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Might be of interest to some: https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/news/2023/06/first-direct-scraps-fees-overseas-abroad/
That’s good, hopefully it might prompt others to follow as I don’t ever want to return to FF, cannot imagine how peopke love it. For the moment Virgin current account has been fine for me despite it receiving many complaints.
… as I don’t ever want to return to FF, cannot imagine how peopke love it.
FF?
Good to see more banks doing this. With many of the challenger banks like Monzo and Starling doing this it’s surely going to become table stakes at some point.
… as I don’t ever want to return to FF, cannot imagine how peopke love it.
FF?
FFS!
Had am email from RBS couple of weeks ago saying they were doing the same thing with my debit cards,
Purchases would attract fees but cash withdrawals would still attract the foreign transaction fee,
*FD (First Direct), sorry for confusion.
I’ve not had anything from FD about this – just endless emails and letters about interest rate rises!
I’ve not had anything from FD about this – just endless emails and letters about interest rate rises!
Yes, likewise. Found out via MSE but have heard nothing from FD!
It’s all over the Mail money pages too.
Might consider switching the virgin account to it to take advantage of the £175 switching bonus, but it really hurts to go to FD after the utterly abysmal way they treated me in the 90s.
*FD (First Direct), sorry for confusion.
Go on, I’ll bite. Why is First Direct so bad?
I am a FD client since I came to the UK 15 years ago. Their website and app look almost the same they did when I opened the account. But other than that, if you just use them to get paid and not much else I cannot see why they would be liked or not (the little they do they do well).
I once paid foreign checks into the account and asked for details on the costs and the head of fx replied by post with all exchange rates used.
I am amazed FD has not informed us of anything regarding the lower costs on foreign fx.
I am a FD client since I came to the UK 15 years ago. Their website and app look almost the same they did when I opened the account. But other than that, if you just use them to get paid and not much else I cannot see why they would be liked or not (the little they do they do well).
I once paid foreign checks into the account and asked for details on the costs and the head of fx replied by post with all exchange rates used.
I am amazed FD has not informed us of anything regarding the lower costs on foreign fx.
I’ve banked with FD for over 20 years as my main account, they are no fuss, you can speak to a real person easily and quickly, make very few mistakes, one only in all that time which they fixed by speaking to another lender, it could have led to the loss of an interest free deal and cost 4 figures and they fixed it in hours. They are pretty much gimmick free and don’t dumb down stuff ie call a current account what is is not my piggy bank or other such nonsense I’ve seen with children’s accounts like Monzo. What’s not to like?
Ok, I’ll give my story.
Back in the early 90s, I was using FD as my primary current account (salary paid in) as Lloyds had made an unbelievable number of mistakes transferring my main account from near home to the southern branch where I’d moved to.
After a year or so I got made redundant, had an overdraft, no income and a recently signed lease on a flat.
Called FD to ask if there was anything they could do in extending my overdraft a little because of the circumstances and they said they’d consider it. Next day I filled the car at the local petrol station and my debit and credit cards were both declined, highly embarassing but I had a 3rd card so all ok.
Called up FD to ask WTF.. and they said no cards had been cancelled and all was ok. Tried again the next day, cards blocked. Called again, they said yes the cards had been stopped but no idea why. Transferred to a manager who said he’d send out fresh cards.
Next week, cards havent arrived, I have no access to my overdraft and they’ve bounced a check even though I’m within the OD limit. Called again, yes the cards have gone out. all is ok.
Next week cards still havent arrived, called again to be told no, the cards havent been sent as my account has been frozen due to lack of funds. Basically the previous manager lied to me twice.
At that point I gave up on FD’s lies and continued using the Lloyds account which I opened in 1985 and still have to this day.
Been with FD since early days. Yorkieflyer, you have summed them up perfectly. Used alongside other accounts elsewhere, works well for me.
My two reasons for liking FD is that they have well architected security that doesn’t rely on nonsense like SMS verification codes and because they have no branches, they can’t be lazy about their online processes. I switched from Santander because they locked be out of my account 3 times and each time said “just pop into a branch”. Said branch is an hour round trip with paid parking. And I only moved to Santander because they forced me to close my Cahoot account (can’t remember why now).
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