BOI free banking

homeOwner

I have my current account, business bank account, savings account and mortgage all with BOI.

I went into a branch (not where any of my accounts are) and asked at customer services about getting free banking on my current account.

Lady told me that in order to qualify you have to keep a minimum balance (which I always do) and do at least 3 banking 365 transactions per quarter.

Now I do have banking 365 but all my bills are paid out of my current account on direct debit so the only thing I use 365 for is to pay off my credit card bill and move money into my savings account. I do not use my credit card every month so would not need to go onto 365 and do a payment, and may do only 1 transfer to saving account a year. So I dont qualify for free banking.

I asked the lady if they could give it to me anyway and she said flat out, i dont qualify. Now if I were to cancel my direct debits and log in every month to pay my bills I would qualify. But that would be hassle for me and I dont see why I should have to do this.

It seems bizzare to me. Can anyone give me advice? I would close my account with them on principle but to what end? Are AIB any better? I need to be in a bank that has branchs all over as my work takes me all over the city so need to be able to accesss a bank if I need to.

Would I have better luck talking to the bank manager of the branch where my current account is?

Time Magazine

Set up a direct debit to transfer €10 once a week from account a to account b and then back again?

shoegirl

homeOwner wrote:

Are AIB any better?

NO. Much worse.

homeOwner

Angry Banana wrote:

Set up a direct debit to transfer €10 once a week from account a to account b and then back again?

I dont get what you mean. Direct debits do not count towards 365 online transactions so how does that help?

But along the lines of what you have said, I could go onto 365 online and transfer money from current account to savings account and then back again 3 times a quarter though and then I would qualify for free banking. Crazy I know but it would work.:rolleyes:

shoegirl

Or you could just transfer your account to Permanent TSB, National Irish Bank, or Ulster Bank and get REAL free banking without unreasonable preconditions.

homeOwner

Ok so anyone have any opinions as to which bank is "good"

NIB?
PTSB?
Ulster?

Appreciate your comments.

gerrycollins

shoegirl wrote:

Or you could just transfer your account to Permanent TSB, National Irish Bank, or Ulster Bank and get REAL free banking without unreasonable preconditions.

ha ha you got to be kidding me did you read the small print,
missed direct debits are charge 3 times the normal rate of your previous banks
missed standing orders are 2 what your previous bank charged
plus many more charges that are multiple time what your previous bank charge
unless your holy joe there is no such thing as free
the offer of free banking once you keep to a criteria is the best option(boi and AIB) because it easy and painless(just do the transfers all in one day) to be honest and who here really did read the small print, you so much as hicup with these "new" free banking and they will roll you over and do you from behind

dahamsta

You don't have to actually move banks, you just need the threat of it. Walk back into your branch, ask for the same lady, tell her that Bank B and Bank C both told you that they'll give you free banking; that they can transfer your accounts without you ever having to walk into BOI again; and that that's what you're going to do that afternoon if you don't get free banking from BOI. You'll get the free banking.

mel123

ive been a bank of ireland customer now for years and didnt even know they had bloody free banking. what a scam!! i use 365 all the time so i would well qualify, i cant believe they dont just give it to u if u qualify without having to go thru all this sh*t of me ringing them to get it set up etc...have been thinking of changing banks anyway to one with 'free' banking so ill see what BOI say 2moro. :mad:

edited to ask what is the minimum balance u have to keep??

LFCFan

mel123 wrote:

edited to ask what is the minimum balance u have to keep??

I'm not 100% sure but I think it's €500 which is rediculous because the vast majority of people would never have that sort of minimum balance in a 'current' account and if they are the sort of person who does, bank fees would be the least of their worries.

When it comes to doing 3 Banking 365 transactions a quarter you could just set up your savings account so it is accessible through internet banking too and then transfer money from your current account and back again 3 times

shayg1971

I've been down exactly this same road with BoI for exactly the same reason. I did end up talking to a manager in my branch. They were quick to get back to me because for various reasons I normally have a very substantial balance in my current account. Notwithstanding, best she could do was put me on a lower cost plan than the one I was on (interestingly they didn't flag that up pro-actively)! She acknowledged that marketing had dropped a real clanger on the whole promotion because a lot of people like me had complained that we cost them nothing, never visit a branch, have automatic in-goings and outgoings on everything and would have to artificially create '365' trasactions to qualify. But could not offer free banking. Because doing it as an exception for 1 customer opens the floodgates.

Said policy was likely to be under review. I said OK, I'll give you 6 months, but then I'm moving.. Which is a shame, because I've been with them for 17 years and never had a single issue or problem with the service.