What bank would you recommend?

[Flowersblue]

What bank would you recommend?

First direct, amazing customer service every time. No problems ever always so helpful. Santander are dreadful avoid at all costs.

Same for First Direct. Been with them since '94. They don't leave you hanging on the line and stuff just gets done. Great bank!

First Direct. Been with them since the very start. Never once not got through to a human within 5 rings on a call with no filtering options to go through. I believe they are unique in this?

First Direct for me too, and I've been a regular switcher in the past, I'm sticking with them now.

All first direct

Metrobank have been great, really late opening times (when allowed) and refreshingly flexible.

Nationwide have been good for me.

First Direct!! I only switched because I worked for a competitor and I had to have an account with them. No longer work for a bank so will be switching back.

I switched to First Direct, everything went smoothly and only had to call once and the advisor i spoke to was excellent. However, i hated their online banking. I didn't like anything about it and found it confusing. I work for a bank plus have accounts with various other banks so im pretty comfortable navigating online banking.

This was for my main direct debits though and I just couldn't make it work for me so ended up switching to Halifax.

Very long winded to say FD for excellent customer, or Halifax for also great customer service and a much better online banking experience.

I must be doing first direct wrong, it's not my main account but I've had nothing but trouble with them, I can't get the online banking to work, they messed up a simple transaction then messed up the sorting out so badly that they voluntarily paid me compensation without me even mentioning it.

@Plump82

I switched to First Direct, everything went smoothly and only had to call once and the advisor i spoke to was excellent. However, i hated their online banking. I didn't like anything about it and found it confusing. I work for a bank plus have accounts with various other banks so im pretty comfortable navigating online banking.

This was for my main direct debits though and I just couldn't make it work for me so ended up switching to Halifax.

Very long winded to say FD for excellent customer, or Halifax for also great customer service and a much better online banking experience.

You were typing at the same time as me, I thought I was missing something with their online system, it seems so clunkly. Ive had online accounts since they were first introduced so quite familiar with them but the FD one just defeated me

Avoid Lloyd's. Awful bank and every employee I have dealt with were horrible immoral folk.

Handelsbanken

@Cornishmumofone

Handelsbanken

I think Handelsbanken is really dependent on the individual manager, I left because I found mine quite arrogant (and sexist). I suppose it depends how much interaction is needed and it was quite a lot for me.

I probably cut my nose off to spite my face tbh.

I love first direct online banking,I find it really easy to transfer money, see up to date information including pending and incoming/outgoing. I have mortgage and ISA with nationwide who are great but,not as good as first direct.

After Lloyds were utterly useless during the first lockdown I moved all of our accounts to Starling and I love it.

The app is super simple to use, we each have a personal account and then access to the joint and it’s very easy to move money between them. And we can also have joint or our own savings pots for different things.

The other big plus for me is being able to use your debit card abroad (obvs not right now) without any charges

I'm with Nationwide. Seems ok

First direct.

Halifax have always been very good for me. We went to Santander for a lower mortgage rate and they were a pleasure to deal with, they offered us a wealth manager and various odds and sods if we moved all our banking to them but I have stuck with Halifax.

First direct make everything easy. I can be chaotic at times but since I've moved to them I've never gone accidentally overdrawn. When I had a security issue they were efficient and reassuring. Definitely recommend

@Inthelab

Metrobank have been great, really late opening times (when allowed) and refreshingly flexible.

Interesting, have they got high street branches?

First Direct

Yes metrobank have high street branches.

I've heard good things about First Direct, but don't have personal experience.

From personal experience, I've found Starling to be very good.

First Direct without question. I’ve been with them since their inception. Their customer service is second to none. I once lost some tickets to see Queen and Adam Lambert because their random security checks blocked the payment to ticketmaster. When I’d called them to confirm it was genuine, I went back on but by then the only tickets available were GBP250.00 money. First Direct paid me the difference!