Hello, it’s time to move bank after years of exorbitant fees and middling (at best) service from within the LLoyds Group.

First Direct seems to be highly rated – as do Santander and Nationwide. I’m kind of drawn to Nationwide, but head says FD might be the best idea.

Any real world experiences from the STW collective would be much appreciated.

Ta.

FD consistently come out top in Customer Service polls, I’ve been meaning to jump for years. They’re owned by HSBC, if that matters to you.

Santander I’m not impressed with (I have an old account with them which I really should get around to closing).

Used them for years without any frustrations, very good.

Working well for me so for – transferred a couple of months ago.

If you figure out how to stop them sending you paper statements, let me know!!

Rachel

Yes. Totally crap internet banking/iPhone app. If you like doing internet stuff, like searching your transactions for e.g. “Bill’s Bikeshop”, or making foreign transfers, or many other things that a proper internet bank can do, then look elsewhere.

If you figure out how to stop them sending you paper statements, let me know!!

I have switched ON paper statements. I put them in a pile and scan them in one go at the end of the year. The alternative is downloading them one by one and “printing” them as pdf, each requiring many, many clicks.

DrJ – who are you measuring them against in the internet stakes?

My assumption is that all internet banking is a bit pants and substandard.

I will be doing everything online, so that is definitely a factor to investigate.

Thanks everyone else for the positive responses.

Their internet banking made me want to smash my computer to bits.

That’s compared to Nationwide, who I would recommend in every way.

customer service is amazing. i thought about playing the £100 switch system each year, but im so impressed with them ill probably stay.

internet banking took a while to fathom out, but now ive got everything written down in front of me i can get by 😀

I’ll never go back to santander, I’ve dealt with them as a punter and behind the scenes and they were impressively bad.

Been with them about a year.

Agree that the internet banking is a bit clunky. Not terrible but could definitely be better.

I found the security a bit heavy going as well, particularly at first. Logging on to online banking requires generating a code with a smartphone app (that just refused to work on my old, admittedly very slow, phone), though there are other ways of doing it.

I needed to do some transaction (can’t remember what) and I couldn’t work out which of the many passwords/pieces of memorable information I was being asked for. Ended up locking myself out and the resulting process to reset them over the phone took about half an hour. I’ve got all the passwords stored in an encrypted file but I still don’t know what’s what.

Well I’ve been with FD for donkeys years.

The app is perfectly fine, I can do all the usual payments and transfers I want on it. Online website is equally fine. If you need to phone up they are brilliant and you rarely get passed around.

The only pain is that you can’t do payments to someone new from the app – has to be done first via the web with a code generated from the app.

I don’t mind this now I know about it and I understand the security reasons.

I applied for a small loan (as rates were very good) about 8 months ago – all approved and sorted online very quickly so I just don’t get the pain other posters are mentioning.

Rachel – you can stop paper statements from the website – There is a menu item on the right Manage Statements from which you can select online and or paper for all the accounts.

DrJ – who are you measuring them against in the internet stakes?

Have to confess that I’m measuring them against banks in Denmark and Holland where I lived previously. From a bit of looking around I did it looked like Barclay’s were better?

The app is perfectly fine

I don’t find it perfectly fine that I can’t see more than 30 days transactions, for example.

I applied for a mortgage with them and the process made me scream. Amongst other stupidity, I had to wait for the “advisor” I’d initially spoken to to return from holiday in order to progress my application, all the while my purchase was hanging by a thread with the seller looking at other offers.

Their internet banking made me want to smash my computer to bits.

That’s compared to Nationwide, who I would recommend in every way.

I found Nationwide a bloody nightmare (though this was a while back)

FD internet is a bit heavy to get going, but as its your main conduit to your account I’d prefer it that way.

Switched 5 years ago – zero complaints. Really wouldn’t go elsewhere.

I don’t find it perfectly fine that I can’t see more than 30 days transactions, for example.

Your choice obviously, but I find anymore than 30 days a waste on a mobile platform. I’d use my PC for that sort of thing, and probably ping it out to Excel anyway.

Your choice obviously, but I find anymore than 30 days a waste on a mobile platform. I’d use my PC for that sort of thing, and probably ping it out to Excel anyway.

Why is it a waste? It doesn’t cost you any more to have the possibility to look for older transactions.

On your PC all you can do is page through your transactions, not search. To export to Excel you can only do 90 days. It’s just all a bit inadequate.

My opinion of course. I started with FD a long time ago when they were ahead of the game. Their telephone service is still excellent, on the whole. But if I was starting from zero I don’t think it would be with them.

Happy Nationwide customer here. Breath of fresh air after Lloyds.

I applied for a mortgage with them and the process made me scream.

We have a mortgage with them and I thought the process was excellent.
The application I filled in was very basic and the phone conversation with the advisor was a personal experience. She went over my current account, essentially to understand my/our view to money.

There was a slight problem where computer said No which was resolved with a discussion with a supervisor.

I love our offset mortgage and the view I get of how much it saves us etc

IMO banking has gone downhill with a lack of a personal touch/understanding/knowledge of people. FD do a pretty good job of addressing this while still being a very large back with no face to face access.

Moved from them a while back.

Main concern was where they were investing money. Depends on if that is a factor for you;
http://www.ethicalconsumer.org/buyersguides/money/bankingcurrentaccounts.aspx

I found Nationwide a bloody nightmare (though this was a while back)

Hmm, it’s not changed drastically since its inception so horses for courses I guess!

I would add that being a building society Nationwide are considerably more ethical than most banks, if that sort of thing is a factor.

EDIT: db beat me to it 😀

Nationwide, who I would recommend in every way.

This + lots

I like FD, been with them for years, also got accounts with other banks for comparison. Customer service seems very competent which is always a nice suprise!

I find the Nationwide web interface good and have moved all my accounts there purely for that reason.

The cahoot web interface was shocking.

Been with First Direct for years. I don’t use the internet banking. What I do use is faultless. Worst flaw I can point to is that since they have become more popular they don’t answer the phone instantly every time. Still far easier to phone than any other company I deal with.

When cash was a bit tighter in years past I liked their overdraft system. Paid something like £15 per year for a £1500 facility. So if I went a few hundred in the red before payday it only cost that few days interest.

I have been with fd since around 1991 and found them to be consistently good.

The web interface is a little clunky, but phone calls are received by people with a personality and knowledge to sort out things quickly

I would not want to move!

Been with smile for years. No doubt better deals are around but they are consistently great to deal with

The only pain is that you can’t do payments to someone new from the app – has to be done first via the web with a code generated from the app.

This is one of my grumbles about smile – the app is crap. You can’t go back through historic transactions very far, you can’t search them, and you can’t transfer money to new (or any?) recipients.

Which banks have really good fully-featured apps? I do almost all my banking from my phone…and I don’t want a bloody code calculator!

Definitely NOT Santander. Second worst company I’ve ever had to deal with, including mortgage issues on a (very) short term bridging loan I needed.

Halifax. Website fine with good security. £120 to join and a fiver a month ever after. Free Money! What’s not to like?

I’ve been with them for years – never had any reason to move. Their computer based internet banking is more capable than their smart device app, but still a bit restricted. But that doesn’t bother me too much as the more features you pack into the software just gives hackers more opportunities to make mischief should then get access to your account. For example you can’t set up a new payment via the app, so if someone hacked into it they couldn’t transfer money to themselves (or overdraft in my case!). Also I can call them and complete a transaction just as quick as doing it via software and their telephone banking is always such a pleasure to use – very friendly, but not overly so, people on the other end of the phone with an excellent command of the English Language and bend over backwards to help you in whatever it is you want to do. I can’t compare them to any other bank as i’ve been with FD for so long, but i’ve no cause to complain.

Halifax. Website fine with good security. £120 to join and a fiver a month ever after. Free Money! What’s not to like?

Moved 10 years ago, after Halifax had another “reset” of my account, leaving no history in my online banking at all.

Can’t complain about the online banking or iPhone app, and I’ll take 2FA that uses my phone over a physical token or one of those calculator things that you put your card into any day. Most of my mobile usage is a quick transfer of money to a mate to pay for something.

Worst bits are HSBC staff when you need something in-branch. Last time I went in I needed to withdraw more cash than my daily card limit, but nowhere near what I’d expect to need to phone ahead in advance. HSBC counter “oh, we need a fax from first direct to authorise that”. Called FD, the guy just raised my limit temporarily while I was on the phone and I withdrew what I needed from the cashpoint a minute later. Easy.

I’ve never waited to speak to anyone on the phone, 99% of the time the same person deals with it throughout, no passing you off to another queue. The only time I couldn’t get something resolved then and there was when I needed to make a big CHAPS transfer (house deposit) but it was 2am and that team weren’t around.

Been with First Direct since 2000 ish. Their telpehonephone banking is good but as someone else mentioned it did take a few rings to get through when I last phoned them.

The website is ok for internet banking. The security has gone up in the last few years and now uses 2 factor authentication. Can still login without 2 factor but what you can do is limited. The phone app was crushingly slow and didn’t subscribe to any form of Android UI so I don’t use it any more so it may have improved. Also would be good if I could use a standard app, like Google Authenticator for the 2 factor instead of their own phone app or keychain dongle.

Having said all that I can’t see any particular reason to leave them as everyone else seems to moan about other banks.

One thing to remember is that you can go into an HSBC branch if you need to speak to someone face to face. Had to do this a few years ago when I lost my card and was away from home for a prolonged period of time. They agreed to send my card to my local HSBC branch where I rocked up with ID and picked it up.

Interestingly in an age of technology and when so many people use internet banking I don’t understand why banks do not compete on their internet offering and unique functions or services. So people here have said Nationwide is good, so I checked their website and can’t find anything about their internet functions just wooly stuff like:

We’re the world’s largest building society
Our members decide how we’re run
We provide great service for our members
We support your local communities
We listen to what our members have to say
We’re committed to being an ethical business
Doing the right thing for our members is at the heart of what we do.

This is all just marketing garbage and nothing I really care about. Tell me why your internet offering is so good. The only bank that seem to advertise their technology is Nattiest with the advert about getting money out of the cash machine when you have lost your card.

Considering banks can’t really compete on interest at the moment there isn’t really any reason or compelling drive to switch, unless they have particularly cocked something up.

Should also say I am with FB and agree with others that the telephone banking is great but internet is clunky. I never seem to be able to login first time without having to reset something. Also have a bank account with HSBC and their login process is much easier.

Depends what you’re after…
We’ve got one current account with Santander for the 3% interest up to £20k balance and good cashback rates on utilities DDs…
and another with Nationwide for the best packaged benefits (travel insurance, phone insurance, etc) at the lowest monthly fee.

MSE is a good place to start assessing which accounts are best for you.

Moved to FD from Santander a couple of years ago and quite happy where I am, the service was like night and day. Internet banking is difficult at first owing to the fact they use decent password protection and seperate verification (dongle or app) unlike anyone else but once you get used to it it becomes second nature.

Yes, the interface could use a polish but honestly don’t see it as any worse than any other provider. RBS is marginally better but wouldn’t go there if I didn’t already have an account.

£150 currently if you switch to FD. Offer ends this Sunday apparently

http://www1.firstdirect.com/1/2/banking/current-account

I use FD personally, and we have Santander at work. My experience of the two are poles apart: FD customer service is a genuine pleasure, whilst Santander regularly has my finance manager hitting her head against the office wall.

In fairness, I don’t use the online banking at FD all that much. But then I never feel I need to, as I can ring them up at any time of the day or night and talk to a cheerful, friendly and knowledgeable human being. Maybe it’s my age, but I find that far preferable.

In fairness, I don’t use the online banking at FD all that much. But then I never feel I need to, as I can ring them up at any time of the day or night and talk to a cheerful, friendly and knowledgeable human being. Maybe it’s my age, but I find that far preferable.

For example – I recently wanted to know how many times in the last three years I have paid my daughter’s rent (directly to her landlord) in order to work out how much she was in arrears. Job of 2 minutes if you can search(*) over your whole account history(**). Job of 20 minutes phoning FD and asking them to do it.

(*) you can’t
(**) 90 days downloadable at a time to Excel

My assumption is that all internet banking is a bit pants and substandard.

I’m with Barclays and really rate their Internet banking. The iPhone App is excellent, use that pretty much all the time to pay bills.

Zero credit interest is the only downside in my opinion.