So who is closing their First Direct account?
18 November 2006, 08:03 PM
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So who is closing their First Direct account?
I know they are p**s poor as far as a bank goes, but so is almost every other bank (thought I'd get that dig in first 
)......
I, along with several of my collegues recieved a letter from them saying there were going to charge £10 a month if I don't pay at least £1500 a month into my account (NOT including internal transfers) AND keep at least £1500 in the account.
The words sod off spring to mind
The alternative is to "open another product" with them, but frankly they don't deserve the custom.
Anyone share the same sentiments?
)......I, along with several of my collegues recieved a letter from them saying there were going to charge £10 a month if I don't pay at least £1500 a month into my account (NOT including internal transfers) AND keep at least £1500 in the account.
The words sod off spring to mind
The alternative is to "open another product" with them, but frankly they don't deserve the custom.
Anyone share the same sentiments?
18 November 2006, 08:17 PM
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You wait until you get sombody who has a poor grasp on English and common sense.
They were great until this started happening.
They were great until this started happening.
18 November 2006, 08:46 PM
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Oh that's good then, I can just drain the account to 50p and not bother having to close without worrying about them taking £10 out every month making the account overdrawn...but then, it is bank, so I wouldn't put it past them. 
18 November 2006, 09:57 PM
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They're virtually all Scottish when I call ...
TX.
TX.
Originally Posted by Shark Man
You wait until you get sombody who has a poor grasp on English and common sense.
They were great until this started happening.
They were great until this started happening.
18 November 2006, 09:59 PM
#7
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To be perfectly honest, if you are not paying in more than £1500 a month, they are not going to worry whether you leave or not.
It's the same as the Credit Cards - I clear my every single month, and have done since I got into debt with one in 1979, .............. when they started to charge way back in the 1980's I chopped them all up and sent them back - did they care??
OF COURSE NOT!
BUT, Barclaycard will NEVER see any business from me ever - and the Alliance and Leicester will not get a penny off me (due to being an **** with me over a mortagage in 1984) ...... they lose goodwill, for ever. Now they all want my money I can be as selective as they were when I had none!
It's the same as the Credit Cards - I clear my every single month, and have done since I got into debt with one in 1979, .............. when they started to charge way back in the 1980's I chopped them all up and sent them back - did they care??
OF COURSE NOT!
BUT, Barclaycard will NEVER see any business from me ever - and the Alliance and Leicester will not get a penny off me (due to being an **** with me over a mortagage in 1984) ...... they lose goodwill, for ever. Now they all want my money I can be as selective as they were when I had none!
Last edited by pslewis; 18 November 2006 at 10:02 PM.
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18 November 2006, 10:11 PM
#8
I've had my uk account at FD since they started and rate them as *excellent*. They have never put a foot wrong as far as I am concerned.
From their Wiki entry: According to MORI and NOP research, first direct has been the most recommended bank in the UK for the past 13 years.
I won't be getting one of their letters anyway.
They have never put a foot wrong as far as I am concerned. From their Wiki entry: According to MORI and NOP research, first direct has been the most recommended bank in the UK for the past 13 years.
I won't be getting one of their letters anyway.
18 November 2006, 10:14 PM
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Originally Posted by Suresh
I've had my uk account at FD since they started and rate them as *excellent*. They have never put a foot wrong as far as I am concerned.
From their Wiki entry: According to MORI and NOP research, first direct has been the most recommended bank in the UK for the past 13 years.
I won't be getting one of their letters anyway.
They have never put a foot wrong as far as I am concerned. From their Wiki entry: According to MORI and NOP research, first direct has been the most recommended bank in the UK for the past 13 years.
I won't be getting one of their letters anyway.
19 November 2006, 10:18 AM
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just applied for the savings account , was angry to begin with but for the sake of a pound then so be it i suppose , use to pay when i was ith lloyds tsb, but u did et other stuff for your money , like aa membership and phone insurance etc think fd should have offered something liek this then maybe the 10 wouldnt have sounded so bad !
19 November 2006, 10:29 AM
#11
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Where does you have to have £1500 in your account come from ???
Pay in £1500 yes
or have a credit card, Savings A/c, Travel Insurance
BEST BANK BY FAR
Phil
Pay in £1500 yes
or have a credit card, Savings A/c, Travel Insurance
BEST BANK BY FAR
Phil
19 November 2006, 10:35 AM
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I dont bank with them, but if I did I would make a point of closing my account just to make a point.
Banks are losing a hell of a lot through bad debts now, and they shouldnt be targetting regular bank users to help recoop these losses.
Theyre suffering from stupidly lax lending policies, and they cant squeeze more money out of the people who've borrowed loads as theyre all going bankrupt and taking out IVA's now, so they target even the sensible customers to get the money back
Banks are losing a hell of a lot through bad debts now, and they shouldnt be targetting regular bank users to help recoop these losses.
Theyre suffering from stupidly lax lending policies, and they cant squeeze more money out of the people who've borrowed loads as theyre all going bankrupt and taking out IVA's now, so they target even the sensible customers to get the money back
19 November 2006, 10:42 AM
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first direct charging announcement - frequently asked questions
I read that as pay in £1500 or keep £1500 in your account, not both!
Either way I've closed down my sole account and two unused savings accounts.
I get better rates for my mortgage and savings elsewhere. The main reason I'd keep our joint account there is that they have a UK call centre.
Will I be charged for banking with first direct?
Provided you credit your Bank Account or Cheque Account with at least £1,500 each month (internal transfers from first direct accounts excluded), keep an average monthly balance in excess of £1,500 or have an additional product (see next question for details) with first direct you will not incur our banking fee.
Provided you credit your Bank Account or Cheque Account with at least £1,500 each month (internal transfers from first direct accounts excluded), keep an average monthly balance in excess of £1,500 or have an additional product (see next question for details) with first direct you will not incur our banking fee.
Either way I've closed down my sole account and two unused savings accounts.
I get better rates for my mortgage and savings elsewhere. The main reason I'd keep our joint account there is that they have a UK call centre.
19 November 2006, 11:17 AM
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The wording of the letter implies both, but I agree it looks they missed out a critical "or".
From the general vibes of this thread:
Wait until you accidentally miss a CC payment (very rare for me, but the problem arised owing to the inland revenue taking everything I have to cover a 40% incurred tax on someone else's estate
) . Pay it off, then get another call 20mins later demading in a hostile manner that I pay it when it has already been paid. Problem is, the words "I have already paid the bill earlier" didn't correspond to the person's teleprompt scripts and he didn't understand English. This has happened more than once, and have I since stopped using the current account and cancelled the credit card. They may have UK call centres, but some of the people they employ don't seem to understand English, probably because they aren't English.
BUT, why is the general attitude of "oh the bank has to cover their overheads blah blah", we'll just accept ANOTHER charge? Are you the people that vote Labour? Are you the people that accept to have black boxes in your car and pay £1 per mile motoring? Do you like paying a % charge to use another cashpoint? Or pay through the nose to make or recieve a phone call on a mobile overseas?
What, you just accept it bend over and take it without argument or do you actually work for banks or the mentioned phone or civil services.?
This is a bank, they make money, huge amounts from CC charges and interest, they have restricted their overheads from internet banking and call centres. And giving you the third enquirey whenever you pay in or take out any large sum of money (even if its going to the Inland Revenue )Any loss they incurr is through their own ineptitude to cut fraud and by giving out credit cards to people ***** nilly and letting them rack up stupid amounts on them in hope of greed that the customer will be capeable of paying it off with the interest on top. Which they won't and end up writing off the debt or passing it off to a third party debt company
Perhaps if they stopped sending me huge amounts of junk mail almost every day they'd cut enough overheads not to need charging. And maybe if they stopped printing information letters with my account number and sort code stating: "please read the enclosed leaflet" and nothing else, would another minor step in reducing fraud. I swear I ticked the "don't send me bullcrap through the mail" box!
Well, I'm keeping my money under the bed from now on
From the general vibes of this thread:
Wait until you accidentally miss a CC payment (very rare for me, but the problem arised owing to the inland revenue taking everything I have to cover a 40% incurred tax on someone else's estate
) . Pay it off, then get another call 20mins later demading in a hostile manner that I pay it when it has already been paid. Problem is, the words "I have already paid the bill earlier" didn't correspond to the person's teleprompt scripts and he didn't understand English. This has happened more than once, and have I since stopped using the current account and cancelled the credit card. They may have UK call centres, but some of the people they employ don't seem to understand English, probably because they aren't English.BUT, why is the general attitude of "oh the bank has to cover their overheads blah blah", we'll just accept ANOTHER charge? Are you the people that vote Labour? Are you the people that accept to have black boxes in your car and pay £1 per mile motoring? Do you like paying a % charge to use another cashpoint? Or pay through the nose to make or recieve a phone call on a mobile overseas?
What, you just accept it bend over and take it without argument or do you actually work for banks or the mentioned phone or civil services.? This is a bank, they make money, huge amounts from CC charges and interest, they have restricted their overheads from internet banking and call centres. And giving you the third enquirey whenever you pay in or take out any large sum of money (even if its going to the Inland Revenue
)Any loss they incurr is through their own ineptitude to cut fraud and by giving out credit cards to people ***** nilly and letting them rack up stupid amounts on them in hope of greed that the customer will be capeable of paying it off with the interest on top. Which they won't and end up writing off the debt or passing it off to a third party debt company Perhaps if they stopped sending me huge amounts of junk mail almost every day they'd cut enough overheads not to need charging. And maybe if they stopped printing information letters with my account number and sort code stating: "please read the enclosed leaflet" and nothing else, would another minor step in reducing fraud. I swear I ticked the "don't send me bullcrap through the mail" box!
Well, I'm keeping my money under the bed from now on
Last edited by Shark Man; 19 November 2006 at 11:22 AM.
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