Scottish Widows Internet Banking www.scottishwidows.co.uk

Late at night on a Sunday, and I wanted an investment valuation before the markets reopen tomorrow.

Initially, I could log in, but not actually view my investment details, instead getting a message that I MAY be trying to access it outside available hours. But I cannot find out from the website what the "available hours" should be. Why isn't it 24*7? And if there's an actual service outage, why can't they just say so, instead of leaving customers to wonder if weekend or late night logins simply aren't allowed?

Since earlier attempts, things have actually deteriorated, and I'm now getting a message that a "serious system error" has occurred, and a number to call if it persists (but obviously they won't be there now!)

No "Sorry we're doing maintenance", or any form of explanation.

Worst online banking site I've ever used, restricted opening hours for investment site-why? With other banking sites I can check 24/7

Bookmarking banking login page doesn't work, have to re-search for address each time I use it (been doing this for last 7 years!).

'severe system error' messages not exactly helpful?

This is inexcusable, site developers should be sacked for incompetence. The site lack reliable working functionality and usability (error messages should guide users as to why there is a problem and how to recover).

Using this site is like going back 15 years.

No simple app to transfer cash across between accounts

No simple way to retrieve passwords for login

Long waiting times if you phone in

After wanting an offset mortgage product and taking advice from an IFA I opted for the Scottish Widows Offset Mortgage with Savings Account. I had a part interest only and part repayment mortgage as I had an existing endowment which SW took into account. After a painfully slow application process by SW, I was finally granted my mortgage. After weeks of very slow notification of account numbers etc I managed to get online and deposited a balance to offset my mortgage. This resulted in a notification warning me that my balance was not working for me and was effectively sitting in a 0% interest account and not offsetting my mortgage. I rang their customer service and was promised call backs twice - neither of which happened. Eventually I spoke with an abrupt woman who told me that my balance would only work against only one part of my mortgage so I could effectively never offset the entire mortgage. I spoke to my IFA who was gobsmacked and when he checked the terms, advised that one could interpret the ambiguous terms that way and sought to raise this ambiguity with SW directly.

To cut a long (and painful) story short, SW graciously agreed to merge the mortgage into one repayment product so that the balance could be used to offset it and duly supplied the paperwork. I signed and returned this on 06 Jan. 3 weeks later I rang and asked why this hadn't been actioned and they claimed they had only just received it and that paperwork was on its way for me to sign. It arrived on 31 Jan with the terms saying that any change would take effect the month after they received the signed paperwork back - oh how convenient...another month's worth of interest!

I sent the paperwork back that day so they would have received it 01 Feb and here we are on the 12th with no acknowledgement and the request still unactioned.

This 'bank' seem to use every sly trick in the book to ensure they maximise the interest on the money you deposit or owe such as taking days to transfer money out of the savings account and not releasing the sort code to make transferring money quick and easy - instead opting for some archaic transfer request process from nominated accounts which takes days to see the balance arrive when you know it is there due to FPS.

The interest rate I have is good but the customer service is atrocious, the web interface is from the stone age and the speed of processing is worse than walk-in banking which is saying something for an online offering.

I cannot urge people enough to avoid this dismal show of 'Fisher Price' banking at its worst. Utterly, utterly dreadful and I cannot wait to leave them.

I can access my details less than 50% of the time. Unbelievably bad:(

Clicking on the 'Policyholder' button will prompt input of customer ID and Pin. please tell me where is this 'policyholder' button? As I cant find it.

I am an existing customer who has repeatedly tried to use the internet banking service. It doesn't work. The logins sent to you by post don't work. All they do when you ring them up is send you a new login. The new one doesn't work either. The whole thing doesn't work.

By far the worst internet banking site that I've used - setting up in problematic, site is slow and withdrawing money is a nightmare. I'm surprised that a reputable concern like Scottish Widows should have made such a hopeless stab at internet banking - avoid at all costs !

Having read several of the reviews listed I can understand the difficulties mentioned as I to did have some of these problems at first . The initial log in must be started on Scottish Widows Internet banking not the others listed under Scottish Widows, once into this area it is straight forward . The reason I have bothered to write a review is I believe we must move our savings around to the highest interest rate of the day , this is the only way we can tell the banks that we are not satisfied with their interest payments against what they charge on loans etc . If all us little savers moved our savings on a regular basis to the highest bidder then perhaps we would eventually get a better deal .

This Internet banking site is quite the most hopeless I have ever used. Well when I say used, that would be innacurate, because you have to be able to login to the site in the 1st place to be able to use it. WHICH I VERY RARELY CAN!!!!

I was going to use it to move all my cash savings into, but quite clearly I will NEVER be able to get them back out again. This perhaps should be advertised as a long Notice Account rather thanan online one.

Quite ridiculous.