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!

This same issue has been upsetting me too. I used to check my HSBC account every day. Now the thought of logging in with that stupid machine puts me off. I have been late with my card payment this month because of putting off logging in and I think I must be down to only checking the account once a fortnight.

We have our joint account with Nationwide and they have a similar system :(

You're not one of the organised ones who always has it in arms reach then ken? Maybe they want to run it more through the phones, and this is a way to do it, who knows?

Yes I've rung them more recently too. Variable experience- some lovely operators, some barely intelligible. Thanks glittertwins, I'd better get comparing!

Time- thanks, I'll have a look. Maybe that could be HSBCs new tagline- online banking, great for those with OCD organisation!

Gladys- I totally know where you are coming from. It used to be quick and easy to check at the same time as email- now no longer. Sorry you missed your payment. I check about as often as you now too- once or twice a month.

I am with First Direct and it is very easy to do internet banking and as they are part of HSBC I pay money in there. Would that be an option for you to swop to First Direct instead?

I have always found their customer service good too.

jade80 but if someone's got your details to make internet purchases they've either got it from a website (not a bank's) you've used your card on or someone dodgy in a shop/garage has cloned the card.

As long as you have your card with you and don't disclose your pin to anyone then it really is quite safe. I know it's an arse at first but i'd rather it was an arse than someone hacking in and finding out my memorable name or whatever.

Although good luck with changing banks, they're all numpties in my opinion!

Will certainly look into them as an option as they are key pad free- thanks choccy! I will ask if they are planning to use them too in future as they are linked though- don't fancy moving then getting another code pad in a few months!

also would only look at my account on my laptop, not anyone else's.

You're welcome jade :) Hope First Direct don't get a keypad as I would lose it etc too

Well exactly Nan- which makes me wonder why they bother- the criminals will just do it another way that isn't affected by code pads.

Yes, picking the best of a bad bunch!

true! might start keeping cash under the mattress

Ha- at least I'm not alone in my scatterbrainish tendencies!

Funny you should say that, it would probably be safer! And if I dropped 5p extra down there each week it would probably be a similar amount to the bank's interest rates!

I moved from HSBC to Lloyds before the keypad came in. Very happy with them :)

Halifax doesn't have a silly card reader or number pad thing. Just a username, password and memorable info - all of which can be stored in your head. Much easier

Thanks ben and merlin, both on list to investigate! Merlin- that's just how HSBC used to be, all held in your head and no hassle!

I actually think its a big conspiracy. I think I have used the key thingy once since they introduced it and have now switched to phoning them more. Except everytime you phone they try and sell you something. They also ask you if you want to give feedback on the service, I always choose no, but the last month, every time I call them a few days after I get a call from a market research company wanting to know how I found the service. Always at an inconvenient time when I am trying to settle the baby. I contacted them this week and asked them to remove me off the market researchers list but I am annoyed I even had to do this. Grrr.

You can use any othe little calculator thing-ies, so if your colleague has Barclays and you are rbs you can still just use the one machine, so you could have a communal one at work.

They reduce fraud by over 99% so are really pretty handy.

Cristiane- no you can't do this with HSBC. You have to enter the number code on the back of the code pad before you can use it, then after entering it you can't use another code pad unless you enter the code from that. So you can't have a communal HSBC one- unless there's some trick I've missed?

They reduce fraud by 99%? Do you have evidence for this? It sounds like rubbish to me- there are loads of ways of committing fraud that don't involve logging on to internet banking!!

Noviceoftheday- I totally agree about them trying to sell things every time you ring them- it winds me right up! Credit cards, different bank accounts, it seems endless! Bastards!

Halifax have easier to access banking, no keypad, Natwest and Barclays have card holders.

DH and I are both HSBC account holders and we can't even use each other's keypads.

We are with Lloyds and you enter a number that they provide to you (which after using it at least once a day is now memorised!) and then a password, then 3 characters from a password that you have set up. NO KEYPAD!!

I have a Nationwide account and a Halifax BOS account.
Nationwide have a card reader, but currently you only need it to transfer money. You can use memorable information to log in and do balance checks.
I've already lost one Nationwide card reader, and I now have 2 replacement , one for work and one for home.

Halifax have an initial login and then a drop down form where you enter 3 didgits/letters of your memorable info, and they have an app for iphone and android so you can do balance checks etc online. And no card reader.

I was in Ireland once and lost my Nationwide card. (Nationwide is where I keep my holiday spending and play money-also cheaper debit card rates to use in Europe ) I didn't have much left in my Halifax account, (a week before payday) and didn't bring my card reader for nationwide with me, so I couldn't transfer any of my spending cash over therefore had no access to money for the last week of my holiday. Pain in the neck.
Thank God for mothers.

digits even

Thanks fabby.

Yes that's what I thought Brian!

Purplekittty, thanks, that's definitely a better option for me!

That sounds like a pain Melty- that's what I don't like about them, that you have to carry them around to be able to do anything! Glad your Mum could help you sort it out!