Non-wanker banks.

[Dr. kitteny berk]

Any suggestions? HSBC are verily getting on my tits right now.

[Dog Pants]

Barclays?

Nah, think you're out of luck there. I agree that HSBC are shit though. We had a joint account with them. We emptied it and closed it. They didn't bother closing it, then started charging us insurance on it, which took it into the overdraft, which they tried to charge us for too. They got a big fuck off.

[Dr. kitteny berk]

That's the thing with hsbc, They're about to plough me with £108 of charges. of which they've kindly agreed to refund me £25, when I pointed out I was unable to buy food. For 3 people. For a week.

I wouldn't mind so much, but I offered to pay the whole lot next week. which is apparently not possible, they always seem to time the charges for weeks when I have basically no money. Cunts.

[spoodie]

The Co-operative Bank have an ethical policy, which I've not actually read, but such a policy sounds good. I've been banking with them for many years because of this and have had no real problems. And I recently moved my mortgage and gas+electric over to the Co-op group.

I'm in no way qualified to say it's a good option though, but it's gotta be better than the likes of Barclays, right? They've reported a sharp rise in business due to the recent events.

[Sheriff Fatman]

Another vote for the Co-Op. I've been with them for over twenty years and they have never given me any cause to complain. Ever. Plus, they do ISA's, insurance etc, etc so you can loads of financial stuff in one place.

[FatherJack]

I've been with the Co-op for years, solely because of their ethical policy, which is not to invest in stuff like weapons and high-risk countries. They recently merged with Britannia and I quizzed them whether their policy would remain in place, and they were very serious that it would.

I've had reason through friends/relatives to hate most of the big banks at some point due to their cuntish action during difficult times, mainly Barclays and NatWest as well as HSBC. Lloyds is the only one I'd touch - I have a seldom-used account with them, but they aren't untroubled by recent events and seem to be selling their branches to Co-op sometime soon.

That said, knowing someone who worked on the Barclays helpdesk and hearing it from the other side their attitude is, which I can sort of agree with, is that it isn't the bank's fault if you go overdrawn. It's your money and it's your responsibility to know how much there is and not go shopping when you have no money, then get angry at some operator when you fall foul of the charges written in the contract.

I do think they could show a little more flexibility though, like not applying charges at times when it will send you into the red, and agreeing a schedule for repayment rather than demanding it all instantly. Some banks do promise this, but I'd need to check. I accidentally went £5 overdrawn in my Lloyds account for a week last month as I forgot when buying something that I'd registered that card with the website and I think they are charging me 50p. That's a pretty steep APR of 2600%, but nowhere near as obcene as the rates charged by Wonga and the like - bottom-feeders who live off the misfortune and fear of others who use them to avoid insanely-high bank charges.

[buzzmong]

Touch wood, I've only had good experiences with HSBC, but at the same time, I've never gone into the red, in fact, despite having an £1500 overdraft facility while at and for 2 years after Uni, I never used it, so I've never really needed to deal with them too much.

Might swap to the Co-Op Bank though by what some of you are saying.

[Thompy]

That said, knowing someone who worked on the Barclays helpdesk and hearing it from the other side their attitude is, which I can sort of agree with, is that it isn't the bank's fault if you go overdrawn. It's your money and it's your responsibility to know how much there is and not go shopping when you have no money, then get angry at some operator when you fall foul of the charges written in the contract.

I do think they could show a little more flexibility though, like not applying charges at times when it will send you into the red, and agreeing a schedule for repayment rather than demanding it all instantly. Some banks do promise this, but I'd need to check. I accidentally went £5 overdrawn in my Lloyds account for a week last month as I forgot when buying something that I'd registered that card with the website and I think they are charging me 50p. That's a pretty steep APR of 2600%, but nowhere near as obcene as the rates charged by Wonga and the like - bottom-feeders who live off the misfortune and fear of others who use them to avoid insanely-high bank charges.

As you say, it's all in the terms and I generally wouldn't feel sorry for someone going over drawn and being charged, but as you also say, they could be a bit less dickish about it. My HSBC story:

A good few years ago I got into a small spiral of overdraft charges. I was naive, ignorant and was in the wrong, but the charges were obscene. They a) charged for every transaction while overdrawn, b) had seperate transaction and admin charges, c) made charges that took me back overdrawn which they then charged me for. Charges were in the £20-30 region and in total it was something like £200 over a week or so. Pretty scary situation at a young age too.

Right now I'm with Halifax, and while they had similar policies they now have a £5 a day maximum charge, no matter how much overdrawn or how many transactions are carried out. Small graces though, perhaps. I use my bank in the most minimal way possible, so I doubt I've ever been in a position to get close to some of the more extreme stories, and I'm definitely not endorsing Halifax.

[Roman Totale]

Touch wood, I've only had good experiences with HSBC, but at the same time, I've never gone into the red

Been with HSBC for about 18 years now (technically Midland Bank, then HSBC, now First Direct), and they've always been fine with me.

[Dr. kitteny berk]

HSBC have been pretty good while I've not been broke (like, for 20 years) but recently they've been bumming me royally for silly shit, hence my disgruntlement, surely at this fucking point I'm a valued customer.

This month it was 3 lots of £25 for declining a direct debit (which I called them about the first time, asked them to cancel it. they said they couldn't due it it being the same day (my fuckup I admit)) so they charged me £25 for bouncing that, then bounced it 2 more times.

And yeah, I keep track of money as well as is humanly possible in Wales, but due to the nature of the area, transactions can appear in the bank 6 weeks after you actually make them, means you can have a hundred quid available, and have half of it disappear from a shopping trip 2 weeks ago, sometimes even after other shops at the same place.

Ultimately, I don't mind getting charges, but I'd much rather they were less excessive. I can't quite believe it costs them £25 to bounce a direct debit. Fuck me, even y'know, take them on the weeks where I get paid enough to afford the charges, not on the weeks where I can't quite afford food anyway.

Bastards.


Charges aside, what's really got on my tits to day was the general shittiness of the call centre monkey.

He decided to tell me that I should have read the details better when I opened my account, Pointed out I was 5, and probably not able to understand the intricacies of bank charges at the time.

Then when I tried to complain, he threatened to cancel the £25 refund, and got generally aggressive.

[FatherJack]

Co-op are not complete angels, they've just caused a lot of anger by changing all their numbers from 0845 to 0844, costing an extra 4p per minute.

[fabyak]

I've been with Nationwide for quite a few years now and they've been really good. Not had any bounces or money problems in that time so I can't really comment on how they deal with that situation

[TezzRexx]

Touch wood, I've only had good experiences with HSBC, but at the same time, I've never gone into the red

Been with HSBC for about 18 years now (technically Midland Bank, then HSBC, now First Direct), and they've always been fine with me.

^ This but for about 14 years, but again, not really gone into the red with them, so I can only speak from my POV.

Although I may also switch to CO-OP for banking after reading the above (was considering switching gas over too them as well, as they're considerably cheaper than others).

[fabyak]

Check uswitch for Gas and things, you'll get a good deal and probably some money back as well

[The Shutting Downs]

why I left Barclays:

I changed jobs in College, left tesco and started working for GW, change in hours meant change in Pay (ie 400 quid a month to 100 a month)

took out a tenner to go out, cash point let me, all good as I could only go to my limit of 0 pounds, that was what I had agreed on. got a letter telling me I had gone into my overdraft.

WTF! says I, I don't have an overdraft. 'Well it looked to us like you hadn't been paid, so we gve you an emergency overdraft until the issue was sorted.'

Explained all about the change of job, etc, they made understanding noises. I got daily letters about being in my overdraft. I got charged each time I was sent a letter. I didn't earn enough per month in a part time job to get out of said overdraft.

Fast forward a couple of years, situation largely sorted, until I notice a payment of 3o pounds a month going to a resteraunt. In Cuba. WTF Again! ays I. 'Can you prove it's not you paying that?' said Barclays. Cue much discussion and the final result 'Well, we can't do anything bout what's gone out, but we can stop your account for you, you will have to pay money in and out over the counter.'

Get stuffed, says I. Went to NatWest, really can't complain about them. Have an overdraft, it's my fault for being in it, still trying to sort it from having to live in the overdraft when relocating across the country. They have generally been great about it though.

[ProfHawking]

Another +1 for Natwest.
Never had any issues in the last 15 years or so I've used them. (including the recent IT cockups - they didn't affect me at all).
Also Nationwide have been fine, but their e-banking pins are hard to remember so hardly use them any more.
Also, used Lloyds as a kid, before Natwest, they were fine also.

So i guess, every bank i've dealt with have been fine

[Joose]

Ive been with Barclays for years. Its not because they have been awesome for me or anything like that, they just have never given me big enough problems for it to be worth my time changing banks. If it wasnt for having to reorganise my standing orders and things like where my pay goes (which you just *know* would go wrong in some way) I would probably have changed by now.

[eRabbit]

I've always been with NatWest and they've never given me a reason to complain. Dodgy card machine at a petrol station a few years ago swiped a few people's card details, mine included. First I realised was when NatWest phoned me up and asked if I'd been to Pakistan recently and got cash out, all I had to say was "Er... that's not me" and they talked me through getting my money back, whole thing was sorted within a week.

[TezzRexx]

I think you only really find out if a bank is poo if you've been scammed or gone into the red with them.

[Joose]

To be fair to Barclays, the only time I have ever been scammed they phoned me up saying someone had tried to use my card in India. They had declined it presuming it wasn't me and phoned straight away to confirm. Job done.