Bank Of Ireland - Am I the only one?

Ald

Am I the only one that thinks Bank of Ireland is a waste of space??? In there today and the lady that served me in the Tallaght branch is a misery!

Not only that but:

• They tried bullying my aunt(whom I was with at the time in another branch) into investing the majority of her welfare money/savings into shares stressing that she must beat inflation bla bla bla. They didn't do a check on income and outgoings and when I questioned the financial adviser about her dealings she listed off her degree and asked me had I one! This was after we had asked for a regular savings account. I lodged a complaint with head office after that and we met with branch manager subsequently.
• I have an 'easysave' account that reached its limit and I was sold a 'save to borrow' account as being the same thing. Only today I found out that once you exceed the limit on this account the funds below the limit revert to low rate, not the funds above as is the norm with these regular savings accounts!!!
• They have slug mail. No joking. Had to change a direct debit or standing order (can't remember) and since I was doing it in a different branch I had to fill out a form to be sent to the original branch. Anyways, this never arrived, the request wasn't fulfilled and funds were withdrawn from my current account as normal. I had to fill out a form a second time and the request took a month to happen! (I couldn't do it online because without a BOI current account they won't give you online access)

In short, BOI = sh*te service.



The best I've had to date is Ulster Bank. TSB wouldn't be much better than BOI.



Anybody else have good/bad stories of banking???

unclebill98

When was the investment with your aunt done? All banks have been accused of this, however these days it's so heavily regulated that a full fact find must be done before anyone invests and it must meet the needs of the customer.

As for the savings accounts, well not everyone is aware like you of tiered rates of savings on their savings account. However it's not a covert operation and the rates are clearly advertised for customers to see. Are banks guilty of not giving the best rates, yes. Is that old Halifax add of fishing you in on a good rate only to change it, yes they are. However again the regulator makes banks give at least 60days notice of a rate change and these changes are advertised in newspapers, I would say that effected customers should be wrote out to however people need to be far more savvy with there savings and alwys make sure it's making money for them. Cash on deposit is open to inflation as being (apart from € failure) the biggest risk.

Lastly, service. Yea, various hugly from branch to branch let alone bank to bank. However, switch. Again the regulator has made this as easy as it's ever going to be.

So, the regulator has tighten up a lot of bank products and those who can sell it. Banks have lost 100's of staff due to the new MCR regulations and their eligibility to sell regulated products.

In fairness it an only get better. Most examples you get are from a day where you can be sold something that's not suited to you.

The advent of the regulations and the obbudsman have made banks stop there messing about, I for one think it's a step in the right direction but it's never going to stamp it all out.

Ald

The incident with my aunt was earlier this year. The reason she asked me to go in was because she knew I was aware when it came to saving 'cause I'm saving up for something. She wanted to stick with BOI 'cause it was what she knew so I said if it's something you just want to hoard and keep safe just pop it into something that will keep up with inflation (at least for the moment anyways). We knew the name of the product and how much she wanted to put in. And yet, she was still coherced into shares that would mature in years to come (she's mid '60s, unemployed and receiving minimal money from state). Bearing in mind, her redundancy money was already in shares since she went in alone before and was convinced it was right for her. So to buy more shares was ridiculous! Oh, and btw, she was hard pressed with the line "This product runs until Friday (we were in on the Tuesday) and there won't be another of its kind again". No joke.

I used the word 'immoral' to the girl in the branch and she hit the roof. I'd have lodged a complaint with the regulator only my aunt is very shy and nervous type of lady and wouldn't want any fuss...

Agreed on the savings. That's my fault. But it just adds to any anger I have with BOI. I won't bank with them unless I need to. Their computer system is stone age...

Sarn

Regarding the selling of financial products, I find most banks are the same. The advisor will push a certain product, if you're not firm with them then you'll find yourself signed up to something you hadn't planned on. Recently, in another bank, I had to insist on getting the product I was interested in and not some other financial product which wasn't suitable to my needs.

dimma

Sarn wrote: »

Regarding the selling of financial products, I find most banks are the same. The advisor will push a certain product, if you're not firm with them then you'll find yourself signed up to something you hadn't planned on. Recently, in another bank, I had to insist on getting the product I was interested in and not some other financial product which wasn't suitable to my needs.

You should try there banking online 365,,now there is a complete joke these days!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:mad:

theteal

dimma wrote: »

You should try there banking online 365,,now there is a complete joke these days!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:mad:

These days? It's been pish since it was first implemented. I always loved the fact that if you do a transaction of your account after 4pm on a friday, it wouldn't get processed until after COB the following monday (i.e. change wouldn't appear on account until tuesday:eek:) - excellent 365 service!

Apparently, they've done up the website recently but thankfully I have no more dealings with them so I haven't had the pleasure.

skippy2

The only thing Irish banks and i mean BOI and AIB understand is " Please close my account" when you close your account they all decide to wake up. I have done this and moved banks when i dont find them reacting to something. The attitude to service is disgraceful. Have a few family who still bank with them and can never understand them accepting shoddy service.
Have banked with NIB for years now after moving my account and mortgage from AIB after putting up with crap from their branches. While NIB have closed my local branch and slimmed down I still find their service great. Online banking is fantastic and I have had a few issues with them but have always managed to resolve them satisfactorily. Never met an unpleasant member of staff unwilling to help.
As they say speak with your feet its all they understand

Ald

skippy2 wrote: »

The only thing Irish banks and i mean BOI and AIB understand is " Please close my account" when you close your account they all decide to wake up. I have done this and moved banks when i dont find them reacting to something. The attitude to service is disgraceful. Have a few family who still bank with them and can never understand them accepting shoddy service.
Have banked with NIB for years now after moving my account and mortgage from AIB after putting up with crap from their branches. While NIB have closed my local branch and slimmed down I still find their service great. Online banking is fantastic and I have had a few issues with them but have always managed to resolve them satisfactorily. Never met an unpleasant member of staff unwilling to help.
As they say speak with your feet its all they understand

Funnily, I have a savings account with AIB(online) and because I closed my current account with them I can't close the online account because I can't move the €1.50 out of it. So I have a rouge account with them I can't get rid of. I was wondering why I was always getting the calls from customer service. I must follow it up in the New Year with them. I don't want to have random accounts open...

listermint

dimma wrote: »

You should try there banking online 365,,now there is a complete joke these days!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:mad:

Im neither for not against them, but I am dumbfounded why people are finding issues with the overhaul of the 365 site. Ive never had a days issues with it what so ever since overhaul.

What specifically was the issue that makes you so angry?

Im not seeing it ?

Tow

Ald wrote: »

Am I the only one that thinks Bank of Ireland is a waste of space??? In there today and the lady that served me in the Tallaght branch is a misery!

The best I've had to date is Ulster Bank. TSB wouldn't be much better than BOI.

Anybody else have good/bad stories of banking???

You did well to get a meeting with the Tallaght manager, I have being waiting over two years for him to send me written details of the law which says it is illegal to write post dated cheques. He does not take my calls either, leaving his poor staff to make up excuses, but to be honest I have long since given up ringing to remind them.


UB is not much better, I sent two written complaints (to Dublin and Belfast HQ) and they never bothered to rely. That was back in 2004 before they were legally obliged to. Although it was nice to we wined and dinned by them in 'their hope' of gaining a business customer. As the old saying says one bitten twice shy...

Tow

listermint wrote: »

What specifically was the issue that makes you so angry?

The reskinned site is full of bugs. I spotted two today while paying a couple of bills, it even threw me out of the site with an error message from one of them.

prettygurrly

funnily enough, i've had very few problems with boi. the only annoyance was just recently when i wanted to move money in an account that needs written instruction. the branch i went into which wasn't my own sent the instruction to the wrong branch and when it finally reached the correct branch they said that i couldn't write two instructions on the one form so i had to write out another one.
however i've always found drogheda and wicklow branches to be very reactive to requests. they'll phone me about any problems they've had with transactions and they didn't push me into any strange accounts when i wanted to open a savings account. in fact they did their best to make sure i would get the best rate possible.
however because they are so popular the queues in the bank are atrocious and has got to the point where i will go to the branch in tcd rather than stand in a q in drogheda.
i've never had any problems with banking 365. no bugs, no mistakes, no throwing me off. can remember a couple of times over the last 9 years where the site was down for maintenance but that happens. telephone banking was still working.

Tow

prettygurrly wrote: »

i've always found drogheda and wicklow branches to be very reactive to requests.

The level of service does depend a lot on the branch and it's manager. I have talked to an number of BOI staff working in Baggot St / Cabinteely who have said some branches even have a bad name within the bank.

Ald

Tow wrote: »

You did well to get a meeting with the Tallaght manager, I have being waiting over two years for him to send me written details of the law which says it is illegal to write post dated cheques. He does not take my calls either, leaving his poor staff to make up excuses, but to be honest I have long since given up ringing to remind them.


UB is not much better, I sent two written complaints (to Dublin and Belfast HQ) and they never bothered to rely. That was back in 2004 before they were legally obliged to. Although it was nice to we wined and dinned by them in 'their hope' of gaining a business customer. As the old saying says one bitten twice shy...

The incident that happened with my aunt where I had to complain and met with the manager was actually in Ballyfermot. Stay away from the financial adviser there. She hasn't got a lot upstairs. It scared me to think she was advising people that didn't know a lot when it came to money because she was very immoral even by financial adviser standards! She was rude as ever with a head like a chewed toffee!

Ald

prettygurrly wrote: »

funnily enough, i've had very few problems with boi. the only annoyance was just recently when i wanted to move money in an account that needs written instruction. the branch i went into which wasn't my own sent the instruction to the wrong branch and when it finally reached the correct branch they said that i couldn't write two instructions on the one form so i had to write out another one.
however i've always found drogheda and wicklow branches to be very reactive to requests. they'll phone me about any problems they've had with transactions and they didn't push me into any strange accounts when i wanted to open a savings account. in fact they did their best to make sure i would get the best rate possible.
however because they are so popular the queues in the bank are atrocious and has got to the point where i will go to the branch in tcd rather than stand in a q in drogheda.
i've never had any problems with banking 365. no bugs, no mistakes, no throwing me off. can remember a couple of times over the last 9 years where the site was down for maintenance but that happens. telephone banking was still working.

That's very similar to my experience. One branch manager told me that the computers in there were 'held together by tape'. In other words the system in BOI is sh*te.

dimma02

Tow wrote: »

The reskinned site is full of bugs. I spotted two today while paying a couple of bills, it even threw me out of the site with an error message from one of them.

Please phone then when you get a chance and let them know, only way it will be fixed and let thm be aware of all issues.

Tow

dimma02 wrote: »

Please phone then when you get a chance and let them know, only way it will be fixed and let thm be aware of all issues.

I did that several times when they last changed the site. Combo Box dropdown for PIN entry!. Spelling mistakes when you clicked on help options. Wrong currency displayed for FX transfers. eg Selected Philippine Peso PHP and the site then displayed Polish PLN, ie the next choice on the dropdown.

At least back then you could email them. I should have invoiced them for consultancy.

Kensington

Tow wrote: »

I did that several times when they last changed the site. Combo Box dropdown for PIN entry!. Spelling mistakes when you clicked on help options. Wrong currency displayed for FX transfers. eg Selected Philippine Peso PHP and the site then displayed Polish PLN, ie the next choice on the dropdown.

At least back then you could email them. I should have invoiced them for consultancy.

The dropdown was to intended to circumvent keyloggers, as in, if you had a trojan capturing your keystrokes they wouldn't be able to get your PIN as you didn't type it.

A lot of the banks - worldwide, not just BOI - computer systems are awful though, the reasoning being to stick with what you know works - COBOL, IBM AS400s, TNS from Tandem, Windows NT4.0, OS/2.
*shudders*

Tow

Kensington wrote: »

The dropdown was to intended to circumvent keyloggers, as in, if you had a trojan capturing your keystrokes they wouldn't be able to get your PIN as you didn't type it.

I know, but it was badly implemented. You could see the number for a split second when selected, allowing someone to easily watch over a shoulder or use any number of screen capture/record applications. I got the impression there 'tech support' staff had never heard of software capable of recording a computer screen when I contacted them. It is much easier to watch the playback of a screen than go through the raw text of keyboard logger to work out 3 digits in a rotating 6 digit PIN.