posted: Tue Feb 15, 05 1:11 pm Post subject: Rant about my bank

Phoned the Pier yesterday, the shop we're ordering our dining table from. Got nearly through the whole order when my card was declined. Not flagged down for a security check, but declined. How embarassing I thought... So I phoned the bank, increasingly worried that there might have been some kind of security problem.

The number on the back of my card gave a call centre that was closed at 20 to 7 when I phoned.

The number for my branch took me to a call centre that was convinced that everywhere was closed and that no one could help me. How useful. Possible security crisis with my credit card and no one is there.

I didn't believe that so I phoned the credit card lost or stolen line, got into recorded message hell (really long one where I have to wait through all of the options, wouldn't accept a choice till the end), and cut off twice for choosing honest options ("This line does not deal with x type queries, the credit card line is open between 9AM and 6PM...."). I then lied on my third try to get through, and was put through to a 24 hour number which the first call centre ought to have known about.

Turns out that the bank was doing a security check, and would have told me had my phone accepted anonymous calls. So they basically declined the transaction and weren't going to bother telling me why until a letter got to me (they couldn't find a phone to call me on without anonymous numbers, that would just be too easy).

Of course, by now the Pier are shut.

Phoned them this morning when there was someone with a pulse to complain to. Got sarcasm ("What, did you want us to go out of the building to a payphone to tell you?"). Insisted on speaking to a manager, got a supervisor. Was offered derisory compensation (damn it, it isn't about money, it's about the fact that you guys made me make a whole ****load of phonecalls to track down what the hell you'd done). Got nowhere. Insisted on speaking to a manager, and for agood five minutes was refused, being told that the matter was resolved and there was no reason for escalation. Eventually got name of manager, who I later phoned. I accepted derisory compensation, and insisted on a full transcript of what actions will be taken to prevent such crapness again. I then phoned my branch of Nat West and gave them till next Thursday to convince me to stay with Nat West for any service at all.

I've phoned their complaints line and explained why offering someone a small amount of compensation might be considered saying 'We aren't really sorry, so take some money and go away, it's cheaper to deal with your complaint this way'. And they will be getting back to me within five working days. Apparently.

Bloody useless banks. Are any of the other highstreet banks better, because unless Nat West REALLY come up trumps in trying to sort this out, I've had it with them. A mistake I can handle; a pointless waste of my time with stress involved and being repeatedly patronised down the phone I'm not willing to accept.

jema
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 28237
Location: escaped from Swindon

Posted: Tue Feb 15, 05 1:25 pm Post subject:

Quote:

Seldom give unguarded advice, for advice is a dangerous gift, even from the wise to the wise, and all courses may run ill.

Touch wood I have found Nationwide competant.

Bugs

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 10744

Posted: Tue Feb 15, 05 1:28 pm Post subject:
Any particular reason you want a high street bank?

cab

Joined: 01 Nov 2004
Posts: 32429

Posted: Tue Feb 15, 05 1:37 pm Post subject:

Bugs wrote:

Any particular reason you want a high street bank?

For many things it's easier to be able to go into a bank and talk to a human being. So I'd like a highstreet bank, at least for my current account.

cab

Joined: 01 Nov 2004
Posts: 32429

Posted: Tue Feb 15, 05 1:38 pm Post subject:

jema wrote:

Touch wood I have found Nationwide competant.

I've never had to deal with them for anything, but I'll look into them.

moogie

Joined: 02 Feb 2005
Posts: 525
Location: Near Bridgend

Posted: Tue Feb 15, 05 1:41 pm Post subject:

I hate Natwest too. After incidents involving cheque books not being sent (I write too many cheques apparently although none have ever bounced), and overdrafts being suddenly cancelled with no prior warning (although it had not expired or been reviewed), and my credit card account not being cancelled (although I have repeatedly requested for it to be closed), I have decided to switch banks. Going to try cahoot. They seem friendly.

twoscoops

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 1924
Location: Warwickshire

Posted: Tue Feb 15, 05 1:48 pm Post subject:

They are all crap. Sorry. I've been with all the main banks over the years, and they are almost all the same - except the Co-Op, who aren't as money-grabbing but just as incompetent. Have been with Cahoot for credit card and First Direct for everything else for nearly two years, no probs so far.

First Direct's internet banking is really handy, as you can access all your accounts, wherever you bank.

jema
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 28237
Location: escaped from Swindon

Posted: Tue Feb 15, 05 1:53 pm Post subject:

Twoscoops wrote:

The coop are creatively incompetant, and some of their charging policies are downright penal

Bugs

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 10744

Posted: Tue Feb 15, 05 1:58 pm Post subject:

First Direct and Smile tend to vie for top place according to customer service ; Smile lays a bit more emphasis on its ethics and tends to pay slightly better interest; the website is a vile colour; First Direct might be more cooperative with phone banking too. Then Smile lets you pay in, withdraw etc at post offices, which is always nice.

Having had accounts at Midland, NatWest, Nationwide, and Barclays in the past (I must sound like I'm on the run from someone!), I can't see much to choose between them and you can't rely on the person you need being there. I think they're all much of a muchness. The only times I've had to use a Coop bank they've been extremely helpful, but I might just have been lucky.

You might have a nose about the MSE site?

Northern_Lad

Joined: 13 Dec 2004
Posts: 14210
Location: Somewhere

Posted: Tue Feb 15, 05 2:11 pm Post subject:
I've been with Alliance & Liecester for about 8 years and never had a problem with them, until they sent out new cards with pins for both my accounts at the same time. Good web-banking facilities, friendly branch-staff and phone banking options.

bagpuss

Joined: 09 Dec 2004
Posts: 10507
Location: cambridge

Posted: Tue Feb 15, 05 2:25 pm Post subject:

Having been with natwest for many years and they have been both competent and completely incompetent at times I think the worst was applying for my student account when I had to fill out my application form on no less than 3 occassions before they actually created the account

I will stick with nat west utill my graduate loans don't exist then provided I can convince rob to move to the same bank (its easier having the main accounts and the joint account in the same place for speed reasons) I might consider either moving wholesale to cahoot who have always seemed quite good for my credit card and a current account or try something like smile or coop for a bank which at least tries to be slightly ethical

cab

Joined: 01 Nov 2004
Posts: 32429

Posted: Tue Feb 15, 05 4:22 pm Post subject:

Fingers crossed, they'll get back to me with some kind of less insulting resolution.

I asked the guy on their complaints number at lunchtime how much they ask for if a customer unexpectedly goes overdrawn, and he told me 28 quid. I listed seven things they got wrong, and said that seven customer mistakes would therefore cost around 200 quid. So offering me 30 quid looks like they're just trying to make me go away and stop bothering them, which is just insulting. If they are going to insist on offering money to pay for bad customer service, they can offer an amount equal to their error or they can go to hell. If, after making it clear that it isn't about the money they insist on trying to solve a problem that way then it'll be an amount of money appropriate to their mistake.

How do you rate my chances?

sean
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 42219
Location: North Devon

Posted: Tue Feb 15, 05 4:27 pm Post subject:
I think you've got two chances, slim and none...... Now if all their b&*^%$%^ about you having a real local branch was true, your chances would be extremely good. Might be worth writing to the Grauniad/Independent personal finance pages, or threatening to do so.

Treacodactyl
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 25795
Location: Jumping on the bandwagon of opportunism

Posted: Tue Feb 15, 05 6:33 pm Post subject:

If you wish to get any further with your bank see if any of you complaint areas are covered by the FSA or similar.

One of the best ways I've found of getting people to listen is to mention the data protection act. Not only have you the right to see what's on file about you but companies must keep good and accurate records about you. So, if they are not up-to-date or they've not done something they should have done, or they say they have lost the record of a phone call etc, you often get results by mentioning the DPA.

Rob R

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 31902
Location: York

Posted: Tue Feb 15, 05 6:43 pm Post subject:

I've had an account with HSBC for eight years now, and have never had any trouble. Whenever there is a problem or something I need to discuss, the staff at the branch are always efficient & happy to deal with it. With that experience, I stuck to the same branch when looking for a business account too.

I opened a First Direct Account after getting fed up of them sending me offers of �25 to open an account, but I was turned down. So the next time they sent one, I filled it in again, which they then accepted, & got an extra �10 on the joining incentive

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