# Current Account Bank Charges



## PDCAT (25 Jun 2010)

Hi

I was wondering if anyone would be able to tell me, if any irish banks at present have no fee's attached to their current accounts.

My Bank has today decided to re start charging fees to my current account. For years, they had charges on this account, then approx 5 years ago they stopped and not until today have they started charging the account again.

I rang the bank and was told due to technical reasons, there were a number of accounts that for number of years were not being charged fee's. They say this has now being recitified. 

Not sure i believe them, since they had orginally being charging my account for a few years previous to this.

May look at switching to a bank with no current account fee's, if there are any doing this.

Thanks
Paul.


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## Boyd (25 Jun 2010)

Some do, with conditions e.g. 
BOI:
You need to have €500 in a/c at all times or make a certain number (2 ?) online transactions. 

AIB:
*What about Fees and Charges?
*

  You can qualify to bank free of maintenance and transaction  fees** each fee quarter, if you:
  1. Use your AIB Debit Card to make a purchase, and
  2. Make a debit transaction using AIB Phone & Internet Banking  e.g. pay a bill or top up your mobile.


PTSB:
*No charges if you qualify! *

"If you qualify for a Switch Current Account you can forget lodging  fees, forget quarterly fees, forget direct debit and standing order fees  and more."

It varies per bank...


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## Moral Ethos (25 Jun 2010)

Ulster bank have no fees.


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## Lightning (25 Jun 2010)

Paul - which bank make this mistake?


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## billy-bob (26 Jun 2010)

username123 said:


> PTSB:
> *No charges if you qualify! *
> 
> "If you qualify for a Switch Current Account you can forget lodging  fees, forget quarterly fees, forget direct debit and standing order fees  and more."
> ...



There's nothing on the PTSB site about 'how' you qualify and on opening a second account there last week, I was told the same thing, free banking *if* I qualify for it.  The woman opening the account wasn't able to tell me until it was opened whether or not I qualify.  So in essence you could open what you might think was a no-charge account only to be told "sorry, you didn't qualify".

Since I qualified (for whatever reason), I didn't press the issue and ask her on what grounds, but be wary.


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## Ush1 (29 Jun 2010)

billy-bob said:


> There's nothing on the PTSB site about 'how' you qualify and on opening a second account there last week, I was told the same thing, free banking *if* I qualify for it. The woman opening the account wasn't able to tell me until it was opened whether or not I qualify. So in essence you could open what you might think was a no-charge account only to be told "sorry, you didn't qualify".
> 
> Since I qualified (for whatever reason), I didn't press the issue and ask her on what grounds, but be wary.


 
This happened to me and I only realised after opening the account. I was going by the if you qualify "nitty gritty" which tells you nothing on the website.

Turns out I did not qualify. Rang the branch, fairly unhelpful. Just said I didn't qualify and they would send me out a booklet why. I rang back asking if the criteria was available on the internet or in a .pdf, he said no. I asked is there anybody I can talk to who knows about this, he said the managers are aware and will send me a letter by the end of the week but I can't talk to them?

Shocking customer service and can't think what this criteria might be at all. Unless this letter has a very good reason why I didn't qualify I'll be switching banks again.

I think it should be changed in the best buys keypost also as there are now conditions to the fee free banking, in fact, not only conditions but hidden ones that they don't tell you unless you open an account, as a previous poster said.


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## Moral Ethos (29 Jun 2010)

A request under the data protection act should reveal why you did not qualify.


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## Ush1 (29 Jun 2010)

Moral Ethos said:


> A request under the data protection act should reveal why you did not qualify.


 
How would I request that? 

Will be very interested to see what this apparent letter or booklet they are sending out will tell me.


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## Moral Ethos (29 Jun 2010)

> How would I request that?


Ask them for a copy of all information they hold on file about you. Say the request is being made under S4 of the Data Protection Act 1988. Enclose the fee of €6.35. 


> Will be very interested to see what this apparent letter or  booklet they  are sending out will tell me.


If the letter/booklet is anything like the one Ulsterbank send out it  should be a hoot.


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## Ush1 (29 Jun 2010)

Moral Ethos said:


> Ask them for a copy of all information they hold on file about you. Say the request is being made under S4 of the Data Protection Act 1988. Enclose the fee of €6.35.
> 
> If the letter/booklet is anything like the one Ulsterbank send out it should be a hoot.


 
Thanks for that.

I'm thinking of changing to Ulsterbank if PTSB don't have a satisfactory answer. They don't seem to have a similar system for qualifying for fee free anyway.


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## Boyd (29 Jun 2010)

No credit interestin UB though


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## Ush1 (29 Jun 2010)

username123 said:


> No credit interestin UB though


 
True, but no credit interest *and* quarterly fees with PTSB. Add to that now poor personal experience with the customer service and in my opinion, underhanded tactics of selling their switch account product. 

Maybe this letter that they send will make everything clear. I doubt it however.


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## Towger (29 Jun 2010)

Ush1 said:


> Thanks for that.
> 
> I'm thinking of changing to Ulsterbank if PTSB don't have a satisfactory answer. They don't seem to have a similar system for qualifying for fee free anyway.


 
I would not. In my experience, Ulster bank don't follow their own terms and conditions (or know them), give 'incorrect' information on the phone and don't reply to written complaints.


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## Ush1 (29 Jun 2010)

Towger said:


> I would not. In my experience, Ulster bank don't follow their own terms and conditions (or know them), give 'incorrect' information on the phone and don't reply to written complaints.


 
Rock and a hard place for me so. I want a Visa Debit but don't want to pay charges. Ulsterbank the only option really.


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## Moral Ethos (29 Jun 2010)

At least UB are upfront and say they don't charge fees.


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## Ush1 (12 Jul 2010)

Just a follow up. I recieved no letter or booklet at all. I sent an e-mail, they said they wouldn't detail their internal scoring system, I simply didn't qualify.

Totally ridiculous. Just filled out an online application to switch to Ulster Bank so hopefully everything goes alright with them. Said they will be sending me out the forms now.


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## Moral Ethos (12 Jul 2010)

I would hit them with a request under the Data Protection Act.


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## Boyd (13 Jul 2010)

Based on the reports of other people here and my experience a few mins ago, I dont think its possible to open this "Switch" account!

I was turned down as well, no explanation, despite having no loans/mortgages and 50K+ salary. PTSB worker said most applicants are turned down and that it seems to be only people who "had a previous relationship with TSB that qualify".


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## colin79ie (15 Jul 2010)

I seen a very small poster in BoI recently which I think said account holders have 2 options for fees. 1. get charged per transaction etc, or , 2. a fixed fee of 11.50 (or something like that) per quarter .

Anyone know the full truth or otherwise of this, as I am usually charged around €40 for bank charges.


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## deeobrien (15 Jul 2010)

I opened a switch a/c with PTSB a few months back when Halifax first announced they were closing.  I had no relationship whatsoever with PTSB and they opened it no problem.


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## Ush1 (15 Jul 2010)

username123 said:


> Based on the reports of other people here and my experience a few mins ago, I dont think its possible to open this "Switch" account!
> 
> I was turned down as well, no explanation, despite having no loans/mortgages and 50K+ salary. PTSB worker said most applicants are turned down and that it seems to be only people who "had a previous relationship with TSB that qualify".


 
I had an account with them before I switched to Halifax originally but still no switch a/c for me.

They also didn't send me any info on the scoring system which they said they would. The staff seem to make it up as they go along.


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## Boyd (15 Jul 2010)

colin79ie said:


> I seen a very small poster in BoI recently which I think said account holders have 2 options for fees. 1. get charged per transaction etc, or , 2. a fixed fee of 11.50 (or something like that) per quarter .
> 
> Anyone know the full truth or otherwise of this, as I am usually charged around €40 for bank charges.



Yeah there are two options: See here

I use Pay As You Go option and get free banking as  use online banking to make 3 transactions per quarter.


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## Boyd (15 Jul 2010)

deeobrien said:


> I opened a switch a/c with PTSB a few months back when Halifax first announced they were closing.  I had no relationship whatsoever with PTSB and they opened it no problem.



I guess they really wanted people to switch back then, maybe now they have enough people?


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## charliebrown (16 Jul 2010)

I'm having the same experience with TSB at the moment. 

I was told when I opened the account (and later when I asked in the branch) that I was getting 2% interest on my current account. I found out when I rang them today that no interest applies to this account. 

This plus the €12 quarterly fee means that this is one of the most expensive current accounts out there (I think). 

V ****ed off - wish banks opened at the weekend...


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## Boyd (16 Jul 2010)

I cancelled it and declined the account on the spot. Open a different one e.g. Ulster Bank. €48 a year for a current account is not an option


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## charliebrown (16 Jul 2010)

I want to complain to TSB first because they specifically said that there would be interest and now have reneged (in my opinion). If they don't sort it out, I will be looking into reporting the bank. 

Also, is there any easy interest calculator type dealio online where i could work out what the interest would be?


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