Reply to: LLoyds TSB service gone crap - whats the best current account?

[AtW]

Fooking Firefox 2 stopped working with LTSB

[Not So Wise]

Not surprised at LLoyds, opened a new Business account with them in Q2, discovered so many lies were told to me when I was opening the account and customer service was so bad by second month still had not got a debit card, not got web access details so could not transfer money out and neither could I do it over phone nor in branch. In the end wrote a cheque to myself (first cheque written in 10 years) and followed the advice of the girl in the branch, to close my account and to inform HQ why

Cater Allen are good if you need straight forward banking but god help you if something goes wrong with international transfers, Currently with Barclays and it's so so, service is good but their charges for things like SWIFT are double industry norm

[mikelaluz]

Free Banking

Alliance and Leicester now doing free business banking I think thaey are about to rebrand as Santander Business Banking - good deals though

[shaunbhoy]

In the last year Llooyds TSB customer service has become completely pants.

You could always learn Hindi. That way they might make more sense, isn't it?

[Ltd ability]

I like the sound of that... whenever I need to put money into my Irish account, it's a pain in the ass (from Barclays) it's less hassle just to fly home and do it.I might look into that Halifax one!

I just post a cheque (sterling) to my AIB branch and they work the magic - charge 1% commission but it's fairly painless compared to other methods

[BrilloPad]

Use Citibank. I have used them for 12 years now : they are great.

[mudskipper]

I've just started out and am also looking for a business bank account. The Abbey/Santander option look good (free!) - has anyone used them?

[sweetandsour]

http://www.caterallen.co.uk/Interest...10&whichrate=1

The interest rate being 0%, and you need to keep a minimum balance of £5000 to avoid charges.

I guess that there are quite a few of us with our Business Accounts at Cater Allen. The £5,000 minimum balance is waived if there is an introduction through one of the contractor accountants and probably if the introduction is through this site (I will check in a minute).

Cater Allen did offer me a personal account too after a while but I couldn't think of a good reason to move from First Direct who have always been excellent.

[minestrone]

I don't like LLoyds much at the local branch, the service is surly, in addition I get a 'business mgr' calling me v.occasionally trying to sell me credit cards, at the same time using the offer of dropping the bank charges if I sign up.

What really annoys me more than anything though is that I get no flckg interest money on current a/ct anymore

It's quite a pallaver to change banks though, but might sum up the energy

The business manager called me yesterday to introduce herself and as if I wanted text messages switched on.

[sasguru]

http://www.caterallen.co.uk/Interest...10&whichrate=1

The interest rate being 0%, and you need to keep a minimum balance of £5000 to avoid charges.

Exactly. Consclusive proof that Dim is a wannabe dreamer
FFS Even my Lloyds a/c is better than that.

[FarmerPalmer]

http://www.caterallen.co.uk/PrivateB...ult.aspx?pid=3

We recognise that you need a flexible and convenient current account that offers attractive interest rates, which is why we’ve developed our Private Bank Account with multiple currency options. You can hold this account in Sterling, US Dollar and/or euro. This is ideal if you travel abroad regularly or have a second home outside the UK. It gives you the freedom to transfer money between accounts without incurring any currency conversion charges.


Excellent service.

http://www.caterallen.co.uk/Interest...10&whichrate=1

The interest rate being 0%, and you need to keep a minimum balance of £5000 to avoid charges.

[KentPhilip]

Relatively unpoor. Here in NL I am with Rabobank Private Banking; available to customers with 80,000 euros to invest and exceedingly excellent, even though other private banks want half a million or so, but they're not in the UK. I'm not sure how much you need in the UK.

Interesting.

I'm also in NL. What's so good about Rabobank? I might sign up.

[BrilloPad]

I like citibank myself. They have a branch in the Wharf too.....

[crack_ho]

I was under the impression the private ones:

1) charge you a fee
2) require a minimum amount

As my current account acts a distributor of funds to various investments and other destinations and has, as OP noticed, negligible interest, I don't like leaving any money there for any length of time.
Probably accounts for the po0r service I'm receiving, I'm the worst sort of customer for Lloyds - no debts, no loans, no large balances with them, but lots of transactions = No profit but loads of work for them.

Make it more miserable for them by opening several 'Classic Vantage' accounts and get 4% on upto £7000 on each of them. Kerching.

[sasguru]

I was under the impression the private ones:

1) charge you a fee
2) require a minimum amount

As my current account acts a distributor of funds to various investments and other destinations and has, as OP noticed, negligible interest, I don't like leaving any money there for any length of time.
Probably accounts for the po0r service I'm receiving, I'm the worst sort of customer for Lloyds - no debts, no loans, no large balances with them, but lots of transactions = No profit but loads of work for them.