to think HSBC are a bunch of idiots

[jade80]

I suspect I am in particularly grumpy mood today! But HSBC and their bloody new method for accessing internet banking! You used to tap in your date of birth, account details and two of the numbers from your 8 digit secret code, nice and easy, you could hold all the relevant info in you head.

Now you have to press a button on a little code pad, enter a PIN, then press more buttons and enter the code it gives you into the website, as well as type in an answer a question. And then repeat the whole bloody process every time you want to transfer money or make a payment, despite already being signed in.

Now a.) i had no issues with the way they used to do internet banking. I am confident it was secure and I took the necessary measures to minimise the chance of anyone accessing my account.

b.) as soon as it turned up I knew I would lose the bloody thing (which I did a few weeks later, and when replacing it- and moaning at the HSBC employee- he told me they cost three quid each to issue! What a waste of money!)

3.) it takes ages longer than it used to, when I held all the relevant details in my head and did not have to cart the code pad around with me (it's a bit crap and weak or I would attach it to my keys- but I don't think it would last more than a week without breaking.

So yeah, it now takes longer to use their system, limits you to either carrying the code pad around, or only using internet banking at home, and is generally a massive waste of money, which makes me want to throttle that kid on the advert every time she waves her crappy moneybox at the old bloke.

So, anyway, which banks have easier to access internet banking? Or are they all like this now? (Mr HSBC implied this was the case when I rang to ask if I could go back to the old way of accessing internet banking before I ejected my laptop from the window.)

Please tell me if you know of a better one, before I lose the damn thing again and have to wait a few days for the new one to turn up in the post, followed a day or so later by another letter with a code to activate it. By which time I've made the payment another way anyway.

Yes, yes, I am irrationally annoyed!

Barclays have the calculator pad thingy too, I quite like it. But it means that youcant sign in to online banking without your card.

i know! i hate it, such a faff :(

Natwest have a quick and passowrd and number sign in, once youre in, youre in but they have a card reader for doing certain things eg changing standing orders. I love the Natwest, their online banking is great!

i use their telephone banking

Yes, it's the last bit you say that I have the real issue with. I used to sign on to it in several places- but this now means carting the pad round with me, it's just so much less convenient.

I love them so much I am changing my branch to one hundreds of miles away in Carlisle so I can still stay with them. Im in Scotland and basically they have sold all their branches here to Santander - the bank from hell. So to keep them I have changed my account from Glasgow to the first one you get to when you get to England

Natwest, hmm! So no code pad?

Mycat, I avoid their telephone banking unless I really must. They invariably try to sell me something! Plus the phone system is a pain in the backside as you have to 'press 2 for x and 3 for y' after entering all your account details, which is a right faff on my (ancient) touch screen phone, which locks its screen when you make a call, so I have to unlock it before putting the numbers in.

Hmm, maybe I'm just shit with technology!

Yes, I have the same problem. I daren't take the gadget thing out of the house in case I lose it, which means I can't check my account from work. So I have virtually stopped doing internet banking and don't really have any idea of what's going on with my account until I receive a paper statement.

I can't really see how the gadget will reduce internet fraud, TBH, in fact the only thing it can do is limit the genuine account holder from accessing their account.

The co-op? So how do you log in to their system?

duckdodgers- you must be nuts! Why do you love them so much?

Harriet- perhaps if we all lost the bloody things on a weekly basis, they might get pissed of with the replacement costs and scrap them!

Like you, I have pretty much stopped using it now, whch is why I'm thinking of changing banks, as I used to check it pretty much daily and felt like i had a better idea of where my money was. Now I check maybe twice a month.

I totally agree with your last sentence-

''I can't really see how the gadget will reduce internet fraud, TBH, in fact the only thing it can do is limit the genuine account holder from accessing their account.''

Maybe that's it- they are hoping people check less often, go overdrawn accidentally as a result, then they can whack on the charges!

I bank with lloyds and no keypad for personal banking but I do have one for business banking

Thanks euphemia, that sounds similar to the old hsbc system, I will def. look into them!

Have had same issue and have found that I am doing same Harriet (checking less
Often).
To top it all i currently can't use phone banking - security call on something on
My credit card near Xmas which is fine. Except incoherent bloke on phone kept asking me for a password question that didn't make sense (had already answered others fine). So suspended my security . And it remained suspended even after HSBC admitted he was in wrong as hadnt followed procuedures and asked correct question. No good to me as am housebound with spd so will just have to sort it out post Birth .

Oh and cant move banks as have to use HSBC cos of dh work

First direct were always good op and don't think they use these (and were always great on phone).

So it sounds like the HSBC man was talking crap then, when he said that all other banks now have similar systems! Lying bugger!

I really hate it. Luckily it's nit my main account so I have given up on Internet banking.

Thanks gigondas, what a shame you can't change! It really does make a difference to keeping tabs on cashflow doesn't it.

So far natwest, firstdirect, lloyds, smile, the list goes on! Actually quite cross now that they told me other banks were the same crap system!

I hated that little bloody keypad when I first started using it about 6 months ago. But you'll get used to it, and I've not lost it once yet.

It completely changes access - I used to be looking almost daily.

I'm still in the hate stage, fuckityfuck! And I think the hate stage will only stop when I change bank- bye bye HSBC! Nothing to prevent me know that I know most banks do not do it the way they do! Now who of the above has a good rate on instant access savings?!

Santander (I know!Can be awful) don't have it.
It's a passcode, 2 sets of registration numbers and a picture and code word that change if someone unauthorised has tried to access.

If paying a one off bill or transferring money, they send a code to your mobile as a text and you input that.

Works very well I find.

I think most banks are in the process of changing over though. It really doesn't need to be such a big deal, you just need to get used to it. Keep it next to your computer. I have a laptop that lives on the sofa arm, and 2 small dc, and it still has never gone walkies.

Yes- it used to be so easy- click on page, enter details from memory, sorted! Now (coz I'm disorganised) it goes more like... must check balance, oh shit where is code pad? Now when did I last check it, maybe it will be where I was? No, ok try bag. No, now drawer. Ah, it's on the side! Ok, click page..... then the rigmarole of button pressing and typing... and finally in! I'll be buggered if I plan to do that daily!

fuckity- I carry my laptop aorund with me- to 2 other houses and to work, so can't keep it next to it!