Astounded by the independent award claimed for best savings provider displayed on the leeds buildingsciety site. This society hardly ever comes up with savings rates to compare with others yet alone beat them. When they do their online application system is tiresome with, even after you have entered all your details, forms then also to be printed; completed then sent. If you fail to see a select option button on the final screen as my wife did recently for her ISA to be transferred in from another society there is no way to go back then select it. The documents they have prepared to be available for download, such as the applications, are not suffixed correctly so you yourself have to alter the file extent before you can open them. I have told them about this problem 2 years ago but they have not corrected matters so still are making the same mistakes. When you do have accounts with them they regularly unilaterally decide to close them then reissue those accounts as a new product. Unlike most other finacial companies they do not allow you to manipulate yourself any non-online accounts, it has improved more recently where you can send them a secure message to give instructions. Their secure message system is also not one of the best as messages can be sent but you do not have an inbox. They have been told about their failings but they seem unable to listen or understand they could possibly be at fault. Use them only if you need to or they have a better product than elsewhere then tolerate the defects.
Reviewed on: 15th December 2018
Looking at some reviews here from what I assume to be new customers perhaps they might feel less positive after a few years experiencing the attitude of this bank. Their adverts should display this bank as a dictatorial dinosaur. Banking here is based on what they consider is best for them not the customer, although their telephone staff do actually seem to accomplish what you call them about unless it is to complain. Products are less than ordinary; rates are generally awful but the most frustrating thing is their online system. Not only do you have this silly, tiny, turn itself off half the time before you manage to press the right button security device which you need to use to generate a code to do pretty ordinary things like just send a message to them, or even just apply for a new product - but I find the most annoying thing is when you have successfully set up a payee; tested it however you want to prove it works, they will go and delete it after a period of non-use without asking or telling you beforehand so you have to set it all up again with that awful security device as well as inputting all the bank details. They even delete payment links to other first direct accounts you hold the same way. Your email box will also get cleared down more quickly than you might expect, but they do not offer a download facility for you to click a button to save on your own storage any you want to keep. There have been instances where they have changed their products beyond all recognition of what you signed up for in the first place. Initially their cash ISA started off with tiered interest bands for different amounts saved which were at decent rates compared to others available, now they have no bands with a pitiful rate for any amount saved.
Whilst being with them we have sent forms to them with more than the one form in the envelope; to ensure they were aware that the envelope contained multiple forms this was clearly boldly written on both sides of the envelope as well as inside the opening flap. They processed only the ONE form and were completely unable to locate the others sent, apologies were meagre; they hardly acknowledged their incompetence. They have a regular savings account that can only be funded from your 1st account but when you make out the online application you are given the drop down of all your accounts to select to fund it from, if you choose any other than the 1st account they did not flag this up as an error but let the processing go through to need to be subsequently amended, their systems could be designed to stop little things like this but it makes you question the degree of testing or understanding put in to their development. Bring any of these frustrating deficiencies to their attention and they don't want to know or do anything to improve matters for the benefit of their customers. They do not listen. Other banks and societies who actually consider customer needs are there; I recommend to use them rather than this lot. How they can consider the value their current account as worth £120 a year then dispense with your set-up payment details without even consulting or actively warning you is disgraceful. I've tried to bring up matters directly with them to improve things but they really do not want to know so maybe publicly showing people what they might be having to put up with could get this head in the sand attitude to change?
Reviewed on: 15th December 2018
