Starling Feedback

[Rat_au_van (Em)]

Order of the British Empire

Or Miniscule Banking Empire

[anon23935806]

Miniscule Banking Empire

This!

[harryru (Harry)]

Looks like I won’t be using their community any more considering I don’t have an account with them! What a way to shut people out that have a genuine interest.

[Pipefish (Patrick)]

They took on a contract with the DWP to work on Universal Credit a while back - that caused me to close my account as I don’t want anything to do with any company that would get involved in that, even in a small way or indirectly. - Basically screwing over the poor, unemployed and disabled.

Then I saw a video a few weeks back of Liz Truss playing ping pong or something in their offices. Now their CEO is getting an MBE - and I’ve just read that they’re teaming up with RBS (where their CEO used to work, no?) to help them create a digital bank…

It’s all added up to confirm that I made the right decision. Challenger my arse.

[anon15594239]

@admdly

I personally struggle to understand the lack of response to many of these issues. At last count there were at least three community managers, which I’d expect to manage the community. Yet any ‘difficult’ topics or even any just including minor criticism and you can’t find a Starling staff member anywhere. The whole place just locks up.

I mean it’s not a big community in the scheme of things, certainly not unmanageable for three people even working part-time.

I sent a private message to them asking that my community account be closed. Ironically after 5 hours still no response.

**Edit. That did it. My community account was just closed.

[admdly]

I’m at a total loss as to how they respond at times. I’ve seen Megan back on today posting about the platform, which is great and fine - it is her job, but nothing else. There’s very little to really manage over there right now, so what are the community managers doing?

[admdly]

I haven’t the slightest idea what they actually do for the DWP. I’m guessing it’s related to paying claimants through their platform offerings.

I’m not sure I’d hold this against them, they’re a business and providing a service doesn’t make you complicit in any failings by customers who use your services. Someone has to be be providing the service, maybe Starling are offering a better service in this regard which will benefit claimants. Who knows what legacy crud they replaced with this?

Edit: apparently they verify claimants for Universal Credit - what that involves I have no idea, but I’d of thought someone like a Experian or Equifax would be more in the industry of verifying people.

[Gaoler]

A4e anyone?

[anon12300088]

Universal Credit is an extremely controversial policy, so people will have an opinion on it.
@Pipefish said they closed their account because of it, it’s all about personal feelings for customers, and if they don’t agree with what their bank is doing, they will go and find an alternative.

[admdly]

Believe me, I’m well aware of Universal Credit and its impact. I’ve helped a number of close people deal with this and have a few still dreading the day they switch everyone. I absolutely respect anyone who is willing to leave their bank over it, and frankly there are a host of other issues at the moment that I suspect don’t make that a difficult decision.

I’m just very cautious about judging a company, especially a small one, based on their customers. As it goes, I don’t take Starling’s ethics policy with a pinch of salt and I never thought they were an ethical company to start with, so it doesn’t really hit or surprise me.

[jwhiterz (Jack)]

@admdly

here’s very little to really manage over there right now, so what are the community managers doing?

Arranging all the event’s that Anne ends up going to is my guess

[admdly]

Anne just liked some post both defending a Monzo post and recommending Starling, so it seems she has plenty time to read (see ‘police’) the forum.

[anon12300088]

It’s horrific the impact it is having on people, and I really hope the people in your life have now got it sorted and don’t have any more undue stress or worry because of it .

[admdly]

Things are ‘settled’ for now. As everything DWP they tend to live in constant fear of the DWP’s whims, or some mistake happening in some back office requiring months of work to fix. It’s a sad state of affairs when the most vulnerable in society are treat the worst.

That’s beside all the checks, reviews, etc. in the name of catching cheats and checking eligibility. Despite having one of the lowest welfare fraud levels in the world, and the rate rising despite the heavy handed way in which things are being managed.

[anon12300088]

It’s good to hear things are settled, and I hope it continues .

[j06 (Jamie)]

@anon12300088

if they don’t agree with what their bank is doing, they will go and find an alternative

Consumer Power is a pretty strong force to contend with. It’s good consumers have such power.

[anon12300088]

I think Monzo have the best approach I’ve ever seen from a bank, customer support and wellbeing is at the forefront of everything they do.

[dave.b (Dave)]

@harryru

Looks like I won’t be using their community any more considering I don’t have an account with them! What a way to shut people out that have a genuine interest.

I don’t think I will be using their community in future either. I do have an account with them, but I simply don’t want to link my Starling account to their community website for my own perfectly good reasons.

I hope the Monzo community doesn’t go the same way. I think contributions from people who are not customers are also valuable.

[tbutz (🏳️‍🌈 Producer of "low value commentary")]

My impression is that your behaviour on the Starling forum & your access to an account would be irrevocably linked. Behave poorly on the community and say goodbye to your account? I know it sounds daft but that’s how it’s going.

[nickh]

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion of course, but unless you frequent the forum semi regularly, it’s difficult to get an overview of everything.

From personal experience, a disruptive user over there is far far worse than one on the Monzo forum - Just due to the user numbers on each.

I’m not talking about criticism of Starling - Despite popular belief, you can do that freely (I have) - Providing of course it’s semi constructive, and doesn’t cross the line between criticism, and personal attacks/trolling.

Sadly, there seems to have been far more trolling over there of late, which has led them to this decision.

I hope they can work out a way to let legitimate users have a say (even non customers) - But given the 2 options currently, I think this is the right call for now.