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Review of the Ziglu, Digital Currency Buying & Selling:

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Making crypto accessible

Ziglu is the first mainstream digital banking experience to make crypto accessible to all. I've worked in tech for many years (and held crypto for three) - Ziglu is the first brand to democratise the space. Reviewed on: 26th January 2021

Review of the Barclaycard, Platinum Credit Card:

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Don't let a brand leader take you for a ride

A little advice: don't take it lying down! I have had a Barclaycard for many years - indeed I signed up when Barclaycard was the default brand leader in credit cards, and the market was much smaller. I was a typical 'sleeping' customer - never incentivised to change. A couple of years back, they wrote to tell me (after lots of waffle) that my interest rate would be going up from 12% to 26%. After well over a decade of regular borrowing and payments, I explained that I thought this was daylight robbery, and we compromised on 18%. Financial services businesses can charge what they like, but it's our duty as customers to question it when it's just not good enough. Don't take it lying down! Reviewed on: 12th October 2014

Review of the NatWest, Black Account:

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Initially excellent, now slowly chipping away at the idea of value and exclusivity

There's nothing fundamentally wrong with Nat-West Private. Any diligent customer can work out fairly easily whether the bolt-ons are financially worth it. The insurances in particular are best-of-breed (particularly mobile phone insurance if you have an expensive smartphone), and provided you travel every now and then, it adds up fairly well compared to the cost (and hassle) of buying individual policies and services from multiple providers. Equally, that doesn't differentiate NatWest from other banks; and in the years I've been a member (it has changed names - I signed up in the days of NatWest Black), the benefits have been gently chipped at. But most importantly, the original reason I signed up for then-Black, now-Private was a single important thing which is no longer there: the ability to speak to a named bank manager. Someone who knew me, my account, and could solve problems for me. That was rapidly withdrawn, and it is a loss to relationship banking. Separately, NatWest customer service over the phone is superb. The call centre staff may be frustrated by procedure at times, but I have never felt let down, they always call back, answer the phone quickly, and try to handle things. Unlike HSBC, they are also all UK based. I cannot fault the service team in the slightest. So, a mixed bag: good people on the ground, for a product which isn't quite as good as it originally promised. Reviewed on: 12th October 2014

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