banking blacklist
I don't really have time to blog at the moment, and if I did I should probably be writing about my time in Iona, which was excellent. More on that to follow.
However, I feel the need to have another rant after spending 17 minutes on the phone to HSBC yesterday. I rang them because I had received several letters informing me of various (small) banking charges, for which I couldn't see the reason. Neither it seems could the woman I eventually spoke to, even after she put me on hold for a while while she made some investigations. I suppose that the good news is that some of the charges have now supposedly been cancelled but this does not dispel my worries and complete lack of trust in HSBC.
Given that there is no HSBC on campus, or in my home town, this is perhaps the shove I need to move my money* elsewhere, but this poses me with something of a dilemma. I've heard too many complaints about Barclays to touch them with a barge-pole let alone bank with them, and although NatWest seem good they have annoyed me with their ID policy. Apparently because I am over 20 my Provisional Licence is not a valid form of ID and I would need a full one instead. I can't see a good reason for this, and I am particularly put out because it is for medical reasons, not laziness, that I have nothing more than a Provisional. If I were to stick with my principles they would not get my custom, but then at this rate neither would anyone else.
Hmmmm.
*lack of money would be more accurate, as ultimately it will be my overdraft which gets moved.
However, I feel the need to have another rant after spending 17 minutes on the phone to HSBC yesterday. I rang them because I had received several letters informing me of various (small) banking charges, for which I couldn't see the reason. Neither it seems could the woman I eventually spoke to, even after she put me on hold for a while while she made some investigations. I suppose that the good news is that some of the charges have now supposedly been cancelled but this does not dispel my worries and complete lack of trust in HSBC.
Given that there is no HSBC on campus, or in my home town, this is perhaps the shove I need to move my money* elsewhere, but this poses me with something of a dilemma. I've heard too many complaints about Barclays to touch them with a barge-pole let alone bank with them, and although NatWest seem good they have annoyed me with their ID policy. Apparently because I am over 20 my Provisional Licence is not a valid form of ID and I would need a full one instead. I can't see a good reason for this, and I am particularly put out because it is for medical reasons, not laziness, that I have nothing more than a Provisional. If I were to stick with my principles they would not get my custom, but then at this rate neither would anyone else.
Hmmmm.
*lack of money would be more accurate, as ultimately it will be my overdraft which gets moved.
Comments
NatWest can be every bit as bad as any other bank; I've had several problems with them, ranging from mind-boggling demands to mysterious administrative charges. And often, when something goes wrong, instead of just fixing it they make you ring some place in Birmingham, in the obvious hope that you will give up because of the sheer effort involved.
Regardless: good luck in finding the least dubious alternative!
I now use Nationwide, who seem to be very good. Only had one mix-up (with an ISA i took out last year) but it's performing quite well so i can't really complain. They also give free credit/debit abroad which i dont believe any other banks offer, nad they have pretty good e-savings interest and a reasonable web bank.