Finance

Turns out that because Standard Life is de-mutualising, I'm getting 191 shares in the new company... that might just pay for the hotel in Finland next year!

Well, my unhappy experience with Smile, the internet bank over the past month or so has left me with quite a bad taste in my mouth. As I said to them on the phone, I can handle a cheque going missing, and I can understand that it occasionally happens. What has really managed to get under my skin is the fact that virtually not one 'promise' that the bank made was kept by them. Indeed, I had the 'personal word' of one senior member of staff that the money would be in my account the next day. Five days later I was still waiting. Oh, and so much for the secure message he was going to send to check that I had the money!

I'd probably tolerate a couple of broken promises from a retailer, but this is my bank for Gods sake! Of all the organisations that should be able to keep a simple promise, it's the bank that looks after pretty much all of your finances.

I've managed to move two of my savings accounts from them, I've closed my credit card account, and the ISA will hopefully move to Kent Reliance very soon. In the meantime, the personal car loan remains with them with the current account, as, unfortunately, all of the credit searches in moving the other four accounts has resulted in my credit score taking a hit, and me beginning to look like a bad credit risk. Indeed, Alliance and Leicester's rather competitive rate of 5.7% quickly shot up to 8.9% following a credit search, plus I was yawned at on the phone. Not exactly great service. Hopefully Zopa will take the loan at 7.7%... we'll see.

Well, I pay a foreign cheque into my bank on 6th May, and still to date, I haven't been credited for it, even though their website says that it will be credited in 5 days. Well, the reason why it hasn't been credited is that it's been lost. Yep, the bank lost my cheque. I've been promised that it will be credited on a photocopy, but promises don't get kept at my bank.

In fact, I wrote to them today to close my savings accounts - they're asking if something's upset me!

There is another way... :D