Banks! Not at all user friendly

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05 May 2010 12:00 AM by mike_walsh Star rating in Torrevieja. 594 posts Send private message

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Businesses tend not to check their systems from the customers perspective: The worst offenders are the banks. To access any online service; effect a transfer or whatever, is to enter a maze with every wrong turn and blocked exit imaginable. It isn't unusual to waste an hour trying to use the most simple service. Particularly annoying is Halifax UK maxim: "Contacting us has never been easier.' Try it, from Spain. No e-mail or telephone numbers are provided at all.

You want to change your address: easy? Not really. You are eventually directed to a pdf form, which you can download, complete and fax-e-mail. However the pdf will not download. Have THEY tried it to see if it works? Obviously not. You telephone for an an explanation? They don't have an answer. What would they suggest I ask. They reply that if I write to them (dohhh) they will send the form. I can fill it in and return it. So why the online pdf form?

Halifax Espana. I try to transfer funds to my UK account: however I place the IBAN numbers in the box provided I get it wrong, with precious little sensible advice as to the order in which they should be placed. Erm! Is a 'for example' beyond these banking service prats! Have they tried using the useless 'service' from the customer's office chair? Evidently not. I have to jump in the car to drive to a branch to discuss with a human being the best way to do it.

But first of all a bright idea! I will e-mail them as to the required number sequence. Into 'contact us' and following the instructions to the letter I press SUBMIT and here's the illiterate nonsense that hits my screen: HIVE detected a security violation: Perimeter does not match the expected value.' (work that butchery of the English language out).

Banks! No wonder they lose billions. They couldn't run a proverbial whelk stall.

 

 

 

 



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05 May 2010 10:22 AM by fpegman Star rating in San Miguel De Salina.... 441 posts Send private message

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Hi Mike

here is the link for Halifax contact page in spain

http://www.halifax.es/halifaxing/email/email.asp?sec=email



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Fred

Overseas Property Company

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Real Estate sales - rentals and Lloyds insurance agency.




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05 May 2010 11:24 AM by soto_dave Star rating. 20 posts Send private message

I have a bank account in Sotogrande with Halifax and cannot fault them in any respect....the service I get from them far out weighs the the service I get from the UK side.Theyve helped me with issues which dont even fall under their umbrella.....





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05 May 2010 11:54 AM by fpegman Star rating in San Miguel De Salina.... 441 posts Send private message

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Hi Mike

This is the link for the change of address PDF

http://www.halifax.co.uk/HelpCentre/pdf/Changeofaddress.pdf



_______________________

Fred

Overseas Property Company

fred@overseaspropertycompany.com

Real Estate sales - rentals and Lloyds insurance agency.




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05 May 2010 12:14 PM by mike_walsh Star rating in Torrevieja. 594 posts Send private message

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You guys are much appreciated stars. By the way, for clarity, I was drawing attention to their shortcomings in respect of their online services; sadly lacking when it comes to being user friendly. No longer so thanks to the response. I agree with you.

The staff at my Halifax near Torrevieja couldn't be more helpful. It is one of the few occasions when I can actually look forward to visiting  a bank and invariably leave with a smile. They 'sorted it.' I would recommend the Halifax (not their online service though).

Come to think about it, Fred; seeing as you are so knowledgeable, how should I set the numbers in their box when transferring money to my UK account? Lets take (fanciful digits but right number of them so no security problems) as an example:

IBAN

GB64HLFX11055803187667   These have to have gaps between them but where? If it's no trouble. Otherwise a trip to meet up with Susanah or Christina

 

 



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05 May 2010 12:26 PM by fpegman Star rating in San Miguel De Salina.... 441 posts Send private message

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Hi Mike

GB64 HLFX 1105 5803 187667

Thgat is a GB IBAN number which are different to Spain



_______________________

Fred

Overseas Property Company

fred@overseaspropertycompany.com

Real Estate sales - rentals and Lloyds insurance agency.




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05 May 2010 1:21 PM by Sanchez1 Star rating. 853 posts Send private message

The Banco Halifax website is terrible.  It looks like it was written in 1998.  I have given up using my Banco Halifax account because of the crap website and the sneaky charges.



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Use TransferWise to send money abroad. A lot cheaper than the bank and other online currency exchanges!.

 

 




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05 May 2010 1:38 PM by guslopez Star rating in Lorca, Murcia.. 744 posts Send private message

I had a problem some years ago with a currency broker. When sending money to Spain the form had the 1st line Acct. no. & the 2nd line bank sort code. I queried this as in normal operations it's the other way round. " no problems " was the reply " been doing it this way for years ". It wasn't for 8 months , come August , when the trained staff go on holiday & the cleaning lady is filling in, our money went to the Bank of Albacete instead of La Caixa ! The brokers were useless, didn't want to know until I got their bank involved. The lad in my La Caixa branch tracked it down in the end & sorted it . All the brokers said was it was my fault! Sorry, how's that ? I've been using the same form the same way for 8 months. It wasn't until La caixa pointed out that it was the wrong way round that they admitted defeat.



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05 May 2010 2:13 PM by mike_walsh Star rating in Torrevieja. 594 posts Send private message

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Oh well! All is well that ends well but what a formidable challenge; do we need it? Having tried every ruse in the book to transfer a few euros from my Halifax (Spain) to Halifax (UK), using the 'external' online service. I finally gave up. Jumping in to my car I drove to my nearest branch. Wait for it:

Staff as perfect as always   ...   Lara carried out the transfer for me. Why couldn't I do it? Because the service is not availabe to online users. I had wasted half a morning trying to use a service on their website, which wasn't available.

 Lara tells me that if I ever want to transer funds outside Spain I must come to the bank. Look on the bright side of things. Maybe Lara just likes me?

 



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