The Lemon Fool

Santander Announcement

AiY(D)

AsleepInYorkshire wrote:Santander Announcement

AiY(D)

The downside with this is that you end up with a current account with Santander. They would need to add a lot more zeros for me to even consider it.

If you need a new account First Direct are paying £130 for new customers and you end up with a current account with a professional, customer focused bank rather than a collection of shysters

https://www1.firstdirect.com/banking/sw ... -accounts/

PhaseThree wrote:

AsleepInYorkshire wrote:Santander Announcement

AiY(D)

The downside with this is that you end up with a current account with Santander. They would need to add a lot more zeros for me to even consider it.

If you need a new account First Direct are paying £130 for new customers and you end up with a current account with a professional, customer focused bank rather than a collection of shysters

Damn - I switched banks last month as RBS closed all the branches within an hours drive from here. If only FD had done this before Xmas.

And had branches.

Paul (also a very satisfied Santander current account holder, although I was nicer when they paid 3%).

PhaseThree wrote:The downside with this is that you end up with a current account with Santander. They would need to add a lot more zeros for me to even consider it.

Go back a few years and I would agree with you. Santander were the worst of the worst. However they did seem to buck their ideas up and actually became reasonably competent.

PhaseThree wrote:If you need a new account First Direct are paying £130 for new customers and you end up with a current account with a professional, customer focused bank rather than a collection of shysters

On the other hand First Direct have managed to achieve the exact opposite, going from an absolutely superb and unbeatable service to an unbelievably bad and pathetic service.

and the T and Cs for switching to first Direct show that they require CERTIFIED ...id documents

not sure about Santander T and Cs

mutantpoodle wrote:and the T and Cs for switching to first Direct show that they require CERTIFIED ...id documents

not sure about Santander T and Cs

I think that ALL banks must comply with AML and KYC regulations now. That means you need some form of certified documentation to become a customer. This may simply mean a photo driving licence or passport and utility bill shown to a member of staff. They can certify that you seem to be the person that the ID relates to.

Ps, I'm quite happy with my Santander account.

Urbandreamer wrote:

mutantpoodle wrote:and the T and Cs for switching to first Direct show that they require CERTIFIED ...id documents

not sure about Santander T and Cs

I think that ALL banks must comply with AML and KYC regulations now. That means you need some form of certified documentation to become a customer. This may simply mean a photo driving licence or passport and utility bill shown to a member of staff. They can certify that you seem to be the person that the ID relates to.

Ps, I'm quite happy with my Santander account.

Correct, except when there is no branch nearby, you need to get your bill/statement stamped by a solicitor or someone before they will accept it scanned and uploaded. This also applies to certain online savings portals when you try and change your linked bank account.

Paul

DrFfybes wrote:

Urbandreamer wrote:

mutantpoodle wrote:and the T and Cs for switching to first Direct show that they require CERTIFIED ...id documents

not sure about Santander T and Cs

I think that ALL banks must comply with AML and KYC regulations now. That means you need some form of certified documentation to become a customer. This may simply mean a photo driving licence or passport and utility bill shown to a member of staff. They can certify that you seem to be the person that the ID relates to.

Ps, I'm quite happy with my Santander account.

Correct, except when there is no branch nearby, you need to get your bill/statement stamped by a solicitor or someone before they will accept it scanned and uploaded. This also applies to certain online savings portals when you try and change your linked bank account.

Paul

I think that there were posts a few years ago indicating that you may also have problems where you don't change your linked account, but simply want funds to go in the other direction. e.g. Retiring and going from accumulation to actually wanting some of your hard-earned back again!

You may then be in the position of banging your hand on the table and like Margaret Thatcher, "It's our money and we want it back!"

Re. First Direct, I think they are just following orders from their bosses at HSBC and trying to give the impression that the decades of corrupt business practices are behind them. Well, until another African dictator quietly sends them a few billion.

Steve

DrFfybes wrote:Correct, except when there is no branch nearby, you need to get your bill/statement stamped by a solicitor or someone before they will accept it scanned and uploaded

As an aside, I recently discovered the Post Office offer a certification service that may be cheaper or easier than using a solicitor - https://www.postoffice.co.uk/identity/d ... tification

I have had a Santander account since it was Abbey National Building Society. I have not had any problems. Service in the main branch in the city where I live is terrible nowadays, but I expect that is true of all banks. I only go in there once in a blue moon anyway.