New bank account

[L3nny]

Just been into Barclays, wont bore you with all the details but it ended up with me storming out having closed all of my accounts with them.

I need to open a new account pretty sharpish, well before pay day.

I know all banks are bad, but which is the least bad of them?

Cheers :D

[femaleacid]

Just been into Barclays, wont bore you with all the details but it ended up with me storming out having closed all of my accounts with them.

I need to open a new account pretty sharpish, well before pay day.

I know all banks are bad, but which is the least bad of them?

Cheers :D

Well I've been with Natwest now for quite a while and NEVER had problems or complaints about them.
I had to cash in a cheque the other day of £650 and the money was in next day which I was expecting 5 working days.
They seem really organised and they don't mess around and fast on service.

I've also heard LloydsTSB are good as well especially with finances.
Just do a bit of research and see what suits you better :)

Hope I helped a bit.

[Littlepeahead]

I've been with Santander for 25 years and never had any issues with them. Online banking is easy, call centres OK. You can pay in cash or cheques at their bank machines too.

[Dave20046]

first direct or natty west spring to mind

[fenjer]

nationwide have been brilliant with me lately.

[metalangel]

HSBC have done okay by me for the last 14 years.

[hongman]

I use Natwest and Santander and HSBC.

All pretty similar to be honest, I reckon its down to personal preferences and encounters. I dont think one bank stands heads and shoulders above the rest.

[flymo]

plenty of good advice here http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/banking/

[L3nny]

Cheers Flymo, if First Direct want to give me £100 I may as well go with them.

[flymo]

and they have no branches for you to storm out of either ;-)

[L3nny]

Aren't they the same as HSBC? I am sure I could storm out of there instead.

[Stuuk1]

nationwide have been brilliant with me lately.

Nationwide are totally incompetent. Unfortunately I have been with them since my first bank account, a recent complaint with them proved how completely and utterly useless they are.

Even the chief executives assistant f*cked up 3 or 4 times with my complaint.

[Sid Squid]

The best bank? I'm not sure there is such a thing - but if there is it's the branch, not the company.

In my experience Barclays have been far and away the best, but that's because of the lengthy and positive relationship I've had with the people in the branch, not because it's Barclays specifically.

[fizzwheel]

I've been with First Direct along time and never had any reason to even think about changing, their online banking portal and app for iphone are excellent, and when I do need to talk to a Human being, their telelphone customer service is excellent as well.

[andrewsmith]

Lloyds TSB

LPH do you ever go in branch?
I refuse to pay out in for me old man now as I've waited 45 minutes in a 5 person que (5 people on and everyone paying in ahead) more than once.

[Spank86]

Nationwide.


It's not a bank it's a building society. If you keep your money with banks you lose any right to criticise the mess they've got into and continue to keep us in, find a building society, any building society and give them your business, just give the banks two fingers (for the sake of full disclosure my mortgage is with a bank but on that amount of money I couldn't afford not to)

[Dave20046]

Aren't they the same as HSBC? I am sure I could storm out of there instead.

yes you can and I forgot to mention about the £100, I took advantage of that. I think they possibly give you £50/£100 if you leave them after 6 months out of unhappiness with them - I didn't leave them.

Their service is good (and yes you can use HSBC branches) but their 'unapproved overdraft charges' are ****ing ridiculous...however when you kick off they do tend to overturn them in fairness to them.

[DJFridge]

I've been with Lloyds for well over twenty years. I had a couple of moments when I was skint after I finished Uni, but they were down to one manager and I managed to get myself assigned to one with more common sense and I've not had an issue since (I was being charged £20 every month for being less than £10 overdrawn. The original manager refused to waive just one month's charge, despite having the authority to do so. Her replacement was a bit more sensible luckily). We also use Nationwide who are pretty good. Especially if you go abroad as they are one of the few who don't charge extra to use the credit card

[lx_online]

Have you considered the Santander 123 account? Gives you cash back on your direct debits! I get about £7 back a month - just for setting up water, gas + electric etc...

[keith_d]

Another vote for Natwest here. I've been with them years and they've been completely boring.

There was a brief phase where they tried to sell me an 'account upgrade' but I think I've disabused them of that notion now. Otherwise I've had no problems at all.

Keith.

[Spank86]

Especially if you go abroad as they are one of the few who don't charge extra to use the credit card
they do now, they changed last year.

Instead they give free travel insurance or some such rubbish.

[joshwalker094]

Hmm been with Halifax since I opened an account, I dont like them, ********s tbh. So I opened up an second account with Santander and they're brilliant:)

[RACEFIT_GLADDY]

Santander are deece!