| Ease of use | 10/10 |
|---|---|
| Customer Service | 7/10 |
| Overall rating | 8/10 |
Full review by
o2guy
expert review 
on 11th Jan 2007
User Rating : 8
Respect :
+1
Good Points: Very friendly staff on the phone, easy to use website and excellent communication from them by mail and phone.
Bad Points: Confusing letters stating you have been issued with a different card than you actually have. Staff in branch who do not really know the details of the account you have opened.
General comments: When my bank announced they were merging with Barclays, I decided I did not want to continue banking with them, due to dealings I have had with Barclays Bank in past. Anyway, I had heard good reports from friends and colleagues about Alliance and Leicester, so I applied for a Premier Current account online, and they emailed me to tell me my application had been declined based on my credit score, which was not a huge surprise to me, as it is pretty awful, and they advised me to call them and see if they may have another product which may suit me. So, I called and explained that all I really wanted was a current account with direct debit and standing order facility, and also internet and telephone banking. I wasn't bothered about an overdraft or cheque guarantee card. They suggested the Young Worker account. At first I wasn't impressed by the sound of it, it conjured up images of kiddies' accounts with piggy banks and special badges. But once the advisor explained the account in more detail, I was very impressed. She explained the account was for 16-24 year olds who credit over £500 per month and they didn't offer a huge rate of interest like the premier accounts did, or the extras like free travel insurance, etc.; but other than that, it was exactly the same and offered more services than my current bank. She said that the card issued was either a Visa Delta or Visa Electron, and which one was offered was based on credit scoring, so she predicted that I would be issued with Electron, but as long as I ran my account well for about 6 months, that may be upgraded to a Visa Delta later on, but that really doesn't concern me, as everywhere I shop, accepts Electron. She offered to run through the application on the phone, but I didn't have time, so I elected to apply online again. This time, my application was successful, and I recieved all my letters and passwords/pin numbers within a week, followed by my Electron card which also had the new Visa logo on it. Finally I got my paying in book and cheque book through. I went online and set up my internet banking, and also discovered that I had a savings account attatched to the current account, something I wasn't told, but a bonus all the same. You transfer monies between the current and saving accounts online, and the money is available within 24 hours. All very impressive. Overall, so far I have been very impressed by Alliance and Leicester, and I hope they will continue to do so.
o2guy's review and ratings | 493 words
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