Which Bank Is Best For Me? (Plus a bit of a whinge).

[Flintstone]

Alright, alright. I'm not starting this to collect a raft of replies that scream 'Usary!' or 'Throw the moneylenders from the temple!'. I know they're all parasites and if I could run my life without a bank I would. Well, apart from Williams & Glynn's who were very nice to me when I was a spotty yoof but they no longer exist and I digress.

I've been with NatWest for about ten years but they've done a few things lately to cheese me off. For example they pestered me into agreeing to an appointment with a personal adviser. An apparently free service to customers whose income makes them think they'll make a few quid out of said punters. After agreeing to this (and actually looking forward to a spring clean of my finances) it never materialised because they never bothered to contact me.

Around the same time I was looking for a largeish overdraft facility for one month. I had some money stashed but it was tied up and there was something I wanted to buy. "Certainly sir, we'll call to arrange an appointment and set it up for you" <£ signs in their eyes>. I never got the call despite revisiting the branch and asking what had happened, never got an explanation either

Last straw came when on holiday. I know from experience that debit cards are a pain in the proverbial in the US so dusted off the emergency credit card. Not used one for over 20 years but needs must and all that. Tried telling them before I travelled that my spending patterns were about to change but they didn't want to know. On holiday, bit of shopping, card blocked. One long and expensive phone call to card 'services' (some bloke in Delhi) which I gave up on and resorted to using my company card.

So. Who are the lesser of the evils?

[Ry_B]

Flintstone said:

I've been with NatWest for about ten years but they've done a few things lately to cheese me off. For example they pestered me into agreeing to an appointment with a personal adviser. An apparently free service to customers whose income makes them think they'll make a few quid out of said punters. After agreeing to this (and actually looking forward to a spring clean of my finances) it never materialised because they never bothered to contact me.
Around the same time I was looking for a largeish overdraft facility for one month. I had some money stashed but it was tied up and there was something I wanted to buy. "Certainly sir, we'll call to arrange an appointment and set it up for you" <£ signs in their eyes>. I never got the call despite revisiting the branch and asking what had happened, never got an explanation either
Last straw came when on holiday. I know from experience that debit cards are a pain in the proverbial in the US so dusted off the emergency credit card. Not used one for over 20 years but needs must and all that. Tried telling them before I travelled that my spending patterns were about to change but they didn't want to know. On holiday, bit of shopping, card blocked. One long and expensive phone call to card 'services' (some bloke in Delhi) which I gave up on and resorted to using my company card.

I work for Natwest mate

Was it one of the call centres or the branch that offered you the appointment? Basically the call centres get targeted on sales, and if they don't get a certain amount they lose their job, the branches also have the same but I have less experience with that side of the bank. So basically, they were trying to keep their job by offering you the review with the various techniques!

Can't really answer as to why the branch didn't get back to you. All I can assume is that we don't get points/sales for overdrafts so they may have been more interested in loans. (Obviously not good customer service, but that's what happens when you have so many targets!)

And finally regarding the card use abroad, the system we use is automated, we cannot put a note on the system to say do not block card etc, as if you did use your card abroad and it got stolen, the transactions would still go through.

Hope this clears things up a bit

PS don't bank with Natwest, i don't

[Ry_B]

Also, we have no call centres that aren't in the UK so not sure why you think there was one in Delhi?

[Ry_B]

PPS this should be in the pie n piston mate!

I'd try First Direct as a new bank. Soon as my wages come into my Natwest account (which I had to open to get paid) they get transfered to the FD acc. Not given me any hassle since I've joined them!

[Ordinary Bloke]

Recommended: Nationwide
Annoying: Barclays & Lloyds
Should-be-last-on-your-list: Abbey/Santander

[duff]

Ry_B said:

Also, we have no call centres that aren't in the UK so not sure why you think there was one in Delhi?

I'm pretty sure the Bank will have a different call centre to the Credit Card side, which could well be in Delhi.

I'd recommend HSBC - never given me any problems.

[onomatopoeia]

Flintstone said:

Last straw came when on holiday. I know from experience that debit cards are a pain in the proverbial in the US so dusted off the emergency credit card. Not used one for over 20 years but needs must and all that. Tried telling them before I travelled that my spending patterns were about to change but they didn't want to know. On holiday, bit of shopping, card blocked. One long and expensive phone call to card 'services' (some bloke in Delhi) which I gave up on and resorted to using my company card.

I'm not going to recommend a bank for a current account as everyones experiences seem to differ (I've always found Lloyds faultless over 20 years for example, others haven't), just relate something my parents told me while we were in Italy last week for my brother's wedding. They contacted their credit card provider (Nationwide) to inform them that there might be some overseas transactions and were told "we don't block overseas transactions now, we got so many complaints from people who's cards stopped working on holiday that we no longer do it."

So if you want your plastic to work on holiday it seems Nationwide might be a good bet.

[Vee]

Natwest branches are st. The staff just seem to want to sell you something rather than provide the service you need.
My wife had her credit card statement photocopied when she went in to pay. It was then passed to someone to call her about a loan whcih was cheaper than the card balance.
She went ballistic and demanded the statement copy back.

Contact Private Banking about moving your account to them - brilliant service.

[ExPat2B]

Flintstone, a quick point:

The credit card portion of Natwest is totally separate to Natwest bank itself, and the system that blocks cards is called pegasus and is common across banks.

[Ry_B]

Vee said:

Natwest branches are st. The staff just seem to want to sell you something rather than provide the service you need.

Don't blame the staff though, they're only doing their job. But I can totally see the issue, which is why I don't bank with Natwest as I don't like being hounded!

[Flintstone]

I just knew that there would be as many people vouching for one bank as there'd be complaining about them To be honest I think this is pot luck these days anyway.

I suspected the CC side would be separate from the bank. Doesn't make being fecked around any easier though. As an aside we applied for an Abbey CC a month before going away, the papers were waiting for us when we got home after the holiday. Filed in the round receptacle in the corner. Just reinforces my feeling that they're all as bad as each other really

Thanks for the input folks.

[cs02rm0]

I've tried quite a few (10+) different banks in the last two years. Every single one of them without fail has been substantially better than NatWest who managed to systematically make my life difficult for years.

If I had to pick one, I'd say First Direct (though as they offer £100 to leave them I may not stay with them). Best thing is to go with several and then it's not so painful to close one if the service isn't up to scratch.

[HundredthIdiot]

First Direct every time. They are close to flawless.