Banks - A Very Long Read. Make Yourself Comfortable

[asmethurst99]

I must be lucky - First direct and I’ve never had a problem -
Bizarrely HSBC our local branch are comically incompetent-they are being closed next week so that’ll learn em
Still facking annoying for you though Phoenix

[the_priest]

Nationwide Building Society here and no issues at all. They have an authorisation through the app for certain online payments and that has been good. I can do bank transfers easily enough with no real issues. Same for Chaps and other payments. In all I've been very pleased with them for over 15 years, although I have kept my 27 year Barclays account ticking over.

[JamJar]

Why don't you use their phone app to pay people? I've been with Co-Op for 15 years and have never had a problem.

[Mussels]

Why don't you use their phone app to pay people? I've been with Co-Op for 15 years and have never had a problem.

I'd usually use the phone app with Barclays, when it came to sending a plumber a load of money they insisted on a phone call.

[gremlin]

Again, I point all you people to the below link which ranks UK High Street banks in terms of service. And once again, I implore you to move accounts if you are not happy. The CASS (Current Account Switching Service) scheme that banks are a member of takes all the hassle out of moving accounts. Customer inertia is what lets shit service prevail with service providers. You wouldn't give your business to a garage that fucks you about nor go back to a restaurant that serves crap food. Why stick with a bank that messes you around?

https://www.ipsos.com/en-uk/personal-ba ... ruary-2022

[v8-powered]

I switched my business banking about 2 years ago from Santander to Starling - they have been spot-on, not a single issue. My wife's business is still with Santander and can be problematic at times.

Out personal banking is with Barclays but a Premier account, so service is a little better than standard.

[gremlin]

Out personal banking is with Barclays but a Premier account, so service is a little better than standard.

Same. I miss the free coffee at Patisserie Valerie.

[Cousin Jack]

Why don't you use their phone app to pay people? I've been with Co-Op for 15 years and have never had a problem.

I am an ultra cautious Luddite. If I lose my phone that would be a problem, but losing my phone AND all the money in my bank account would be a worse problem. I use internet banking, but not from my phone.

[JamJar]

Why don't you use their phone app to pay people? I've been with Co-Op for 15 years and have never had a problem.

I am an ultra cautious Luddite. If I lose my phone that would be a problem, but losing my phone AND all the money in my bank account would be a worse problem. I use internet banking, but not from my phone.

I'd argue that a modern phone is safer than your computer.

[gremlin]

Why don't you use their phone app to pay people? I've been with Co-Op for 15 years and have never had a problem.

I am an ultra cautious Luddite. If I lose my phone that would be a problem, but losing my phone AND all the money in my bank account would be a worse problem. I use internet banking, but not from my phone.

I'd argue that a modern phone is safer than your computer.

Not if you keep it in your local bank's vault.

[Mr. Dazzle]

Why don't you use their phone app to pay people? I've been with Co-Op for 15 years and have never had a problem.

I am an ultra cautious Luddite. If I lose my phone that would be a problem, but losing my phone AND all the money in my bank account would be a worse problem. I use internet banking, but not from my phone.

I'd argue that a modern phone is safer than your computer.

My online banking requires me to use my phone to login in anyway I need to generate a log in code using the phone.

The account is linked to the specific handset and said phone's serial number forms part of the encryption key to log in. I.e. it has to be that phone and no other. If I just used internet banking on a PC it could be any PC.

It's definitely worth setting up "Find My Phone" or whatever the Apple equiv is though. If I lose my phone I can brick it from any other internet connected device.

EDIT: Actually come to think of it, I'm pretty sure when I've tried to do large transfers online my bank have said "sorry, you can only do this on the app".

[Count Steer]

Why don't you use their phone app to pay people? I've been with Co-Op for 15 years and have never had a problem.

I am an ultra cautious Luddite. If I lose my phone that would be a problem, but losing my phone AND all the money in my bank account would be a worse problem. I use internet banking, but not from my phone.

I'd argue that a modern phone is safer than your computer.

M'expert security and and anti-crim colleague from a v large national business said his division had concluded the same thing. I was sceptical but he explained why. I guess it's wise to avoid unsecured wi-fi connections but I used my phone banking app to buy a car using the dealers wi-fi network. They didn't even send me an OTP, just whoosh...paid.

Biggest problem is people losing their phone when it has a list of passwords in the Notes folder.

(I don't use my laptop to do banking any more either).

[MrLongbeard]

The CASS (Current Account Switching Service) scheme that banks are a member of takes all the hassle out of moving accounts.

All the hassle ?

I've looked at switching a couple of times, but really can't be doing with all the agro if / when a DD or some other automatic payment we have set up gets forgotten in the transfer.
Of course I'd probably have a different opinion if I was getting a crap service and use it to run to a different bank.

[Count Steer]

The CASS (Current Account Switching Service) scheme that banks are a member of takes all the hassle out of moving accounts.

All the hassle ?

I've looked at switching a couple of times, but really can't be doing with all the agro if / when a DD or some other automatic payment we have set up gets forgotten in the transfer.
Of course I'd probably have a different opinion if I was getting a crap service and use it to run to a different bank.

I looked at shutting down an account that I've had since I was a student and, in the end, didn't bother. I moved the main DD/SO stuff 'manually' over time but, as far as I can see, incoming payments aren't redirected so you have to contact everyone that's likely to pay you money. Sometimes they're things that pay intermittently. I just keep it ticking over as it doesn't cost anything....yet.

[Couchy]

The CASS (Current Account Switching Service) scheme that banks are a member of takes all the hassle out of moving accounts.

All the hassle ?

I've looked at switching a couple of times, but really can't be doing with all the agro if / when a DD or some other automatic payment we have set up gets forgotten in the transfer.
Of course I'd probably have a different opinion if I was getting a crap service and use it to run to a different bank.

For years I'd been getting pissed off with HSBC for our current account, this year I took the plunge and swapped to starling bank. The account switching was seemless nothing missed and moved from one to the other very easily. Starling is miles ahead of HSBC for ease of use. The big banks rely on people not moving so service is piss poor, which tbh proves you get what you pay for as I'm sure they don't really want personal current accounts.

[KungFooBob]

I'm half tempted to move to Chase. They do 1% cashback on all debit card spends.

[cheb]

I've done the current account switching thing a few times, never on my main account though. That'll likely not change as I want to be able to visit the branch in person if need be, and I've had to just to sort out problems a couple of times.

It's been useful to have a few current accounts ticking over for when banks offer introductory offers. I used to cascade money through the accounts using standing orders. I started each account with a few hundred pounds and then transferred £100 from acct 1 to account 2 by monthly standing order. The next week saw another standing order of £101 from account 2 to account 3. A week later it was £102 from account 3 to account 4. Repeat as required. The reason for the differing amounts was so that the SO didn't all look the same when checking the accounts.

[gremlin]

Details of CASS. - https://www.currentaccountswitch.co.uk/

Open new account, tell old bank you want to use it, give them the new account and sort code and it gets done. Once it's all done the old bank will close your obsolete account if requested.