Oh donāt worry after reading back on this thread Iām already almost done with NatWest (which I actually want to keep) and now Iām working out a game plan for my old HSBC account thatās been laying dormant. Iām thinking RBS > Ulster > Lloyds > First Direct.
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Heads up on the Ulster its completely different from RBS/NatWest.
Fill in old school form online to apply (pretending your in N Ireland with your nearest branch) > get your application in the post printed with your answers > sign and send back in the pre-paid envelope. Ignore the ID request to send back or in branch its not needed. Wait a week and account opened, then wait to be told a new switching date ignoring the one you gave originally. Ā£200.
You need a lot of patience with Ulster. Theyāre not consistent with how they do it. I got a text with a link for ID, son got a letter for ID and wife got letter followed up by, so far, three emails looking for more ID.
Lloyds may have expired by the time you get Ulster!
I think its lucky dip, my wife got her account opened in a week from starting online and posting back. Then cass completed and got paid three days later.
But ive read on here peoples taking ages so she was lucky. The no need for ID helped.
I would put Ulster at the end of any switching chain
The only problem with that is that youāre stuck with the Ulster account rather than a sensible one.
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Whatās wrong with Ulster? I thought it was the same proposition as NatWest just a different colour.
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It is, but offers a tiny bit fewer products. No BNPL or Digital Regular Saver for instance.
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Ah fairs, still unsure how itās not sensible though.
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Itās more sensible than the comment suggesting the contraryā¦
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Not that sensible in terms of operating. Three weeks or more to open an account. If you hit a problem, how long would it take them to sort it out with that speed iof admin? For example, they have asked the wife three times for a copy of her visa. She has a residence permit which they have a copy of and doesnāt have a visa.
Ah so your sole experience impacts your āsensibleā comment.
While there has been comments of inconvenience in account opening, that doesnāt make it not sensible.
Letās hope they sort it soon for your partner.
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No, that is one example. I live in NI and there are quite a number of people who find it less than convenient to use i.e. there are lots of examples of poor service.
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Itās all serviced centrally now so thereās virtually no difference across the group.
Iām not sure if that applies to Ulster. They have their own computer centre just outside Belfast which is likely why the Ulster account is less functional than the RBS/NatWest accounts.
RBS just paid out, so can confirm you can get Ā£200 from both NatWest and RBS.
Not sure if this has been discussed here, but could I make another Chase account with itās own unique account number and sort code, and switch that one out to RBS to get a reward, whilst keeping my Chase account open or would I have to close my chase account? Thanks.
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What do you do with the āhave you a debit cardā question on the transfer? Do you just say ānoā in that thereās only one card and presumably youāll leave that attached to an account that you arenāt transferring?
Can you CASS one of the savings accounts? I know CASS doesnāt usually apply to savings accounts but for Chase Iām thinking that it might do in that you can have DDs on them (as you can from old Coventry DD capable savings accounts which you can CASS).
No idea, if anyone else got information it would be greatly appreciated. Thinking to use Chase to switch to RBS