Yes, Halifax are now HBOS (Halifax Bank of Scotland), I was originally with BoS and think that the changes since Halifax came on board have not been good.
Use of 0845 nos is galling (although it can be circumvented, I believe) and being unable to phone your local branch is ridiculous.  The staff at my local Branch (old BoS) are fine and helpful, however, so I stay with them (their High Interest Current account is good).

Keith wrote on Nov 7^th, 2006 at 5:13pm:
I agree with this.  Nationwide have UK call centres (well I've never spoken with an overseas person) and you can still ring your local branch on a geographical number.  Nationwide do have an 0845 in use but on the back of your credit/debit cards, they also freely provide the geographical (for international access) which I always ring without once being questioned as to why I was ringing that number unlike Alliance & Leicester for which I understand from this forum and MSE, will not deal with your enquiry unless you are abroad and force you to ring their 08x number(s).

Yes I have been with Nationwide for many years almost as far back as when they were known as the 'Nationwide Anglia' building society.  They merged with Anglia BS back in the 80's then they dropped the Anglia label.  Their internet banking is excellent with their flex (current) account and e-savings - brilliant.  However we know the long the term strategists of the 'globalists' and the international banking elite.  Nationwide will not remain a mutual building society for forever - it will undoubtedly be taken over by a bank, like the Cheltenham & Gloucester were, or it will convert directly itself and then of course everything will change!

Soon after the merger with the Portman BS next year, Nationwide will then be considered big and fat enough to convert directly into a PLC bank itself with the promise of huge windfalls/ free shares to investors and borrowers, but then we will have to get used to call centres in Bangalore and premium rate telephone numbers as they skimp and scrape to pay the shareholders huge wedges twice a year - you mark my words chaps.  This is exactly what happened to the Abbey National as well as others.  With the Abbey, we have sky high penalty charges, premium rate 0845 telephone numbers, call centres in India, no access by phone to your local branch etc etc.  Abbey National used to be a nice BS with good rates for borrowers & savers and you had full access to local branches by phone.  Do you remember 'Get the Abbey habit'?  My local branch has even done away with the free in house telephone booths where you could phone the telephone banking section for example - presumably to save money so that we'll have to phone them from home to earn them 1/2p per minute or whatever they get when we have to ring the 0845 number.

Alternative wrote on Nov 8^th, 2006 at 1:32am:


I sincerely hope that you are wrong on this.

My own feeling is that Nationwide has a customer base who are all died in the wool Building Society supporters who have moved there from the likes of Abbey National etc, etc.  I personally feel that it will carry on as the one remaining major Building Society but with sufficient economies of scale to compete with the large high street banking PLCs etc.

bbb_uk wrote on Nov 8^th, 2006 at 2:49pm:


You really need to get an MBNA Conran Visa card with 1% cashback on everything for UK use though.  Its a long term discount they have been running for the last five years and not some 3 month marketing come on like most of the other Cashback offers.

And MBNA use 0800 numbers for all their customer contact including customer service and have nice friendly and intelligent staff too.

Quote:


They actually publish their geographic number on their web site, and never seemed to be concerned if you used it. I think they may well be one of the companies that used the number as a true 'national' call in the very early days. Whether they are locked into some sort of contract, or just don't understand the implications now, I don't know. It is very disappointing they hang on to it, because they make a very big thing about being the 'Ethical Bank' - not investing in areas such as armaments, even though they'd make a squillion bucks!

But 0870 is totally unethical! Come on Smile - if you read this - take a stand and show your true ethical colours! Dump the damn'ed rip-off number!

Just looked at the link for the complaints bureau.  I note that they provide a geographical number for the fax machine (like many organisations do!) but when it comes down to the phone number, it's a premium rate 0845 number!

I shall send them a written complaint by fax using large point font.  As I have said before, for companies that have fax machines still, a written complaint carries more weight than an e-mail.

Alt.