Do you think banking would improve if we had to pay for the service

[Merryoldgoat]

I am having a dreadful time with a bank. I am the new treasurer for a very small charity and have filled in all of the paperwork, show the necessary ID, been into branch etc. We only have about £30k in the account so it's not like we're that important to them.

They have lost forms, require duplicate information, don't answer the phone etc.

It is utterly unbelievable how incompetent they are.

They have now added me to the account after 3 months but said I need the ID info in letter/email they have sent me before I can log in.

I don't have it.

I called them to sort it and to get through security they need to ask me about some transactions on the account. HOW? I CAN'T ACCESS IT!!

As soon as I do have access I'll be changing the account on principle but I expect that nothing will change and a new bank will be exactly the same.

I'd sooner pay a reasonable amount and get some actual service that deal with this bollocks. It's making me feel so angry.

Maybe switch banks, although I know it's not easy now they've shut loads! I've never had issues with the one we use for the Business, I mean I wouldn't say it was 5 star service but it's been fine.

No it wouldn't improve. They would just pocket the money and carry on the crap service.

As soon as I have access the account is being closed and transferred ANYwhere else.

True 😭

I have to pay here in Ireland. The service is worse and I feel resentful that I have to pay them compared to when I was living in the UK.

Close, or write to the Chairperson and explain that you will be setting the Daily Mail Money page on them, having given full details of their incompetence.

I called them to sort it and to get through security they need to ask me about some transactions on the account. HOW? I CAN'T ACCESS IT!!

Well, whenever I have been treasurer for something, I would be aware of what I have paid in / taken out.
I'd be asking how a treasurer can not be aware of what is happening.

They have now added me to the account after 3 months but said I need the ID info in letter/email they have sent me before I can log in.
I don't have it.

As in it never reached you, or you lost it ?

Don't get me wrong, I know the Banks have really become shoddy in their customer support over the last couple of decades, since losing the personal touch of Bank Managers with enough common sense to intervene, but I don't think it unreasonable that they make sure only the right people have access to the accounts.

@Kite22

I'm aware of a list of transactions but as I don't have access to the account I can't confirm dates of each item etc. So I know that x has paid £30, Y £50, X 85 and that we paid out £100 to A and £150 to B etc but the dates will depend on when they cashed cheques and when they transferred money in. I won't bore you with the history but essentially I have taken over from a treasurer who did nothing for a year and dumped a load of stuff on my doorstep. Not the handover I would give someone.

Regarding the letter, I never received it and after having waited 30 mins on the phone it transpired they sent it to the wrong address - they were supposed to send it to the business address but instead sent it to the registered address.

Of course they should check my credentials. They can check my personal details, business details, other signatories etc - just not transactional details.

It also turns out that I need a card and device to login but they haven't sent that yet so it will be another few days.

Some banks do charge a monthly fee to keep an account open

Hated the banking when I was in Australia, only so many free withdrawals a month. Charges for every little thing. It was a nightmare to keep track of.
And no way paying a fee would go towards increasing the salaries of the ops and call centre staff, many of whom are outsourced to agencies with zero job security.

I used to live in a country with banks which charged for basic accounts. The service was not good.

A lot of accounts do have a monthly fee though....

Gosh, are accounts free, they´re not where I am...

Lots of accounts have a monthly fee, so you are paying for the service.

But the point of banks having our money is so that they can use it to invest in stocks and shares and make money. If no one was to use a bank they would go under because they wouldn’t have any money.

More charges won’t improve customer service. Banks and financial institutions operate to make money (primarily for themselves) with your money. For which you receive enough internet or dividend to be happy. It isn’t in their interest to give good customer service. The longer they have your money the more they earn. Giving you easy and quick access to your money doesn’t facilitate their profits.

No as a pp said they'd just take your money and provide a dire service anyway.

I just go straight to complaints mode, or their main facebook page if I don't get an instant answer. Usually works if you're direct, matter of fact and persistent. Factual 1 star Trustpilot reviews also force them to listen.

No, bad service is endemic for most things these days. We all pay for insurance, mobile phones, broadband, sky/virgin tv, utilities, etc., and mostly get really crap service, i.e. very long phone queues despite our call being "important", then you get the village idiot answering your phone who hasn't got a clue and doesn't do what they promise to do, so you have to do it all again.

Sounds like the Bank I work for 😣 sometimes the way we do things is so backwards I'm actually embarrassed when I have to explain them to the customer!

Nope. I pay, service no different.

Lloyds?

We already do pay through the nose for their services. They are borrowing our money and we are not getting recompensed.

They make millions every day from lending our money to other people/businesses and charging them interest. Our current account balances and savings deposits earn next to nothing while they use it to make a fortune.

There are plenty of accounts on the market where you do pay for the service.

I have one and I get excellent service and it includes lots additional benefits.

Yes, I think we all know this.

When I saw the title I though this might be a bank doing a bit of research to see if people think its acceptable to charge (its kind if like negative in interest rates). Big fat no from me!

Of course we pay. All of those "pending" transactions and waiting 3 days for refunds etc. Aĺl of our money sitting in cyber space for days all the interest on "our" money. Yes we pay.