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We drove to her branch today, cancelled the direct debit and was advised £325 was withdrawn from her account today.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

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!

[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

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.

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 )

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

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.

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]

Originally Posted by timwilky

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