BOB.T

Hi all

Just back from my hols and whilst I've been away, LloydsTSB have charged me £200 for being overdrawn.

Yes I know I shouldn't have gone overdrawn and I don't need a lecture on that. Yes I expect to be charged if I do go overdrawn.

However, £200 is taking the p*ss!

So, who does a good account?

I need a debit card, cheque book, online banking, direct debit....overdraft facility I'd prefer to not have a monthly fee but as I'm paying one now don't mind.

I don't want, breakdown cover, insurance, just about owt else. Not fussed about having a branch.

TIA

harry007

Halifax all the way mate....'who gives you extra' lol!

Haroon.

kingofturds

iTrader: (1)

Nooooooooooooooooo!

BOB.T

The mortgage is with Halifax...and their head office is only a 30 minute drive away

little-ginge

Don't got to Barclays... they charge each month for their bank accounts, and charge £25 for being 30p overdrawn for 1 hour ..

and they foof up paperwork when you send it to them, which makes you then have to phone County Clare and speak to a mad leprchaun, who promises you pots of gold, but you have to find the end of the Barclays rainbow to claim it*

*disclaimer: I am pretty sure that part of that is a fairy tale, but I wouldn't like to say which part :-)

GU5

First Direct's the way to go.

Call them up and the person who answers the phone deals with your query, none of this being put on hold and passed around the system stuff.

Not sure if they're still doing it, but they were doing a deal where you join and get £50, if not happy return to your old bank and get another £50 for the trouble. When I changed I expected a few DD's to go missing but everything went smoothly. Looks like I won't be getting the additional £50 as at the moment I'm happy and not leaving;-)

Sonic'

Sorry to hear about the overdraft, but that aside, I shall be expecting a full report on the Holibobs from her majesty complete with photographic evidence now that you are back

Hope you had a great one

Jamo

iTrader: (23)

halifax the bank that likes to overcharge you... plus they will never back down, I know they illegally charged me and still made me pay, having worked in a bank I knew what to say to get them worried, they will face a ombudsman rather than give you the benefit of the doubt!

go to natwest whilst like the others they are shower of **** wits, but when they over charge you or make an error, a friendly threat of legal action has always seen them refund all charges (and in the last case, give me £50 woolworths voucher to say sorry!). I asked for an account to be closed, they clearly forgot and a few charges appeared, then I got a £36 charge a month, last time I checked it was on £316 od, I made a call, explained I would be making them look very stupid as I had signed a document asking for it to be closed and have my copy, plus I would do a dsir and goto the ombudsman. voila..

StickyMicky

i use barclays for 3 accounts and while i can not remember which "main" account it is (might be additions plus?) it does give me benefits as part of the package, including free breakdown cover.

so i cancelled my AA cover and actually saved myself some money, the only problems i would say i have with them, are that the business banking can be expensive, but i dont consider the personal account stuff to bad?

chocolate_o_brian

iTrader: (22)

i would suggest HSBC.

my mortgage is currently with halifax and ive always done my banking with lloyds tsb. current situation im in means i cant afford to pay my credit card (lloyds one), so i have had to go to a third bank. my fiancee has banked with hsbc for a couple years since she started working, and although an unorthodix approach (ie machines for everything), its generally much quicker than the now eastern europeans bank of choice... lloyds.

**disclaimer**
i have nothing against eastern europeans, but when you have a fresh influx every week, and every single one goes to looyds to open a bank account, and there is only one polish speaking employee... kinda makes que's/waiting lists longer due to the obvious language barrier. with HSBC i find no jonny foriengers as using even just a cash machine is generally beyond their capabilities - sorry i bit and ranted there a little.

StickyMicky

to be honest, machines for everything sounds ideal

the barclays branch that i use is funny, yesterday i went in to pay in some banking into my account

vast ques snaking all the way out the back as it was the dinnertime rush, i simply walked up to the free single/only pay in machine with my cash in the envelopes provided (i always take a few away with me so i have some at home) and i was in and out within 20 seconds.

stupid general public

honestly, i have never, ever seen anybody else use it

pull leaver down, put in envelope, push leaver up, is it really that hard for the general public to fathom out?

Lee247

Why don't you take it up with Lloyds, Bob. Ask them to explain the charges.
£200 seems a bit excessive to me

RJM25R

iTrader: (1)

I recommend halifax wholeheartedly. Never had any charges at all, over 5% interest on your current account balance (up to £2500)

I never use my overdraft, but It is very reasonable, and you are never charged unless you go into it for more than 7 days (I have set up £2000 just in case I ever need it)

They also do a 10% interest regular saver, and they up that to 12% if you have more than £5000 in another account (fixed for 1 year) you can deposit anything from £25 TO £500 A MONTH

They do a 6.25% guaranteed saver account which allows 1 withdrawal without penalty

I have a 10% regular saver for my son (fixed for 1 year) which obliterates anything else on the market for kids!

Online/telephone banking is good, speedy and easy (no overseas callcentres!)

I'm sure other people will have had issues with them, but My wife went overdrawn when we were on holiday because her wage didn't go in. Halifax charged her £72 (£36 for going over and £36 for honouring a direct debit) but she went in, explained the situation and an advisor sat with her and went through her recent (2 yr) history and because her wage had gone in on the 25th every single month except that one they waived the charge and apologised, and gave her £25 M&S vouchers

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

As above, mate, go in to the branch, ask to speak to someone, and play hell up.....politely, of course

It's my bet they'll refund most of it

Alcazar

RJM25R

iTrader: (1)

Lets be honest, we like to shout don't we? BUT in my experience (12 years in sales) you get far better results if you are polite, firm and friendly. Get the person "onside", get them to empathise, EG "How do you think You'd feel if you were in my position?" "Would You accept these kind of charges?" and most people don't want a confrontation with you, they'd rather find a solution.

SPEN555

Skipton Building Society HO is closer? If they charged £200 you could throw a brick through their window

little-ginge

Additions Plus i think too .. mobile phone cover, travel insurance, RAC breakdown ( which I get with my car anyway ) etc etc..

that's quite good, I suppose, but I just like to gripe about them

SunnySideUp

I would just claim the charges back ... they do just cough up!

Besides, Lloyds are paying 6% on their Current Accounts at the moment and thats what I get

ScoobyWon't

I'd say Abbey. They matched everything my account with Halifax had and even threw in a few perks.

In my experience Halifax is a bag of ****. I paid in a cheque worth £45000 around May 31st last year. It finally cleared late September as they constantly messed around saying they couldn't find it, they hadn't received it, they passed it on for clearing, the other bank wasn't responding etc etc. I was on the phone to them everyday giving them reference numbers, phone numbers for the other bank, the recorded delivery number and branch address of the issuing bank and all sorts.

Throughout this whole episode, they hung on to my money, the other bank kept saying they had issued clearance, but Halifax wouldn't put it into my account, and they kept issuing me charges for being overdrawn even though they had all of my money which they wouldn't give me, which was resulting in me going overdrawn

Halifax, a pile of ****.

BOB.T

I did take it up with Lloyds over the phone but seemingly they can't do anything unless I go into a branch or write a letter! I told the girl on the phone that I wanted to move my account, she told me not to bother as everyone is just as bad, HSBC couldn't even understand what she was saying when she rang them....well, I think that's what she said, she was Welsh... She went on to tell me that HSBC had charged her £20 for going overdrawn, I came back with 'so that's £30 less than I've just been charged then, maybe I'll go there!'

<goes off to look at hafilax and how to reclaim charges>

Lee247

Bob, get of that lazy butt and go to the branch. Bet you get most of those charges back

BOB.T

It's only been 24 hrs since I found out, I've worked 10.5 of them and spent the rest eating and sleeping!

Abdabz

Dont have a bank account. Earn cash only and keep it in your house.

I found out recently that if you get your wage paid into a bank account and you spend more than you have, the bank charge you :'eek:
Apparantly banks are not a charity nor a government organisation and if, like me, you are incompetent at managing your finances either as a one off or not, they charge you

Banks are banks like eggs is eggs...

For every happy hirarious story there is a sad one

Yo mama in a wetsuit

StickyMicky

actually, i have just checked the barclays website and they dont offer these accounts anymore.

i only have "additions" and the closest thing they do now is "additions active" which is more expensive per month

i think mine is only about £10 per month and get all this included.

Mobile phone insurance Cardholder protection Domestic emergency cover Green Flag Breakdown Cover Your money Stockbrokers MarketMaster Accidental death cover Extended warranty Legal helpline Identity Support Will-writing service Barclays & Me Children's health cover

PeteBrant

Smile.

Part of the Co-op so ethical investments.

UK Call centres.

Absolutely first class customer service

No monthly fee for having an arranged overdraft.

I swithced to them from Barclays about a year ago and it was the best thing I could have done.

Torquemada

Yep, First Direct have been pretty good to me for years. Polite and friendly most of the time and if they're not, they get a firm talking too and it's sorted immediately. Only had a couple of issues with them and they were resolved quickly to my satisfaction and most charges they've ever tried to hit me with have been paid back. I ain't taking no guff from these swine

Jerome

I've been with most of the major banks and I would deffo recommend First Direct.

NatWest are unblelievably bad and I'd steer well clear of Barclays too. Nationwide are a fair weather bank - great when things are going well, appalling if you have even a very brief bad patch.

PeteBrant

Nationwide aren't a bank

They are great for Mortgages, but I have Idea what thier current accounts are like.

Jerome

Alright, the Nationwide building society. Their current accounts are appalling. I just closed mine.