Business bank account

**Pondlife** · 14 May 2007, 10:54

I use Abbey and have no complaints although I haven't had to go into a branch or contact them in the past year or so. They did take a couple of weeks to set it up though.

**Not So Wise** · 14 May 2007, 12:38

AFAIK Abbey braches don't deal with Business banking anyway

**Clippy** · 14 May 2007, 13:01

Am attracted by Abbeys free banking but have been a personal customer of theirs for over 15 years and have steadily seen their service decline.

Whenever I go in there to use their counter services, which isn't often, I have to queue for at least 10 - 15 minutes.

Anyone have any experience of Barclays or HSBC?

**Ivor1** · 14 May 2007, 13:42

Originally posted by Clippy

Need to open one of these for Plan B (web based retail experiment) this week.

Anyone have any recommendations.

Was thinking of going with Abbey as they offer free business banking for life.

Avoid Natwest Business Banking, Ive had a lot of problems with them.

An example being, I asked a 'simple' question to my business manager on the 4th May, now the 14th and still no answer or response. I leave him messages and he never calls back and because its Natwest I am only allowed to deal with this one person.
Dont think this is just this Business Manager, all 3 I have had have been the same. I can only assume they are over worked and dont have time to respond. But its the worse service I have ever recieved, currently in process to moving to Abbey.

**BOBJ** · 14 May 2007, 13:50

Well, I wouldn't touch Abbey with a barge pole, purely based on my experiences with them and an ISA which ended up with the FSA.

Nat West, I've always found them okay but I only have to speak to them once a year....its complete cobblers about only being able to speak to one person...stop leaving messages, ring up at a time when he's likely there and stay on the phone...

**DaveB** · 14 May 2007, 13:55

Cater Allen. They have internet banking now and the best customer service of any bank I've ever dealt with.

**Ivor1** · 14 May 2007, 14:27

Originally posted by BOBJ

Well, I wouldn't touch Abbey with a barge pole, purely based on my experiences with them and an ISA which ended up with the FSA.

Nat West, I've always found them okay but I only have to speak to them once a year....its complete cobblers about only being able to speak to one person...stop leaving messages, ring up at a time when he's likely there and stay on the phone...

Believe me I have tried, I made the mistake of opening the account at the branch, if you open it at the branch you have to deal with there 1 business branch manager. I was never told this when I opened the account. When I said I want it to be telephone based they said fine but you will have to open a second business account.
At that point I gave up, any business that requires you to open another account in order to change your RM has problems.

And not once in 8 months of using them have they returned a call, and not once regardless of time or day I called them have they answered there phone. I dont want to have to make a fecking appointment at the branch to query one thing on my account !

**misterlamott** · 14 May 2007, 14:44

Originally posted by DaveB

Cater Allen. They have internet banking now and the best customer service of any bank I've ever dealt with.

I second that - Cater Allen are very good.

Their free business banking is only for a certain number of transactions per month however (can't remember how many off the top of my head) so make sure this fits in with whatever you are up to.

**malvolio** · 14 May 2007, 14:51

But the internet banking doesn't actually work...

I use HSBC. Big, faceless, corporate, as you might expect, but you getg a dedicated business manager (replaced every three months it seems, but who cares!) are totally efficient and offer all the facilities you will ever need.

Business bank account