Private, Ccovich. Increasingly I feel that if you go to your bank, tell them what rate you expect, they will try to give it to you. Competition makes the market healthy.
Fair enough, yes I imagine that if the OP has some kind of relationship with their local branch, they may get a competitve rate/terms. How common this is nowadays is another point (I have never met or spoken to my bank manager!)
Yes, it's a fair point. I do know the employees of my local branch and they know me. That does make it either easier ( or potentially in some cases harder!) to get a good rate.