Ulster Bank Account - denied

jayotala

Hi,

First time posting in this section. Maybe someone can offer advice or even an opinion.

A friend of mine is currently banking with Halifax, and as we all know they are pulling out, so she decided to switch her bank account to Ulster Bank, they are offering an easy switch option, they also offer a visa debit bank card, as did Halifax, this being another reason why she wanted to switch to Ulster Bank, as the Visa debit bank card is very handy for obvious reasons with out all the hassle of a credit card(debt being the biggest hassle).

Any way, she made her application, sent in all her forms and dropped into them yesterday. She was informed this morning that her application for a bank account has been denied due to a poor credit history. Now I have seen her credit history as she recently done a check her self, and she has had no missed payments of any kind in 5 years, she has even cleared two loan accounts early.

How can a bank deny someone a bank account? She made no application to them for any credit facility of any sort, no credit card, no over draft, all she wants is a bank account.

(I know she could just go else where, but she would really like to be able to keep her visa debit bank card, its just so handy, handier than laser.But why should she have to go else where, she's not asking for anything special from Ulster.)( I better stop because its annoying me more and more)

http://www.ulsterbank.ie/roi/personal/daily-banking/current-accounts/card/visa-debit/benefits.ashx

http://www.ulsterbank.ie/roi/personal/daily-banking/current-accounts/useful-information/switch.ashx

Supercell

That is weird, I am going to have to make the switch soon and was planning to go to Ulster bank too for the benefits of the Visa debit there too.
I also have had loans which i cleared early in the last few years so am very interested in what anyone thinks might be the reason.
Do they have a Visa credit card perhaps with missed payments in the past?

jayotala

It turns out there was a problem with ICB yesterday, their servers went down and it resulted in a high number of applications being declined as no credit history was available.

But they processed the application again today and it came back declined based on eligibility.... What does that even mean?

She earns a good wage, she has no direct debits coming out, she has one standing order setup on her Halifax account, and she needs to pay some bills. What the hell does the bank want?????

I know I shouldn't be getting annoyed over something so ridiculous, but like come on.

DublinWriter

I have business and personal accounts with nearly all the main financial institutions and by far I find Ulster bank to be a complete bunch of incompetents.

Don't bank with them unless you have a very good reason.

Alfagtamini

i have been with halifax since they opened and i am having the same issues. i have never had a overdraft, loan credit card i get paid weekly and yet im not suitable for a account. yet they didn't tell me this until i sent in reams of documents, a copy of my passport and wasted 2 hours of my life on the phone to them.they are a joke of a bank!

does any other bank do the visa debit.?

oh i got the same speel yesterday about the credit rating thing. so he redone my application over the phone. took another 35 mins and was told your still not compatible.

joke!

unclebill98

jayotala wrote: »

It turns out there was a problem with ICB yesterday, their servers went down and it resulted in a high number of applications being declined as no credit history was available.

But they processed the application again today and it came back declined based on eligibility.... What does that even mean?

She earns a good wage, she has no direct debits coming out, she has one standing order setup on her Halifax account, and she needs to pay some bills. What the hell does the bank want?????

I know I shouldn't be getting annoyed over something so ridiculous, but like come on.

paulryanmini wrote: »

i have been with halifax since they opened and i am having the same issues. i have never had a overdraft, loan credit card i get paid weekly and yet im not suitable for a account. yet they didn't tell me this until i sent in reams of documents, a copy of my passport and wasted 2 hours of my life on the phone to them.they are a joke of a bank!

does any other bank do the visa debit.?

oh i got the same speel yesterday about the credit rating thing. so he redone my application over the phone. took another 35 mins and was told your still not compatible.

joke!

The issue with the ICB is correct. They can appeal the decision for you if you wish. Ask them to do so.

Obtain a copy of your ICB report to make sure there is nothing on it.

makeorbrake

I did the same ie. attempted to switch from Halifax to UB - and my application was declined with no reason given. I went into my local branch - and they told me that their call centre staff had miscalculated my earnings - and an account was then opened for me immediately.

stepbar

It's no suprise that the mainstream banks are not falling over themselves to take on Halifax customers. I'm very suprised that UB are actively seeking custom from Halifax.

unclebill98

stepbar wrote: »

It's no suprise that the mainstream banks are not falling over themselves to take on Halifax customers. I'm very suprised that UB are actively seeking custom from Halifax.

Well Halifax more or less cherry picked the best people to give loans and CC too. There where tons of treads here about people being refused stuff with them. So, the vast majority of the customers are deemed to be good.

stepbar

unclebill98 wrote: »

Well Halifax more or less cherry picked the best people to give loans and CC too. There where tons of treads here about people being refused stuff with them. So, the vast majority of the customers are deemed to be good.

Sorry, but I don't believe that at all. The vast majority of folk who went to Halifax were p1ssed off with BOI / AIB. FFS I even got a credit card with them with no evidence of income or anything and I didn't fit the category described above. And truth be told I have accounts with both banks and have had no problems with same. I'm sorry but Halifax to me are a steam p1ss of customers with dodgy credit. And as I've said i'm suprised that UB would be actively seeking out such customers.

unclebill98

stepbar wrote: »

Sorry, but I don't believe that at all. The vast majority of folk who went to Halifax were p1ssed off with BOI / AIB. FFS I even got a credit card with them with no evidence of income or anything and I didn't fit the category described above. And truth be told I have accounts with both banks and have had no problems with same. I'm sorry but Halifax to me are a steam p1ss of customers with dodgy credit. And as I've said i'm suprised that UB would be actively seeking out such customers.

Ah, you always have a great way with words.

I agree that the vast majority of there customers had issues with the bank they left. Funny to see the same folk coming back through the doors.

Like I said. They still believe they cherry picked the good people and sure ain't UB just going to do the same back

I've yet to see the train wrecks you talk off, but I know there has to be some.

jayotala

Ment to reply here the other day. Good to see some people taking an interest.

I knew there was nothing wrong with her credit report because I had it in my hand.

The reason she was not eligible was because at some stage or another she had an account with first active, the account is now dormant, and because first active merged with Ulster Bank she in theory has an account with them already and must close that account to open a new one, they can't re activate the dormant account for some reason, and its up to her to give them the dormant account information, the branch the account was opened in and account number. She has no memory of ever having an account with first active so its being investigated by Ulster Bank on her behalf, I have to add they have been very helpful since the follow up when the application was declined.

coolabula

i'm with permanent tsb, they are issuing all customers with visa debit cards over the next few months, so maybe your friend could try there

ectoraige

jayotala wrote: »

She has no memory of ever having an account with first active so its being investigated by Ulster Bank on her behalf, I have to add they have been very helpful since the follow up when the application was declined.

She most likely had an account with another institution which was acquired/merged into First Active in the past. I recently received a letter from Ulster Bank into my parent's house giving me account details for my First Active account which I didn't know I had. As far as I can tell it was an old Irish Life & Permanent deposit account I had when I was a kid.

stepbar wrote: »

I'm sorry but Halifax to me are a steam p1ss of customers with dodgy credit.

Since the mid-90s I periodically hassled the different Irish banks asking why there was no internationally accepted debit card on the market. The only one who showed any signs of interest were Ulster Bank who ran various trials in the 2000s, all to no avail.

I refused to get a credit card or a laser card on principle, it wasn't until 3V came along that I could purchase from the Internet. I became a Halifax customer as soon as they launched solely to avail of the Visa Debit card. This was to ensure I could maintain my personal finances responsibly, not because I've dodgy credit.

I also chose to rent for the last decade as I didn't feel the mortgages available to me were sustainable. I had no problem opening a new Ulster Bank account. I might be a "steam p1ss", but I don't have dodgy credit.

jayotala

coolabula wrote: »

i'm with permanent tsb, they are issuing all customers with visa debit cards over the next few months, so maybe your friend could try there

I'm with TSB and haven't heard about this. Is it on they're website? Do you have a link?

Supercell

Update on this, I went into the Ulster Bank branch on Georges Quay in Dublin city centre and they opened an account for me no problem. I also get €150 free for banking with them. Result!

Davy

Supercell wrote: »

I also get €150 free for banking with them. Result!

makeorbrake

Davy wrote: »

+1

daithijjj

unclebill98 wrote: »

Ah, you always have a great way with words.

I agree that the vast majority of there customers had issues with the bank they left. Funny to see the same folk coming back through the doors.

Like I said. They still believe they cherry picked the good people and sure ain't UB just going to do the same back

I've yet to see the train wrecks you talk off, but I know there has to be some.

I had issues with ptsb allright.........bloody queues and bloody opening times. :pac:

I moved back from england a few years back, none of the banks would accept me depite having accounts as a kid/teenager with TSB and BOI. I knew it would be a 'grind' to open an account, seems to be the way with irish banks, english banks are more 'consumer friendly' in my experience. Had 13 years of excellent credit, statements to prove it etc. All loans paid back on time, not 1 late payment. 2 credit cards with 4k limit both paid up with proof. 30k in savings (cash) to 'give' them. Only reason i actually got the acc open was because i knew a guy who worked there. Simply hadnt had time to get a 'proof of address'.

So i opened a PTSB acc, all went grand........for 2 weeks. They wouldnt give me the card i wanted, just a cashcard. Went straight in, closed it. Went to halifax just for the debit card, no half hour in the queue at lunchtime, opens an hour earlier, and was open saturday morning.

Went into UB 12 days ago, literally spent 5 mins in there, acc opened 2 days later, debit card 5 days later.

Is there something that has stopped irish banks from embracing the future with debit cards? I mean i had a debit card as an irish student fresh off the boat in the uk 15 years ago. Its not like you are spending the banks money, its about convenience etc.

Supercell

The wait here is ridiculous.
In China , I opened an account and got an atm card at the same time. That card is not just an atm card, it is accepted pretty much every where there. It doesn't have my name on it but i have to type a 7 digit pass code and sign everything but i walked in and i got it the same day, as a foreigner to boot..

tenchi-fan

Debit cards usually have a cheque guarantee facility which is worth €150.. banks basically use loan criteria to make sure you're eligible for one. If she already has loans they may have gone against her.

I can't comment on your friend's credit history.. it's possible she applied for or was refused for too many hp/loan/credit card applications over the years. Or the fact that she was declined the UB account (possibly in error) meant that the declination recorded caused her to be declined when she applied a second time.

She may also have made a mistake on the application form. e.g. entered monthly earnings in a yearly earnings box.

JohnMearsheimer

I had a Lloyds TSB visa debit card when I lived in the UK and I missed the convenience the debit card gave me. I walked into my local Ulster Bank branch here in Cork last week and opened an account no problem. I was banking with PTSB for 10 years and they wouldn't even give me a laser card and they were charging me quarterly fees. Now I have my debit card and free banking so I'm happy. Didn't get the €150 though.

MagicMarker

That's very strange.

I recently switched from BOI to UB and had no problems. Last year I missed a couple of loan repayments, so I assume this would effect my credit rating?

Strange.

ThatsNotMyName*

''Now I have seen her credit history as she recently done a check her self, and she has had no missed payments of any kind in 5 years, she has even cleared two loan accounts early.''

So im assuming she paid her €6 and got her credit history from the ICB then yeh? If thats the case id get her to take in her ICB history sheet to them so they can send it up to the underwriters and they have a look at it themselves.

Even if she doesnt have this or didnt check with the ICB, they cant deny her an account. Theres a basic account called a step account which is like a current account but with some restrictions. But its still an account and you can still get a Visa Debit card with it.

MagicMarker

ThatsNotMyName* wrote: »

they cant deny her an account.

Says who?

greenman09

Yeah ptsb are bringing out visa debit cards in the 3rd qtr. Customers who haven't used old atm cards are being advised to use now to avail of the switch to the new cards. Some time in july.

Supercell

I used my visa debit card in Aldi this morning and it locked up the machine - V embarrising, the checkout girl had to reboot her till! In the end i paid in cash.
Is this a once off or should i not pay with the visa debit in Aldi or Lidl ?

BuffyBot

Works fine in Lidl for me. Pretty sure it worked in Aldi last time I was there also

If the entire till needed rebooting, then it's not a problem with your card

ThatsNotMyName*

MagicMarker wrote: »

Says who?

The Financial service Ombudsman etc. Unless she is on a list of names of people who comitted fraud, are invloved in illegall activity etc, she cant be refused a basic account. Everyone is entitled to be able to have their money in a bank account just without the added benefits others may get.

I cant see any bank being stupid enough to refuse her and risk legal issues arising.

unclebill98

A bank has the right to refuse you and by law all they have to say is you failed a Credit Score. There can be plenty of reasons for refusing an account.

As for Visa Debit in Lidl and Aldi, UB worked very quickly to resolve this issue with them As covered in the UB Visa Debit tread it was originally a hardware issue then a staff training issue. It should be sovled by now.

petes

Does anyone know much about the UB step account. I wouldn't have the best credit history (my fault I know) but I need to set up a new bank account and it doesn't even look like its possible to get an account with no credit facilities on it!