Now it's a "requirement" that I attend my bank for an "annual review" ? (during working hours)

[AnyFucker]

I don't want to, I don't need to. There is no problem with my account. I get an unsolicited call on my mobile asking can I attend next week. No, I cannot, I say and I will not. So, Mrs AF, you do not want any assistance ?. No thankyou, I shall decline and if you make it a "requirement" I shall be changing my provider. Thank you.

AIBU ?

oops, sorry about the typo in the title

Whoch bank?

In what way is it a requirement? My bank periodically tries to get me in to sell me stuff, but I always just decline. Have they mentioned any sanctions for failing to attend?

Completely not BU! (& I work for a large financial institution & a lot of my colleagues are involved in setting up review meetings for clients - they always offer a review if a client wants it - it's never obligatory)

In fact anyone making it sound obligatory would probably get a big slap on the wrist. Your provider sounds like they have shite customer relations polisy - or more likely some sap who thinks they will meet their review meeting target better by frightening the customers into it.

Which .....

Which bank? We've just had to take 2 forms of photo ID in to HSBC to prove our identity for an account we've had for 10 years. If they didn't spend so much time laundering money for drug barons then it wouldn't be necessary.

*policy (ahem)

It's definitely not a requirement. I told them where to go, too. They insisted and I pointed out that they only wanted an opportunity to try to hard sell things to me , and I wasn't interested. And that we are perfectly capable of managing our finances without their help.

They've gone away now :)

Lloyds

Yes, the wording he used made it sound obligatory. A less assertive person would have fallen for it. Most snotty he was when I said I would not be attending. Blaahh, just another hard sell. Like I don't get enough unsolicited calls for all sorts of shite (despite being registered on that site that is supposed to stop them).

Mine was Lloyds too

Oh, yeah, we've had this (Natwest) but nothing doing, especially as DH is self-employed and works a four-hour drive from his branch. Also, the fact they appear not to understand the nature of his work (contractor): he got verbal assurances, having explained, shown previous statements, etc. etc., spent about an hour on the phone to various people only to be refused a loan THEY had offered him. GRR! I still get asked sotto voce not by their cashiers if I want a loan to deal with the overdraft. You'd be impressed how ascerbic mypolite reply can be.

I had this with HSBC - didn't go they made it sound obligatory as they wanted to discuss credit faculties with me – I don’t have an overdraft and had nothing else with them. Nothing happened about me not attending.

Pervious experience few years before was that they tried to sell me inappropriate products during a review.

Just opened an account with lloyds, as part of the process we have been told it is a requirement that we watch a seven minute video which will tell us about the account.
I suspect it will try to sell us something we dont want. I do need to set up a fixed rate mortgage as mine has just finished but if this video is a hard sell/waste of my time then I will take the mortgage elsewhere.
I dont think I will be happy with annual reviews.

YANBU

That was the final straw for me switching from Natwest to Smile. They just would not take no for an answer.

Yes, I'm with a large high street bank and was asked to do this a few times. It mostly seemed that they wanted to push me into having a credit card (because I don't have or need one), but didn't want to give me card details to take away and look at, claiming the deal was only valid if I signed up for it then and there!
I told them that if they attempt that with me again then I will move to a different bank. Not had any trouble since.

That might be just the motivation I'd need to move an account! Banks are run by fools aren't they..

DH finally gave in and went for one of these meetings. He sat down, told the person on the other side of the desk what financial stuff we have/do/think about. Person on the other side of the desk apparently went slightly pale and said 'OK, well, you clearly know more about this stuff than I do'. DH left. I'm not expecting any more invites.

DH used to work in finance and does numbers and stuff as a hobby.

I've had this with Lloyds too. They call me and say I need to go in to discuss important issues with my account. I asked what these issues are, but strangely enough they can't tell me.

I tell them I won't go in unless it's about something specific. They leave it about 3 months then call me again.

They are very pushy - now everything banks online and they can't catch you at the counter with their crap fake surprise, ooh, Mrs Everything, I've just noticed your account has been upgraded on my screen and you are entitled to a new loan/cc/mortgage etc. Ooh, fancy that, no thanks love.

I think I read on here that someone's DH left Lloyds because the pressure to sell was too stressful.

There is one person in my branch who pushes it every time - even if I just go in to pay a bill in cash she looks up my details (no other cashier does!!) and starts pressuring me. I keep saying I am in a hurry but she is really pushy.

I only have to go in there once a month, but it has got to the point that if her till is free, I let the person behind me go instead.

It really annoys me, it is just a way of selling things but in a way that makes you worry.

AF, NatWest Bar Stewards are just as bad :(

DH and I went for one of these when the DCs were tiny. It was dreadful - we are pretty financially savvy, had no debt other than the mortgage and had life assurance etc. The advisor started trying to scare us into taking out critical illness cover, mentioned 'a friend' who had had breast cancer shortly after having a baby (DD2 was with us in the pram), and said that we really needed to take critical illness cover. DH then asked her about the prevalence and incidence rates of breast cancers in women under 30, and did she know the morbidity and mortality rates? Yes, DH did, he was at the time a researcher into breast cancer. We left, never to return (and moved banks). We were lucky, we knew enough to run rings round her but Jesus, she could have scared the life out of someone else without that knowledge! And we did tell the bank that it was one of the reasons we left, but I have no idea if it was ever followed up.

Anyfucker
My Mum has an account with Lloyds and got fed up with these calls, so pointed out if she was bothered to come in for the review she would actually be shutting the account as had another that was used more- they never rung again (that was about 5 years ago).

I get these requests but I just politely decline.

I used to work for Lloyds many years ago and was one of the account managers who use to do these reviews.

They used to be to discuss renewing overdraft facilities before it all became automatically credit scored but then it just became an excuse to get the customers in to sell them as many insurance policies as possible. I changed jobs then - I hated the dishonesty of it.

I can remember the cashier at the "defunct" Bradford & Bingley practically leaping over the counter in an attempt to get me to answer personal financial questions when I tried to leave the branch after paying some money in a few years ago! And this was in front of other customers too.

As if any customer wants to discuss personal stuff like that.