Abbey Business Banking - good or bad??? [Archive]

DavidHorn

4th January 2006, 21:37

I can recommend them. I don't have very high demands for a business bank, but they have an okay website and the people are friendly enough when I speak to them. No surprise charges in the last 2 years - which is a pleasant surprise.

hunny

4th January 2006, 21:50

Thanks David, good feedback so far. :D
Anne

Anonymous

5th January 2006, 16:20

How long do they take to setup accounts? I sent off my application via post with all needed docs just before christmas and haven't heard a peep since. Of course there have been lots of bank holidays but should I expect something in the next week?

DavidHorn

5th January 2006, 16:31

I think it took about 2 working weeks - fairly standard.

VeryMark

5th January 2006, 16:40

Allied & Leicester are far worse - we gave up waiting for them to open an account.

If you want speedy efficient personal service, Whiteaway Laidlaw Bank (part of GUS) are good - accounts do have bank charges but these are reasonable and there are no charges during the first six months. They do not use a call centre and you always speak to the same manager!

bwglaw

5th January 2006, 20:00

Avoid Natwest at all costs! They took 3 months to open our business account resulting in missed payments and a not so good credit rating. Moved to HSBC and they are FABULOUS! Now have a glowing credit rating!

hunny

5th January 2006, 20:40

Thanks everyone for your help, I have completed a telephone application and they say it will take about a week to complete with ID etc
So we'll wait and see! :D :D

multilingual

5th January 2006, 20:49

I can vouch for Alliance and Leicester.

Very good company, no faults, but the initial application process can take longer than one week so bear with them a bit.

:)

JB

hunny

5th January 2006, 20:51

Thanks JB :D

Anonymous

6th January 2006, 10:10

Thanks for the helpful comments, as it happens I just received my paying-in book this morning and my initial deposit cheque has been cashed so things are starting to move.

Pebble Communications

7th January 2006, 08:58

I've been extremely happy with my Abbey Business Account.

In fact I'm now thinking about moving my personal banking there too.

Azam.net

5th January 2009, 16:25

Abbey are the worst business bank account I've experienced. Customer service takes forever to get through and there is a long-winded call menu system. Support staff are awful - they've started routing calls abroad to people who struggle to understand English.

Foreign payments have to be made through completing a long-winded form EVERY time and sending in a fax.

You can't do any transactions in any Abbey bank and everything has to be done by fax or letter. Over 50% of the time my letters and faxes have not been acted upon, so we have to make repeated requests.

For years now, their online banking website stops working at 11pm and is offline all night.

This is truely antiquated McBanking.

I have a number of bank accounts and Abbey Business Banking is worse than all of them.

Simon-M

5th January 2009, 16:51

This is truely antiquated McBanking.

I have a number of bank accounts and Abbey Business Banking is worse than all of them.

And you are still with them because................................. ????

Azam.net

5th January 2009, 16:59

I was with them up until 5 minutes ago :) Just sent in my fax to quit them! Feel so happy.

Does anybody have an experience with Alliance & Leicester Business Banking? Good or bad?

sjt

5th January 2009, 18:00

I was with them up until 5 minutes ago :) Just sent in my fax to quit them! Feel so happy.

careful, by the sounds of it, you may have to follow up your fax in a few weeks ;)

sjt

5th January 2009, 18:01

See sticky thread above :D

am I being really dumb not seeing a sticky thread about Abbey Business Banking anywhere....?

Andieatn

5th January 2009, 18:09

am I being really dumb not seeing a sticky thread about Abbey Business Banking anywhere....?

I can't see one either!

We bank with Abbey Business banking and I fuly recommend! As we have a shop aswell we pay in through the machines (as you can't pay in over the counter) and the only down side is it takes a day longer for your money to show and if the machines are all down (only happened once in 2 years to us) they still won't let you pay in over the counter! However we moved from HSBC as I found them impossible to talk to, you had to wait ages to get served in the branch and the call centre sent my stress levels through the roof! The big plus side is it's free and most of the others charge for their bad service!

Andrea

stugster

5th January 2009, 18:16

This thread is from 2006. The sticky was probably removed ages ago.

hunny

5th January 2009, 18:35

Still with Abbey (since 2006) and generally pleased with the service - no problems

sjt

5th January 2009, 19:03

This thread is from 2006. The sticky was probably removed ages ago.

oh yeah!
Thanks....

Edward Moss

5th January 2009, 19:15

Apart from the website "upgrade" a few weeks ago Abbey have been fine. No complaints in 5 years.

Andieatn

5th January 2009, 19:18

Apart from the website "upgrade" a few weeks ago Abbey have been fine. No complaints in 5 years.

Have you had problems with the upgrade? It didn't cause us any problems but all the new security info is hard work to remember, I guess if it's to further protect us it's ok though!

Edward Moss

5th January 2009, 20:35

Have you had problems with the upgrade? It didn't cause us any problems but all the new security info is hard work to remember, I guess if it's to further protect us it's ok though!

Main problem is that my new reference number didn't arrive so I rang them and 10 days later, nothing, rang them again and was told there was no record of my request. In the end I couldn't log in for 3 weeks as this was before Christmas. All sorted now except they have decided not to support Safari on the mac...

hunny

5th January 2009, 20:40

We've had no problem with the upgrade... everything went really smoothly.

sjt

5th January 2009, 21:22

with Abbey, can you just do everything online (apart from paying in cheques etc!)

hunny

5th January 2009, 21:28

Yes, as far as I'm aware, you have all the normal internet banking options, and I've never had any problems getting through on the phone, although I think its only normal biz hours by phone.

Michael Rooker

20th March 2009, 10:45

I have a Abbey business account and asked if they could supply me with an Electron card which they do supply to other customers.for some strange reason they will not supply one to me,needless to say I am now cancelling my account with them ! their loss not mine I am now going to get an Electron card from the Post Office.and run my small business through my local Building society,When will these Banks realise that we keep them in Business not the other way round.

Ashley_Price

27th March 2009, 09:15

Well, I have to admit - Abbey business were good, but for the last but for the last seven months we have inordinate trouble getting them to change the bank details to our new address.

Their system is that you send them a fax and ring up an hour later to confirm they have received it. We've done this several times since we've moved and despite confirmation that they have received the fax the address still isn't being changed. This means that all our statements etc., are still be sent to the old address - and it's an address we no longer have access to. I point this out to them each time but I can only assume security is not a major concern for them.

The last fax I sent was on 2nd March and I also asked for a new cheque book to be sent (to the new address). Checking with them this morning they still have the old address. The chap I was speaking to said he will go back through the fax box to find my fax and take it to Admin personally.

He said he would phone me back but I have my doubts.

stugster

27th March 2009, 09:16

... And they've still not brought back online statements for reconciling banks! :mad::mad::mad:

Ashley_Price

27th March 2009, 09:53

Well we can access our account online and see our statement, so that isn't a problem.

stugster

27th March 2009, 09:54

On abbey? I'd be surprised if you can - they've removed that functionality.

Ashley_Price

27th March 2009, 10:04

On abbey? I'd be surprised if you can - they've removed that functionality.

We do this every day. In fact my Jackie is online now doing our latest accounts. Maybe they removed this facility for newer sign-ups. We set up the account not long after Abbey started offering the free banking.

stugster

27th March 2009, 10:05

So she's able to print off statements by number? With the opening and closing balance?

Ashley_Price

27th March 2009, 10:36

So she's able to print off statements by number? With the opening and closing balance?

Ahh, I see. I don't know about that. We just select what we need and print it off that way.

barginboyrob

27th March 2009, 16:21

hi,

if you guys use Abbey business account, what online/phone payment gateway do you use?

I want to use Protx but it seems they don't support Abbey merchant acconts?

BevT

28th March 2009, 20:13

Well we can access our account online and see our statement, so that isn't a problem.
It is a problem for us, we can log on but since the upgrade cannot view any statements. We have called them over and over again, made a formal complaint, contacted the Financial Ombudsman but still nothing has been done. Over the 2 years we have had an account we have had so many problems and 3 times we have received compensation. So my advice is don't touch Abbey. We have given up now and in process of moving to A&L. We are cash heavy and often found the ATM was out of order - not good when we have a couple of thousand pounds to pay in! We will be able to pop over the road to the PO now to pay in.