Abbey National, worst bank?

[timwilky]

So. On Friday, I cancelled a direct debit repayment on a loan my wife had taken out as the PPI will be repaying it.

We drove to her branch today, cancelled the direct debit and was advised £325 was withdrawn from her account today. and to reclaim it we need to use the in house phone system. After 20 minutes of in a queue we walked out and tried to do it from home.

So apparently I cannot claim a direct debit indemnity the day the money has gone out. I have to do it tomorrow. I am not in the country tomorrow. I need to go back to the branch I have left and fill in a claim.


Why could they have not told me that in the bloody branch, another 10 mile drive, another parking fee.

Finally. WTF do banks not employ English speakers on their help desks. This Indian gentleman was terrible. I felt like asking him to speak French as I could not be worse than his English and I might then be able to understand him

[John 675]

im with abbey and the suck golf balls, i hate the whole bank protocol thing where everything takes forever to get sorted and has ups and downs!!
i didnt get my xmas wage last year because of Abbey
can anyone imagine what that is like? it sucks! :smt095

[Stu]

3 days for cash to clear your account when paid in at the ATM! WTF!

But then 8% interest received

So how much notice did you give them Tim to cancel the DD before it was taken? fairs fair they need a few days

[skint]

I hate banks. Loads of problems, illegally high charges, 5 days to clear a cheque, no local decision on anything, quick (impatient) to take your money; slow to pay it back!!

Decided to change my bank earlier this year - with all this computer technology malarky you'd expect it to be pretty instant and starightforward - Nah, not with banks. I had to carry £3k in used notes in an envelope (fair enough they did lick the tab and seal it) down the high street to pay in at new bank!

So in answer to your question is Abbey the worst? - possibly but it must be a very close competition.

[svpilot]

I had a similar thing when thanks to a sticky button on the ATM I drew out £200 instead of £20. Paid it staight back in at the ATM. I got in to all sorts of trouble when things stated bouncing because the deposited takes 3 days to clear. The most annoying thing is that it is not shown on your statement as 'uncleared'

...and they kept me waiting for about 20 mins for an appointment regarding my mortgage, then sent me my paperwork out with insufficient postage! delayed the whole thing by another week, and I had to pay for the privelige! on top of the £xxx they took from me in fees. (got the price of the stamps back though :rolleyes:)

So they get my vote too for being a bit poo.

[timwilky]

Yes, I agree that notice is required. But surely it is a matter of a simple entry on a computer and when it runs for todays transactions then the cancellation should have been picked up. Apparently not. Dates were unfortunate, we only got confirmation of the PPI payments on Friday and cancelled with the loan company. It is their fault that the cancelled Direct Debit was taken. They actually sent confirmation we received Saturday telling us that we also needed to cancel with Lynnes bank.

That is why we were at Abbey today, and found out that the Direct Debit had already been taken.

Well it get worse. We went back a second time to the branch, who again told us they could not help us and that we needed to use the telephone help desk. But did confirm that the indemnity could be claimed today. So again we use the phone and this time get an English speaker who again said that we can only claim it tomorrow. The branch staff agree this is stupid, as she will be subject to overdraft charges effective immediately, and the money cannot be reclaimed from abbey as apparently it has left her account, but not yet passed over to the recipient from whom it would be claimed.

These people are really amateurs. They could not organise a bonk in a brothel. They are quick to charge, and yet fail to provide service. It is so annoying, I will be out of the country until Friday so not in a position to pursue this. I don't think +44 870 would work from Paris

[neio79]

there is an other way!!! LOL

I am with natwest and i find them really good.

English call centers and you can even get put through to your local branch as well to speak to them

I have never had any problems with them. even when i went O/D by £1 on one of my accounts, because i got paid about 2 hours later there was no charge raised against me, now some banks would have charged me, unless it was amistake and they forgot to charge me.

[kwak zzr]

ive had no problems will lloyds tsb ever.

[G]

Alliance & Leicester are the way forwards. I may be biased as my missus work there but I do think they are very good.

For those that it seems to bother, my missus has just introduced a new overdrawn charging system.

Instead of getting a whopping £35 for going over your agreed overdraft or not having adequate funds etc. you get charged 50p per day, which in my opinion is a much fairer system.

Comes into force from november the 1st I believe.

[Stu]

I don't think +44 870 would work from Paris
DDs are claimed about 3 days before they leave any bank so you can't cancel same day.

Abbey is 01908 237963
HTH

30 mins on hold to answer the phone is the mininum I've ever had though :(

[Stu]

Instead of getting a whopping £35 for going over your agreed overdraft or not having adequate funds etc. you get charged 50p per day, which in my opinion is a much fairer system.

Comes into force from november the 1st I believe.
How much for a bounced DD or SO or chq though?

If it really is 50p cf. £35 no wonder bank chgs are illegal & they have to refund them :evil:

[John 675]

Alliance & Leicester are the way forwards. I may be biased as my missus work there but I do think they are very good.

For those that it seems to bother, my missus has just introduced a new overdrawn charging system.

Instead of getting a whopping £35 for going over your agreed overdraft or not having adequate funds etc. you get charged 50p per day, which in my opinion is a much fairer system.

Comes into force from november the 1st I believe.

sounds good but your in trouble if you have to wait a month for your wage
or if you are unemployed...

[SteveH]

Been there done that m8 trust me they really really suck badly when it comes to knowing what they should :(
When my account was used by some nice person to top up their phone card, it took me a number of phone calls to sort it out (everyone I talk too says something diff) and two trips to my local branch
The silly thing was when in abbey like you, I was on their phone asking for the person to sort my many number of problems out only to be told I could have done it in branch. When I said I was and they told me to phone you they called the lady who helped me in the branch a liar :o

I was told their call centre is hired and not part of abbey, thats why they are so so so poor
As soon as I get my money back all three accounts that me and my better half hold with them will be moved......Get out now

[skidmarx]

I'm with this lot, it drives me nuts when you turn up at the branch to sort summit out, with all the paperwork, and they wont talk to you! They usually just refer you to a phone installed in the bank for you to call them on! Mind you, they were pretty good when my account got stung by fraudsters :smt071

[G]

How much for a bounced DD or SO or chq though?

If it really is 50p cf. £35 no wonder bank chgs are illegal & they have to refund them :evil:

£35 is not illegal....it may be an obscene and unfair amount.

sounds good but your in trouble if you have to wait a month for your wage
or if you are unemployed...

Even if you have to wait a month it is only £15 for the whole month.

[John 675]

£35 is not illegal....it may be an obscene and unfair amount.



Even if you have to wait a month it is only £15 for the whole month.
true seems fairer...
i suppose the admin costs are alot closer to 50p than £35

[northwind]

So apparently I cannot claim a direct debit indemnity the day the money has gone out. I have to do it tomorrow. I am not in the country tomorrow. I need to go back to the branch I have left and fill in a claim.


020 7612 5558 is Abbey's BACS helpdesk- not really customer facing but they'll probably be quite annoyed if you phoen them and tell them this, the banks can get in deep doodoo for breaking the indemnity scheme rules and it's the BACS CSGs that have to deal with it. Might be worth a pop... Don't tell them who sent you :)

[Stu]

£35 is not illegal....it may be an obscene and unfair amount.
.
I beg to differ, & hopefully the court case will prove me right. ;)