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Original poster

Anyone got experience of banking with the Co-Op? Can I hear your POV pls?

40 replies

GinPalace · 17/04/2012 15:11

We currently bank with RBS and are being moved to Santander due to the buy-out of part of their business, however I do not want to bank with them.

I would like to go to the Co-Op Bank as I like their ethical banking ethos etc. I like what they stand for, but still need a well functioning bank so would like to know if the efficiency / customer service is up to scratch?

I will be using internet banking a lot and like to avoid foreign call centres if possible as have struggled with communicating successfully with Barclays foreign call centre before.

Can I expect a reasonable experience of I move to Co-Op?

TIA. :)

OP posts:
deepfriedcupcake · 17/04/2012 16:08

Both DH and I have been banking with Smile (Coop online) for about 6 years and it's all been good. We like the internet banking, ability to withdraw money free at any cashpoint, and can use the post office if we ever need to pay in cash. Paying in cheques by post has been fine too. Their online customer service - sending messages - has always ben quick too, and their call centre helpful. I'd definitely recommed it.

SoupDragon · 17/04/2012 16:09

I'm with Smile and have found them to be fabulous.

Dexidoo · 17/04/2012 16:11

I've been with the co-op for over 15 years and always found them good.
Telephone and internet banking very straight forward.
Not as many branches as natwest etc but still close enough and as mentioned paying in/withdrawing at post offices is useful

AgentProvocateur · 17/04/2012 16:11

Another satisfied Smile customer here too. The only issue might be that there are very few branches (here in Scotland, at least) but I can't remember the last time I actually went into a branch.

MissLofPubia · 17/04/2012 16:12

I'm with Co-op and have no beef with them.

NotMostPeople · 17/04/2012 16:12

I'm with CoOp and have found them to be good, it can be a pain not having the facility to bank a cheque direct if you really need the money in your account. I've found that posting is quicker than paying into the post office. Other than that I'm happy although would be happier if they had an app like some of the other banks. I'd like to be able to keep a track on the run.

Original poster
GinPalace · 17/04/2012 16:48

OOOooo - really pleased at positive replies - I was really hoping for that! It will be my summer task to sort it out.

I moved to Abbey National once - what a mistake that was!! I don't want to repeat an experience like that.

OP posts:
TheScottishPlayer · 17/04/2012 16:49

I'm with Smile. All good here.

Original poster
GinPalace · 17/04/2012 16:49

Still interested to hear any other experiences if anyone has them.

I do like an informed decision. :)

OP posts:
tumbleweedblowing · 17/04/2012 16:50

With Smile and the Co-op for all our accounts, and have been for about 10 years.

I love them.

I even enjoy writing cheques that say Smile on them.

dontdillydally1963 · 17/04/2012 17:21

I've been with co-op 20 years no problems.

Now they have merged with the Britannia building society you can use their branches if you have one.

maudpringle · 17/04/2012 17:27

We moved our business account to the co-op as I couldn't cope with Lloyds messing me about any longer.
We now all bank with them, friendly and helpful staff and they are very upfront about charges etc, in fact I accidently went o/d and they gave me a few days grace to sort it out- just as a one off ,but still.
I recommend them and the FSB does too :)

Trickle · 17/04/2012 17:30

I moved from Barclays to Co-Op last year, on the whole i prefer them - more ethical,seem more human and havn't been trying to push products on me.

The one downside is that internet banking and phone banking can take up to 3 days to adjust for DD and use of debit cards, this means your balance is often not right. You can text for your balance but it's a faff and costs me 10p per text, they will be sorting this out 'at some point in the distant future... sometime'. It means I can't rely on either the phone or the internet to be accurate which can be frustrating - but I'd rather be with an ethical bank.

lagoonhaze · 17/04/2012 17:31

I like the co op. Even better now you can use Britannia branches

albertswearengen · 17/04/2012 17:34

I've been banking with Smile 10 years or so and they are brilliant- customer services really good. Free £500 overdraft facility. Great when there has been fraud on our credit cards twice.
I have banked with the Clydesdale, HBOS and RBs and they have all been pants compared to the Co-op.

Mind you we got a mortgage with the co-op for the same ethical reasons but the customer service in the mortgage department was so absolutely dire we changed when we moved house. Completely separate from the bank thank goodness

LaurieFairyCake · 17/04/2012 17:37

I've had a couple of problems over the years - they charged me £90 for going £0.24 overdrawn once. That was about 4 years ago.

Then everything was fine til last week when randomly they decided that the 'fraud alert' had kicked in when I bought stuff I buy every week Hmm - it was over the bank holiday weekend and everything I bought was declined without me knowing - like for example Ocado - so I got my shopping without 'paying' for it and had to go online and resubmit payment.

When I called them they said they didn't know why it had kicked in and said it may have just been because I had bought more online than usual.

I was even less impressed when he airily said that it could happen again and couldn't be stopped.

And the last thing is that they are really keen you send them secure messages rather than ringing but when I sent a secure message about my card being declined they didn't respond in 8 hours so I eventually had to come home and google for a phone number - there is no way to get the customer service number once you've logged in to your bank account as they prefer you send secure messages.

The above sounds bad but they are the only problems I've had in 6 years or so.

SoupDragon · 17/04/2012 17:50

Smile recently refunded me the bank charges for a bounced DD/unauthorised overdraft.

SoupDragon · 17/04/2012 17:50

Meant to add... without me asking them to.

Notoutorabout · 17/04/2012 18:09

Been with smile for about 10 years. Brilliant service, you ring up and get through to a human straight away. Online banking super, never had any problems at all. Once had fraud, and they dealt with it immediately, money was back in the account after 2 days. Interest rates for savings aren't great, but for current account banking I honestly can't fault them.

ChippyMinton · 17/04/2012 18:19

Another happy Smile customer (who originally chose them because of the pink smiley!) The internet banking is very straightforward.

tribpot · 17/04/2012 18:25

Another satisfied Smile customer here. You can make use of the Post Office to pay cheques and whatnot in, if that's more convenient - I just post them.

Always got through to a UK call centre quickly, good online banking services. They don't do downloads of transactions if you use accounting software a la Quicken but I think that's about the most negative thing I can think of about them.

SquishyCinnamonSwirls · 17/04/2012 18:34

I'm very happy with Co-Op. I changed approx 18 months ago from Natwest who were constantly trying to sell me things, had extremely poor customer service, and were very rude to my husband one day.
Co-Op are fantastic, they set the account up over the phone, transferred all my direct debits, sent me all the things I needed, set internet banking up very quickly, and I had a customer services call a week later to check how I was getting on with everything and was there anything else they could do for me.
When my husband set his account up there was a problem as documentation went missing in the post, they were charging him for a premium account that he hadn't been using for 4 months but they refunded him all the premium charges and it was sorted out very promptly.
I also like the fact that I can use Brittania branches as that's one of my most convenient.

MirandaWest · 17/04/2012 18:40

I'm with the Co op and they are fine. My only problem was when XH and I split up and they sent my bank statement to his new address. Should have got a bit more Angry really but was just after he left so was a bit too Sad to get angry. They did apologise but not very much.

But for day to day they are fine.

vicarlady · 17/04/2012 18:47

Another satisfied Smile customer of 10 years standing - and yes, I like their ethical approach. Good customer services. I have seen/heard people complain that the website is old and a bit clunky but I find it does what I want it to do.

An0therName · 17/04/2012 21:50

another happy smile customer - we have a ordinary coop account as well but the smile one is better - espically if you want to do mostly internet banking
good transfer service with both accounts as well -really easy and quick - and the people I have spoken to have been really nice