To expect F*****g Lloydstsb to answer the phone.

[veryconfusedandupset]

Have booked holiday, villa owners want cheque in the post for deposit posted today. Unfortunately I discovered this morning have only paying in slips in my cheque book ( very little used these days) as DH has writen last cheque without telling me.

I did think that if I telephoned my branch they might be able to issue a temporary book or one off cheque for me to use and wanted to call in at lunch time to collect it.

So, I called the branch number which is in fact a central number. Today there was no choice but to listen to a long recording about Lloyds and the EU that went on for ages and ages - at least 5 minutes. Then there was a recorded announcement saying they couldn't answer the phone for another 10 minutes! Tried again a bit later - left phone off hook and made coffe whilst recorded message on, still same.

Then I tried the back door route via internet support help line - they said they could ask branch to ring me but it might be anything up to 3 hours to reply as they would be busy dealing with the people who had taken the trouble to call into the branch. Told by "help line" lady I was being very rude and unreasonable to expect a phone call sooner.

Tried to ring branch direct on the number they gave me - no response, phone not answered. Rang internet help line technical support again and they said they would send a fax asking branch to call me - 3 hours now gone by and still no response.

AIB totally U to think that when I pay Lloyds
£132 a year for my account they could at least get off their arses and answer the phone! And why oh why is everyone who called this morning having to pay for 5 minutes of nonsense about Lloyds and the EU commissioners whether they like it or not?

C

Maybe this explains a little very frustrating for you though.

Used to be a manager at LTSB before started having kids in 2005.

They won't issue a temp cheque book, they don't hold them in branch.

They will arrange a Bankers' Cheque for you, will cost you £10.

HTH a bit? At least you know what to expect?

yes very unlikely they'll issue temp. cheques.

is there another way to get the money to the villa owner? are they in the uk or abroad?

They could arrange a 'Chaps' payment but this costs £25 (may have gone up in 4 years - probably) but has to be done by a certain time or it won't get there today - can't remember cut off time.

We sometimes used to arrange one off standing orders which of course were free, and would go out the following day, but still take up to 4 days to get to another bank's customer.

Am assuming the recipient is not LTSB too? Or has an a/c there at all? You could do a transfer then, even on the cashpoint, without having to actually go in to a branch.

If the villa owner is in UK, and you have internet banking, LLoyds are now doing same day transfers on the internet. I ahve made several payments like this recently without any problems.

Know what you mean about the internet helpline being rude. I had to call recently about the Lloyds/Firefox problem. All the men I spoke to were really helpful. The females were not - one said it wasn't nice to sit there listening to people being nasty because their internet banking didn't work. I pointed out:
1: I hadn't even started being unpleasant yet.
2: It was her job to deal with customers and she should do it and not whinge at the customers.

Eventually, after ringing again and telling the technical support people that they could try faxing someone who works at the branch whose name I remembered I got a call back - yes, they can isue emergency cheques and having heard about it they agreed to do so from a closer branch to where I work - so having taken the back door into the branch and getting to speak to a real human being
all is now well - pity it took them nearly 4 hours to find someone though!

I have got my contacts personal direct line number in my phone memory now.