I was rushed through the deal just before the branch closed. i found out 2 YEARS later that you have to use it as your main account and that you have to put in a "student loan" every 3 months. Who gets a student loan every three months.
I intend to never band with the abbey again, even though i'v had an account with them since i was 10

I had been waiting to hear from Natwest for a long time and after an experience of extremly poor customer service I went to an abbey branch on a friends reccomendation. I had to wait half an hour due to business and there were only two assistants on that could deal with student accounts, but when seen it was fast, efficient and friendly. I was given the bank details there and then so there was no waiting. Highly reccomend.

After having been an Abbey customer for a few years, I was finally going to university so decided to apply for a student account with them. Despite the fact that they don't even give any freebies, they flat out rejected my application. I first applied at one branch whereby I was given a trainee employee to sort out my account, he filled out the wrong forms. I went to another branch, filled in more forms with someone else and didn't hear from them for weeks. Rang and told I would be contacted but heard nothing. Finally I went there to find out what was going on and I was told I'd been declined.

I will be closing my abbey account now. Bank with people who appreciate their customers and actually take the time to correspond with them...like Natwest.

I kept paying money in unaware that this had happened, so I wasn't told for a month and £400 later. I went in to see why my card was declined, as I'd put money in. I sat for 2 hours with a customer service member who demanded I pay the money in two weeks. They refused smaller instalments and threatened to list it as a default and ruin my credit rating, even though I had medical evidence to show extreme circumstances. This was after she had applied for an Abbey National loan to cover it, which was declined because I had charges in my account.

Jackie you've really just hit upon how willing abbey are to get customers. I took a loan with abbey, they were one of the only banks to give me a loan. Great. But, I went overdrawn on my debit card by £50 for only a week. I didn't even know I could get overdrawn as I didn't have an overdraft and my card was not a credit card. Abbey sent me a letter saying they were charging me £20 for being over drawn. But not only that, they were going to deduct £30 from my account for every single transaction I'd made in that week on my card; regardless of how much it had been for. So for a transaction of just £5 I'd made I'd been charged thirty quid for. For being overdrawn by £50 for one week, in total abbey were going to charge me £200! Thankfully my father saw this letter abbey had sent me and we went to the bank and managed to get the charge down to £40. But I wouldn't dream of keeping my account with Abbey, had I not the loan with them. HSBC are much more reasonable if you ever get over drawn.

Having been rejected by Halifax and Nat West, on a friends recommendation I decided to give the Abbey National a try. I had a student loan cheque as with the other banks, but i was treated with respect and given a current account on the spot. Decision making was in the power of the employee I spoke to, none of this: 'I'll talk to my boss and let you know next Tuesday'stuff'. I was treated well, given the full facts, internet banking. The whole experience was and continues to be pleasant and painless. The reception is cosy and there is never a queue, free phone service as well as excellent indoor and outdoor machines. I'll be staying with them.