Halifax Ireland

Scooby_Doo

Hello all,

Im just looking to see if anyone has any dealings with Halifax. Im currently with Ulster bank and I am considering moving to Halifax as there charging me rediclous Interest on my credit cards and Personal loans. I used to have no problems with them at all but recently they are just taking the p**s with mistakes and interest charges.

Looking for all good and bad opinions and experiances?

Thanks

MysticalSoul

I applied for a credit card with them, but now my bank (Bank of Ireland) have a new credit card which has an even lower interest rate of 9.6% which I am going to apply for. Granted I won't get the x months interest free part, as I am only changing cards, and with the same bank, but is still a much lower interest rate than I am currently paying. With Halifax, and the new BoI card, they interest rate is higher if you use the cash withdrawal option. I imagine Halifax are ok though, as they are affiliated with Bank of Scotland (I think).

ntlbell

changed to them about 10 months ago.

never had any problem's very friendly staff and everything i've dealt with them so far has been painless which was a huge change from the TSB

Davy

Try some of these,,,

http://boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055330547
http://boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055211904
http://boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055294320
http://boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055270693

I havent had any problems with them in well over a year.

shane b

HI
My girlfriend changed from BOI to halifax last year cos of the cheaper rates and interest free. Credit card is grand but there are a few things shes overlooked.
Mainly Halifax have no internet banking so she cant few her statement on line and they only issue a written statement once a month. Also Halifax have no over the phone access most transactions seem to be done in person which is pain if you work 9 to 5. She looked into a current account with Halifax but was told the only phone access she would have would be tell her her balance.
In short if you do a lot of internet or phone banking research it more.

ntlbell

shane b wrote: »

HI
My girlfriend changed from BOI to halifax last year cos of the cheaper rates and interest free. Credit card is grand but there are a few things shes overlooked.
Mainly Halifax have no internet banking so she cant few her statement on line and they only issue a written statement once a month. Also Halifax have no over the phone access most transactions seem to be done in person which is pain if you work 9 to 5. She looked into a current account with Halifax but was told the only phone access she would have would be tell her her balance.
In short if you do a lot of internet or phone banking research it more.

they have now

Big_Mac

Think carefully about it. I moved my credit card over cos of the interest free option. Staff in the local branch were fantastic and all went well. I called the number to activate the card once I recieved it and transfer the balance, and the agent tried every trick in the book to try to get me to take out insurance on the card. Even tried the guilt trip of 'What would happen now if you lost your card tomorrow and someone ran up a bill on it? where would you be then?' sort of thing. I mean, wasn't that the idea of chip and pin?

Pushy guilt trip sales technique put me right off, not to mention making me feel quite uneasy about the scruples of the sales agent himself. Not such a fan of them anymore cos of it. I'll keep my dealings to the local branch in future

Kashkai

I moved my mrtgage to them a year ago and they were a pleasure to deal with. All of my dealings were conducted over the phone at a time that suited me, i.e. 8pm when the kids where in bed. Very professional and courteous I thought. A vast improvement over First Active's cutomer 'service' which is a complete joke.

Still don't know why I haven't shifted my current account to them from BOI - probably cause I don't like the same financial institution knowing all my dealings

ntlbell

Big_Mac wrote: »

Think carefully about it. I moved my credit card over cos of the interest free option. Staff in the local branch were fantastic and all went well. I called the number to activate the card once I recieved it and transfer the balance, and the agent tried every trick in the book to try to get me to take out insurance on the card. Even tried the guilt trip of 'What would happen now if you lost your card tomorrow and someone ran up a bill on it? where would you be then?' sort of thing. I mean, wasn't that the idea of chip and pin?

Pushy guilt trip sales technique put me right off, not to mention making me feel quite uneasy about the scruples of the sales agent himself. Not such a fan of them anymore cos of it. I'll keep my dealings to the local branch in future

pushy sales person in shock horror

more news at 11!

you can't make such an assumption on an eager sales rep

foggy_lad

tried to open a current account with them 6months ago but they basically said i did not have enough money to put through the account so they would not let me open it, went around the corner to the ulster bank which was much busier and much more helpful and account was opened there and then!

the halifax seems to be a no frills bank much like ryanair are to airlines.

genie_us

I'm with them over a year and having previously been with BoI and AIB Halifax are 10 times better than both of them put together in my opinion! No quarterly charges, no overdraft charge, you're not tied to a specific branch so you can walk into any halifax and do whatever you need, they open on saturdays and have all the phone, internet banking stuff as normal.
Also I have noticed a few credit entries on my statement like they pay you interest on your balance?

Davy

foggy_lad wrote: »

the halifax seems to be a no frills bank much like ryanair are to airlines.

But pay more interest than other banks, and less fees and charges, doesn't sound like ryanair to me...

Big_Mac

ntlbell wrote: »

pushy sales person in shock horror

more news at 11!

you can't make such an assumption on an eager sales rep

Eager sales rep or not, he should learn that 'No thanks' is a polite way of saying that I'm not interested.

alexmcred

My understanding of it is as long as you lodge over 1500 a month then you get the higher rate of interest. TSB insist that in order to qualify for higher interest with them that the 1500 has to be in a single transaction

ntlbell

Big_Mac wrote: »

Eager sales rep or not, he should learn that 'No thanks' is a polite way of saying that I'm not interested.

He should, there's no doubt; and did you get his name and make a complaint to halifax?

Big_Mac

ntlbell wrote: »

He should, there's no doubt; and did you get his name and make a complaint to halifax?

Didn't see the point. This day and age people only make complaints cos they want some sort of comp from the company over wat happened. I'm not out for that so I'll use my feet instead. Once the interest free period is over I'm off to MBNA

Sheena99

I can highly recommend them, easy swop over from BOI, and they pay YOU interest, which is not easy find. Internet banking is no problem at all.

ntlbell

Big_Mac wrote: »

Didn't see the point. This day and age people only make complaints cos they want some sort of comp from the company over wat happened. I'm not out for that so I'll use my feet instead. Once the interest free period is over I'm off to MBNA

MBNA lol no there's no pushy sales staff there.

They just send out pre aproved spam to peoples houses every 2/3 months

sigh..

Davy

Big_Mac wrote: »

Once the interest free period is over I'm off to MBNA

ntlbell wrote: »

MBNA lol no there's no pushy sales staff there.

They just send out pre aproved spam to peoples houses every 2/3 months

Ye i was just going to say,, in fairness though, i have been using mbna for 2 years or so and never had a problem and most of the cc are helpfull.

But on this thread, I would recommend Halifax. the phone banking might not be as functional as others but the online is fine and they make up for it was €17 interest a month and open longer hours

P.C.

Sheena99 wrote: »

I can highly recommend them, easy swop over from BOI, and they pay YOU interest, which is not easy find. Internet banking is no problem at all.

I do not bank with Halifax, and I receive interest on my current account.

mcwhirter

I am planning on banking with Halifax as they are the only bank in Ireland to supply a visa debit card which is much more useful than the dreary laser card.
This card is useful for online use while the laser is useless. The government tax is the same as for the laser too.