[woofwoof77]

...because I think the one im with has gone down hill, service wise . Ive moved home and theres no branch where i live and im not keen on doing banking online.
Theres a few other reasons too...but i was thinking of changing to a building society.

What is the difference between a bank and a building society?? In plain english please lol .

[Keefy-boy]

If it's old-fashioned branch service you're looking for I think you'll find disappointment wherever you chose to bank. For better or worse, the world has moved on, banks and building societies by and large want people banking either online or over the phone.

Building societies are owned and run by their members (people who borrow or save with them) and in theory run for their benefit rather than making a profit for shareholders. There aren't that many left, most have 'de-mutualised' to become bank plcs.

If it's just regular day to day banking you want, a building society would probably serve your needs as well as a bank.

I don't know why you have a prejudice against online banking? It is generally very secure and makes life a lot easier!

[stud u like]

What are your qualms about online banking? For some people, it is the only way and is very easy to utilise.

[gdjman68wasdigi]

http://www.halifax.co.uk/bankaccount...rrent-account/



i bank with the Halifax, have done so for a long time

good telephone and online service,


and they used to be a building society

[vodkamargarine]

I find the Nationwide to be quite good, and they're not too pushy if you're not keen on online banking.

[bowland37]

Natwest have good in branch customer service and v good online banking. Halifax are also good in my experience. On the other hand I found Co-Op bank pretty hopeless with hardly any branches, crappy outdated online banking and inconsistent customer service. also poor savings interest rates.

[d0lphin]

Not the Halifax!!!!
They have been terrible for us - we gave them a second chance after them messing up our current account a few years ago as they had the best ISA rates last year.
They then messed up again and we had letters off the tax office demanding money!

I have my account with Nationwide and Mr dolphin is with Barclays. I do online banking but he prefers to call into a branch to do transactions and they have always been very good with him so I would recommend Barclays!

[victor mel]

Try the COOP. Good ethical stance & being a cooperative member entitlies you to a share of profits twice a year.

[bowland37]

Originally Posted by victor mel

being a cooperative member entitlies you to a share of profits twice a year.

Yes, all 50p of it..

[victor mel]

Originally Posted by bowland37

Yes, all 50p of it..

I had £64

[this_is_me]

Originally Posted by d0lphin

Not the Halifax!!!!
They have been terrible for us - we gave them a second chance after them messing up our current account a few years ago as they had the best ISA rates last year.
They then messed up again and we had letters off the tax office demanding money!

I have my account with Nationwide and Mr dolphin is with Barclays. I do online banking but he prefers to call into a branch to do transactions and they have always been very good with him so I would recommend Barclays!

I like the Halifax. Nothing's ever gone wrong with my account and they give me a fiver a month for banking with them. As far as savings rates are concerned, I don't feel obliged to keep my savings with the same company I bank with, and frequently move my savings around depending on who's got the best rates.

[TUTV Viewer]

Originally Posted by victor mel

Try the COOP. Good ethical stance & being a cooperative member entitlies you to a share of profits twice a year.

All Coop accounts are being migrated to the rCBS system hosted by LLoyds (The same system is used by LLoyds TSB, LLoyds TSB Scotland, Bank of Scotland, Halifax, Birmingham Midshires, Sainsbury's Bank and Intelligent Finance).

So there should be a major improvement to the "up-time" of Co-op Bank online systems. They currently have one of the oldest and flakiest systems on the high street.

[d0lphin]

Originally Posted by this_is_me

I like the Halifax. Nothing's ever gone wrong with my account and they give me a fiver a month for banking with them. As far as savings rates are concerned, I don't feel obliged to keep my savings with the same company I bank with, and frequently move my savings around depending on who's got the best rates.

That's the trouble with this kind of thread, you can only go on personal experience. Their incompetence nearly got me into trouble with HMRC

I move my savings frequently too, just not to the Halifax again!

[Bulletguy1]

Originally Posted by Keefy-boy

If it's old-fashioned branch service you're looking for I think you'll find disappointment wherever you chose to bank. For better or worse, the world has moved on, banks and building societies by and large want people banking either online or over the phone.

I don't know why you have a prejudice against online banking? It is generally very secure and makes life a lot easier!

Not sure this is entirely true even though i've been doing my banking online now for the past ten years or so. Very simple once you get 'into' it though one Bank i'm with did once change the outlay of their site which was annoying and frustrating as there was nothing wrong with the previous version! I wrote and told them so too.

I'm with two BS's and one Bank and occasionally need to visit in person.

One BS, the Nationwide has very friendly counter staff at the branch i'm with and despite my rare appearances, one of the staff took the trouble to remember my name and always greets me with a "hi Paul what can I do for you today....". I quite like that.

In the Bank I use, most of the staff are young ladies, all of whom are look very attractive and whenever I go in I always hope i'm going to be 'looked after' by a particularly busty young lady who certainly doesn't mind the top three buttons of her blouse being undone!

Makes visiting the Bank a positive pleasure.

[WLB]

In regards to branch service, i don't thinks it a case of x is good, and y is bad. It seems its more a case of the actual local branch, so in one area say a Natwest branch will be the best, where in another area they will be one of the worst, it depends on the branch staff and managers.

On the Banks vs Building Societies, in reality i don't see that much difference. A bank will close a branch as its not profitable, where a building society will close a branch on the basis that they have to be prudent to safeguard there future for all their stakeholders. The same excuses are used for reducing staff or services.