Smart Account from An Post

Director Of Finance · 08-10-2017 6:18pm

Worst account ever. I tried 5 times already to register for online banking and failed. Customer service are unable to help. I also applied for a bank statement and it looks terrible. It has no format whatsoever.

Delta2113 · 09-10-2017 2:36pm

They have some neck charging €5 per month and pushing the account at old vulnerable people when collecting social welfare payments.

Joe Duffy. · 09-10-2017 3:06pm

This account is meant to be the saviour of an post

ED E · 10-10-2017 1:12am

Joe Duffy. wrote: »

This account is meant to be the saviour of an post

Of Postmasters.

AP has a job, and does ok at it. This is for the Postmasters to "save rural villages". Spoiler:

It Wont

Joe Duffy. · 10-10-2017 2:20am

ED E wrote: »

Of Postmasters.

AP has a job, and does ok at it. This is for the Postmasters to "save rural villages". Spoiler:
It Wont

I was listening the Sean O Rourke show some morning recently and you'd swear post offices cured cancer the way people were going on, Apparently all elderly people need a post office within walking distance of their front door

ED E · 12-10-2017 5:21pm

The ones in Limerick were great. "Oh no we closed one, but theres another 2.5 miles away, 4 miles away and 6 miles away".

Anyways, OT from the SmartStupidAccount

KELTICKNIGHTT · 13-10-2017 7:36pm

Was going to open smart account with an post but was put off by fees
60c per ATM transaction and 50c per transaction. Which makes an post smart account the most expensive account in Ireland but to top it off when you hear they loose someone funds and can't trace says STAY AWAY FROM ANPOST SMART ACCOUNT.
They won't last they way they going

.BrianJM · 26-11-2017 9:42pm

Isn't technology wonderful? Such a pity that SmartAccount doesn't maximise its use of the technology.
I have just received my first quarterly statement but...
...it's for the quarter ending 30 Sept. '17. Based on that, it's likely that the December statement will arrive beginning of March!?
~~~~~~~~~~~
As for fees: I'm not too bothered. Basically I use the account for receiving my pension and once a week withdraw most of it, leaving a little each week for electricity etc.

vectorvictor · 26-11-2017 10:10pm

.BrianJM wrote: »

Isn't technology wonderful? Such a pity that SmartAccount doesn't maximise its use of the technology.
I have just received my first quarterly statement but...
...it's for the quarter ending 30 Sept. '17. Based on that, it's likely that the December statement will arrive beginning of March!?
~~~~~~~~~~~
As for fees: I'm not too bothered. Basically I use the account for receiving my pension and once a week withdraw most of it, leaving a little each week for electricity etc.

You should try getting a statement out of KBC! Also a smart account holder, suits my needs and the fact that the post office is a stones throw away compared to a bus journey to nearest bank makes the convenience worth the cost. Averaging about 8-10 euro per month cash back so for my purposes it's free banking.

Liam5 · 16-03-2018 8:14am

I would advise people to stay clear of this An post Smartaccount.I signed up for an account last month as I wanted a separate account from my Bank of Ireland account for Internet purchases and I have had problems from day one.Despite contacting customer services 5 times via email and phone calls my card is blocked from Internet use.When you make an online purchase you are asked to enter Master code which is registered as an extra layer of security.the problem is every time I put my code in I get a notice saying it is incorrect when in fact the code is correct and the card is then locked and cannot be used.Only customer services can unlock the card.Each time this has happened I contacted them and they say they have unlocked the card but when I go online to use the card the same thing happens.Customer services appear to be extremely limited in their understanding on the system.I attempted to move money from this account back to my Bank of Ireland account and simply close this smartaccount but when I tried to do this I got a notice stating my BOI IBAN number was invalid I immediately contacted BOI and they confirmed the IBAN was correct.This service is absolute rubbish and customer services appear not to be able to resolve problems.

vectorvictor · 16-03-2018 10:55am

Liam5 wrote: »

This service is absolute rubbish and customer services appear not to be able to resolve problems.

I have had this account pretty much since launch and while I have never had an IBAN or Securecode issue like yourself, I can relate to the customer service problem. This account is basically a white label account powered by a UK fintech company (they provide alot of credit unions in the UK with their technology). Therefore the customer support team are not An Post they are agents who could be answering the phone to customers of any number of "banks". Their knowledge is pretty appalling however the result of using a third party provider is an offering that An Post would never have been able to deliver on their own.

For anyone considering this account, my experience is:

The good :

Pretty good online interface with good options for scheduling payments etc.
SEPA payments are ridiculously quick, as in a matter of hours, they seem to clear down batches hourly as opposed to most banks where once or twice a day is the norm
Text notifications of incoming payments (cost 5cent each optional)
The app is easy to use and has all of the options of the online interface
The "quick lodge" feature is really handy. You can topup the account with a debit card which is handy if you use this account in conjunction with something like N26

The bad:

Really expensive compared to the alternatives. As I live directly opposite a post office and the nearest bank is miles away, the trade off is worth it for me and I generally make back the fees in Lidl cashback
Customer service is not clued in
I don't "trust it" as much as I would an account with a real bank. A handful of times I've logged in and gotten incorrect balances, out of sync transactions. Refreshing the page then displays the correct details
It's run by An Post who have a habit of launching products and ditching them when they don't pay off. I can't see them gaining any real traction with this offering so unless their deal with the third party provider is ridiculously cheap, I don't know if I'd expect this account to be around in 3 years time.

.BrianJM · 17-03-2018 12:10am

Agree with 'vectorvictor' and would add;
. not yet mobile friendly but workable (Windows phone).
. Would be more useful if linked to An Post deposit account. Maybe a work in progress :rolleyes:
. outgoing payment notifications need improving.

Error messages associated with bank codes and passwords are, in my experience, most likely correct. e.g. at initial use an incorrect code is entered and that is what is in the computer system. Also, I have the impression that their system is a bit slow and not good at buffering input, so it is easy to type too quickly.

CollyFlower · 17-03-2018 12:15am

Why would anyone want this Account? It's an absolute ripoff, you're being charged for everything, even a bank account won't charge fees if you use it right.

Liam5 · 17-03-2018 4:10pm

I have closed the account as its not fit for purpose.

mikeisabike · 08-05-2018 8:47pm

Hi, new to boards, never even posted on a forum before, but thought this would be my best option in getting a response. I've had a smart account since November, while I can agree it is extortionate, as someone who is unemployed, lost my old bank account and hence doesn't get many proofs of address to set up an account elsewhere this seemed like the best option going.

I really don't know if I'm just totally out of the loop when it comes to banking but, I'm being placed on the Tús scheme and I'm trying to fill out my banking information as I'll only be getting paid via electronic transfer and while I have my BIC, my IBAN and the rest, I cannot for the life of me find a bank account number. On the form I'm filling out for Tús its stated as an 8 digit code, the closest thing I have to it is a User ID number, which is 10 digits. I even went into the post office today and asked what my number is, their response was to give me a mini statement and that my number would be at the very top, it's not.. It's just a bic and iban, I really cant figure out if I'm really just that daft or that its very suspicious people don't have actual account numbers. No information on the website, a lack of response from customer service, so if anyone can please enlighten me it would be very much appreciated.

JTMan · 08-05-2018 8:51pm

The Tús scheme should only ask for your IBAN. Not your account number.

mikeisabike · 08-05-2018 8:58pm

JTMan wrote: »

The Tús scheme should only ask for your IBAN. Not your account number.

On the form I have it’s asked of me? I was also guessing that maybe it’s not even needed cuz when people have transfer money to me before they asked what my bic and iban were.

JTMan · 08-05-2018 9:00pm

BIC is not needed anymore.

Before the days of IBAN's, account numbers were used, it sounds like the Tus form is old. Simply write your IBAN above the box and tell Tus that their form is dated and old.

gerard2210 · 08-05-2018 9:04pm

Your account number is the last 8 digits of the iban number

mikeisabike · 08-05-2018 9:17pm

JTMan wrote: »

BIC is not needed anymore.

Before the days of IBAN's, account numbers were used, it sounds like the Tus form is old. Simply write your IBAN above the box and tell Tus that their form is dated and old.

Hahah I will do and thanks for your help!

marty1985 · 15-05-2018 11:58pm

mikeisabike wrote: »

Hahah I will do and thanks for your help!

Your account number is the last 8 digits of your IBAN, and the six digits before that is your sort code. So your IBAN is IExxPSTSscscscAAAAAAAA (IE for Ireland, PSTS for An Post Smart Account, then 6 digits of your SC, then the 8 digits of your Account Number.)

I’ve got a Smart Account which I just set up for convenience as I live beside a post office. Only really use it to deposit some savings, with a view to transferring it to a proper savings fund once it reaches a certain amount. I like having a ‘banking’ option I can use beside my home. It would definitely be an expensive account if I was using it for all my transactions.

Their quarterly statements could be a bit better in appearance. I used it as a proof of address once, and it didn’t impress.

I haven’t had any particular bad experiences though. Transfers have been all on time without any major delays.

App isn’t too bad on iPhone but simple enough. Notifications pop up anytime funds are paid in which I like, and I don’t seem able to do with AIB.

frazzledma · 06-07-2018 6:10pm

I've had a Smart Account pretty much since they started. I am seriously considering closing it and looking elsewhere.

Any time you phone customer services they haven't a clue. When they say someone will get back to you they never do. I've had the same recurring issue since the account opened, reported several times to customer services, keep being told it will be escalated. Basically, with some organisations (for example when I tried to get AA cover over the phone) the transaction is being failed with no report of why. When I phoned customer services they say the transaction failed because the person processing it didn't put in the expiry date of the debit card. This is patently ridiculous, they were in all cases correctly putting the expiry date in (often in repeated attempts). Clearly either it is not being escalated or they aren't able to fix it.

Someone sent me a payment from the UK and it didn't arrive. When I phoned to query they said they only take euro transactions. Family fairly often send me little topups or gifts from the UK so this account is just not good enough for me.

I'm also concerned that their accounts are not backed by the state guarantee if something should go horrible wrong. Even my credit union accounts are more secure than this.

The mobile app (I'm on android) is very flaky. I set up a wallet to pay the one direct debit I have on the account. The first time it paid no problem. The second time the debit went out of the main account, not the wallet. It was just lucky there was enough in the main account to cover it. Payments out of the wallet are not listed in the statement that is available through the app. When I phoned customer services about this their response was that I had to check the statement on the internet. If I wanted to do that all the time I wouldn't bother with the app!

Quite often the balances on the app are out of date so in effect you can never be sure exactly how much you have available to spend, or whether enough is in the account to cover expected outgoing.

The monthly charge isn't too bad as I shop in Lidl anyway so usually get more cashback than the charge. If I need cash I get cashback from a shop which bears no charge.

I feel like the Smart Account is half a product and some of it just doesn't work as intended or as one might reasonably expect.

Okon · 06-07-2018 7:52pm

frazzledma wrote: »

I feel like the Smart Account is half a product and some of it just doesn't work as intended or as one might reasonably expect.

I dunno, when I read complaints like yours I feel that An Post's Smart Account is working exactly as I expected it too!

frazzledma · 07-07-2018 1:26pm

Okon wrote: »

I dunno, when I read complaints like yours I feel that An Post's Smart Account is working exactly as I expected it too!

Yeah I probably expected too much.

marty1985 · 06-08-2018 9:57am

frazzledma wrote: »

I've had a Smart Account pretty much since they started. I am seriously considering closing it and looking elsewhere.

Any time you phone customer services they haven't a clue. When they say someone will get back to you they never do. I've had the same recurring issue since the account opened, reported several times to customer services, keep being told it will be escalated. Basically, with some organisations (for example when I tried to get AA cover over the phone) the transaction is being failed with no report of why. When I phoned customer services they say the transaction failed because the person processing it didn't put in the expiry date of the debit card. This is patently ridiculous, they were in all cases correctly putting the expiry date in (often in repeated attempts). Clearly either it is not being escalated or they aren't able to fix it.

Someone sent me a payment from the UK and it didn't arrive. When I phoned to query they said they only take euro transactions. Family fairly often send me little topups or gifts from the UK so this account is just not good enough for me.

I'm also concerned that their accounts are not backed by the state guarantee if something should go horrible wrong. Even my credit union accounts are more secure than this.

The mobile app (I'm on android) is very flaky. I set up a wallet to pay the one direct debit I have on the account. The first time it paid no problem. The second time the debit went out of the main account, not the wallet. It was just lucky there was enough in the main account to cover it. Payments out of the wallet are not listed in the statement that is available through the app. When I phoned customer services about this their response was that I had to check the statement on the internet. If I wanted to do that all the time I wouldn't bother with the app!

Quite often the balances on the app are out of date so in effect you can never be sure exactly how much you have available to spend, or whether enough is in the account to cover expected outgoing.

The monthly charge isn't too bad as I shop in Lidl anyway so usually get more cashback than the charge. If I need cash I get cashback from a shop which bears no charge.

I feel like the Smart Account is half a product and some of it just doesn't work as intended or as one might reasonably expect.

Agree.
I lost patience with them, and have stopped using it.
I tried so hard to change my address after I moved, and it was almost impossible. I had to fill in a form, bring it to my Post Office for it to be stamped, they had no idea what it was or why they had to stamp it but they did anyway. When I scanned it back to the customer services team I had no response. Chased on it a couple of times, and each time they sent me a blank copy of the form saying the same thing: take this to the Post Office and get it stamped.
I replied with the attachment again and again and each time I got an acknowledgement, then I'd hear nothing back, and when I chased, they would just send me a blank form again. I got so annoyed like I can't remember getting annoyed at any customer service before. It feels like nobody has any clue in their customer service team about what the processes are. When I tried to escalate and speak to a manager, they wouldn't pass me on to anyone else.
In the end, the address wasn't even changed, the most recent statement ended up going to my last address, six weeks after I submitted the change of address form, stamped etc, which they finally acknowledged they had received it all along, and apologised.
I got so annoyed I just got all my money out of there fast and asked them to send me a closure form. I don't hold my breath that they'll know what to do with that either.
In summary, very amateurish.

frazzledma · 06-08-2018 3:45pm

Hi Marty

I've now opened another bank account with KBC and will attempt to close my Smart Account. I'm certain it won't be plain sailing though and am preparing for much frustration. This account was the worst decision I have made in a long time.

Will you post again to let me know of your progress with this, please?

Bubbaclaus · 06-08-2018 4:09pm

I don't understand why people would sign up to this account.

frazzledma · 06-08-2018 6:28pm

I signed up for it because I realised I would be able to make back the monthly charge easily since I almost always do my weekly shop in Lidl. Some months the cash back was several times the monthly charge. The hassle and incompetence is just not worth it though.

Delta2113 · 06-08-2018 11:06pm

Bubbaclaus wrote: »

I don't understand why people would sign up to this account.

An Post is a very strong brand and people are so annoyed with banks.

youtube! · 17-03-2021 6:19pm

Oh dear I’ve just opened an account. I see this thread is three yrs old , gave they improved at all ?

Smart Account from An Post

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