Yup I took a single product out with them and told them clearly I didn’t want any other marketing material.
ISA current account etc paraphernalia duly arrived
Yes, saying you won’t qualify for another switch bribe if received before. I always get them
it’s boring, stagnant and very basic. I joined as I’d heard rave reviews for the customer service.
I’ve found them incredibly slow and manual, having to use live chat to open a simple savings account and the spiel over the phone being talked to for over half an hour before even the option to be told, you probably can’t have an overdraft yet.
As others have said, the marketing backfired. I feel like a number to a very stagnant company, the hype for what is a poor rate savings account and a competition was truly subpar.
Once I can open an ISA for this tax year, I’m moving the savings out and closing it all.
No doubt I’ll receive a tree’s worth of paper for the accounts I will be closing with them! 
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I feel like if they just went down the simple route with adverts, it would be fine. The adverts presented them as more modern as they were which wasn’t the way to go
I personally like them, but was fully aware beforehand how simple they were
Someone said to me the other day that they were surprised by the experience given it’s been “marketed at young people”. That would probably tie into your analysis
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I love the simplicity and design of the app. It just feels like the rest of the offering is poor compared to other banks. HSBC is miles better for a bank experience in the same company.
I understand the main selling point is the telephone banking side - and even today that has appeal for some - but at least offer some better credit card products; and allow openings and such in app rather than needing to call someone - as above sometimes that takes ages.
I’ve not had to call much but when I have it’s been quickly answered but I haven’t found the service excellent or the standard that everyone appears to say it is. Pretty basic
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I’m half-and-half with first direct. I trust them more with my money than the fintechs (and most other mainstream banks) as any problems like AML checks, frozen funds or accounts, scams etc I feel their customer service at that point is going to be beneficial to getting it resolved quickly.
On the other hand they are massively stuck in the 90s. Can’t open a simple instant access savings account in the app without chatbot or calling them, no renaming accounts, pots, they never fixed being able to use the debit card at machines in branch etc
Although for my main account do I need anything more than the basics alongside solid customer service should anything go wrong…
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This wouldn’t bother most people, but it annoys me that the app details aren’t hidden like NatWest when looking at open apps in iOS.
Useful I guess considering you can’t copy and paste from the first direct app.
To add to my “basic question bring answered by post” instead of doing that they’ve actually sent a letter confirming they’ve taken an action I didn’t request at all! No financial detriment, but not what I asked for and a mild inconvenience.
I would not raise anything like this by chat again. The credit product I have is good, and it’s nice having a chat on the phone everyone once in a while…but there is no way I would use them for my day to day banking!
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I always wonder if eventually they will. I actually would’ve considered moving to FD if they had a packaged account, and investments.
For me they offer a better standard account than HSBC as it stands.
They used to have one, it was called First Directory. Some existing customers still have it, but it was withdrawn for new customers five years ago.
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Who came up with that name?
New payments screen update within the app.
Still can’t set a standing order to a current payee…
When you tap payments it brings up your accounts at the bottom of the screen to choose which you’d like to manage.
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I re-applied for a FD account after Chase axed the cash back after closing my FD account a few weeks prior, and switched my account back to them. While obviously not intentional (
) I’ve received the switch bonus for a second time this year.
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Yeah I swear they have no way of tracking if they’ve paid a bonus before or not.
It’s quite bad really.
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Lol I told them that I had a first direct account before* but that still didn’t matter, I’m like I told you on sign up what’s going on? Still free money is free money.
*It was a looooooooong time ago but still. So long ago that what they call their 1st account used to be called a cheque account.
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TCB paid within 2 weeks as well. £60 at the moment.
Is anyone that’s on Android 15, UI7 find that since installing this update they’re not getting notifications?
Is it just me or does it feel that First Direct has been left behind? There seems to be more focus on HSBC these days, and it feels the group aren’t pushing the brand as much as they used it. Could that be the start of integrating FD into HSBC UK as a single brand?
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