HSBC vs. Santander

[Mark101 536]

On 28th March I applied for a business account with HSBC.  Having chased every week, they said you just have to wait, there's a backlog and 5-7 working days will see you up and running.  Still nothing as of today 18th May.

I contact Santander, 1 hour later, account open, debit card en route, account number supplied and we're off and running.

Unbeliveable!

[EPV 631]

I’m with Santander, no complaints 

[metcars 397]

13 minutes ago, EPV said:

I’m with Santander, no complaints 

I've heard good things about them, whereas HSBC?

[Mojo121 229]

With Barclays - does what it says on the tin.

I still get pissy everytime they want 1% for putting in cash!

[Arfur Dealy 823]

Santander for me as well 

[MrC 142]

Santander for Business, Various Personal & Mortgage. Been with them since they were Abbey National. No complains

[metcars 397]

1 hour ago, Mojo121 said:

With Barclays - does what it says on the tin.

I still get pissy everytime they want 1% for putting in cash!

My daughter is with Barclays, they're far from perfect, but they've been very good at sorting out her online worldwide purchasing nightmares.

I'm with NatWest. When I got £2700 scammed out of my account by some French woman you'd have thought I was complicit from their response!

[It's me 615]

santander for me they do everything i need and reasonable charges too,one of the main reasons was i could pay any cash into my account at the local PO

i left hsbc 

[NOACROSS 414]

Nat West (the wife works for them). Hate. Can’t do enough not to help.

[Mikey360 68]

2 hours ago, NOACROSS said:

Nat West (the wife works for them). Hate. Can’t do enough not to help.

Fully agree, they're closing down 3 branches in our area which'll just leave the two all ready busy ones left, that have had a "refurb" to remove the old style counters (4 of them) to just 2 completely open counters. And the automatic pay in machines never bloody work!

[MattR 177]

19 hours ago, Mojo121 said:

With Barclays - does what it says on the tin.

I still get pissy everytime they want 1% for putting in cash!

i'm with Barclays too, but to avoid commission charges pay it into your personal account and then transfer it over. It's what I do and the staff on the counter couldnt care less.

[Mojo121 229]

Just now, Matt Reid said:

i'm with Barclays too, but to avoid commission charges pay it into your personal account and then transfer it over. It's what I do and the staff on the counter couldnt care less.

I’ve done this for sometime. I do wonder sometimes whether I might get picked up on it, I opened a separate account solely for that purpose. Shows a lot of cash flowing through a personal account but I suppose there’s a legitimate reason.

[SC Derby 259]

I do the same.

[Mark101 536]

+1 but I rarely handle cash - bank transfer is always, always my preference 

[David Ayers 171]

Lloyds charge a similar amount for cash deposits.

However I'm next to a post office and there is no charge for paying cash into a Lioyds account at the post office. Probably the same for other banks too.

[trade vet 703]

1 hour ago, Mojo121 said:

I’ve done this for sometime. I do wonder sometimes whether I might get picked up on it, I opened a separate account solely for that purpose. Shows a lot of cash flowing through a personal account but I suppose there’s a legitimate reason.

If you are a Ltd company and HMRC pick up on this and class it as drawings,you are in deep shit.

[Mojo121 229]

4 hours ago, David Ayers said:

Lloyds charge a similar amount for cash deposits.

However I'm next to a post office and there is no charge for paying cash into a Lioyds account at the post office. Probably the same for other banks too.

I’m not familiar with Post Office banking - how does this work? Obviously I want the money to go to a Barclays Business account.

 

4 hours ago, trade vet said:

If you are a Ltd company and HMRC pick up on this and class it as drawings,you are in deep shit.

At least I’d have some decent company while doing my porridge  judging by the thread.

[David Ayers 171]

Same as paying in at the bank.

Fill in paying in book, give it to cashier. Credit appears in your account next day. Jobs a goodun! 

You’ll need to check it works for Barclays.

 

[Autolink100 34]

I have been with HSBC for 21 years and to be fair they have been pretty good with no real dramas,  however earlier this year I had to go through their online "safeguard" procedure where we had to supply lots of detailed information about the company. Absolute nightmare which took about 3 months.

They are going through some major shit with this at the moment all due to some fine thay have taken in the US for laundering mexican drug money apparently. Just google it if you want some absolute horror stories about people having their accounts closed without warning.

I think I have got it sorted now but I am going to open an account elsewhere as a fall back. My accountant recommended Metro Bank. He said he's hearing lots of good things about them

[metcars 397]

On 18/05/2018 at 11:00 PM, Mikey360 said:

Fully agree, they're closing down 3 branches in our area which'll just leave the two all ready busy ones left, that have had a "refurb" to remove the old style counters (4 of them) to just 2 completely open counters. And the automatic pay in machines never bloody work!

My local NatWest is like this. Originally 5 tills then 4, 3 now its just two cashiers and some awful machines that never work. Although there is now a large reception desk like a hotel with two ladies always sitting there txting their husbands and fending off customers trying to jump the queue; and a floorwalker asking if "you wouldn't be better off using the machines instead of queing".

Banking used to be a good job, back in the day only grammar school kids got jobs in a bank. But now it seems to be mostly sales driven, with my own branch having two mortgage/loan advisors sitting there waiting for customers pen in hand. Sad

[NOACROSS 414]

Just made the wife read this thread (she works for the idiots). So funny. 

[David Ayers 171]

2 hours ago, NOACROSS said:

Just made the wife read this thread (she works for the idiots). So funny. 

Did she make you wait for 2 hours then say she couldn’t help?

[NOACROSS 414]

Ha. Love it. I just got ‘the glare’. 

26 minutes ago, David Ayers said:

Did she make you wait for 2 hours then say she couldn’t help?

This is typical of ‘other’ requests also. ;o)

[metcars 397]

2 hours ago, NOACROSS said:

Just made the wife read this thread (she works for the idiots). So funny. 

It's probably my age, but I tend to not use machines if there is a person available. Same in the supermarket with self-checkout, we'll be unloading the trucks out the back as well soon!

There is a worrying trend to replace real people with machines, machines don't buy cars?

[NOACROSS 414]

Yup. So true. And I’ve found everybody else in the queue agrees with you also.