use Perl

• Banks... (Score:2)

  by ajt (2546)

  A bank is a place that lends you an umbrella during fair weather then asks for it back when it rains. -Robert Frost.

  When I moved I sent a letter to everyone to let them know (at the last minute) that I was moving. One bank sent back a letter to say that they don't reply to letters on Internet accounts. Don't you just love banks...?

  --
  -- "It's not magic, it's work..."
• Hopefully they've improved (Score:1)

  by skugg (6320)

  I tried opening an account with the Cooperative bank [brautaset.org] a few years ago, but after they lost my details a couple of times, directed me to a branch that don't exist, and sent me a letter saying they needed to still confirm my identity in response to somebody else's application I decided to drop the issue.
• Try their internet branch (Score:1)

  by doop (5601)

  I opened an account with Smile about two and a half years ago, and they've been unfailingly helpful. And no, they don't charge for transfers either..
• standing (Score:1)

  by quidity (1296)

  Can't you set up a standing order? And yes, it cost me less than GBP20 to transfer money to the antipode of my home branch, so something is clearly odd in the state of Scotland.
  • Re: (Score:2)

    by nicholas (3034)

    Yes, I can set up a standing order once we have a regular amount and date. But right now I'm on a (very informal) short term agreement, with the option of going to something formal and long term if I like it, so right now payment isn't regular enough to have a standing order for it.

    And yes, I agree that something is very wrong. I assume that a (regular UK bank clearing play with your money on the money markets rip-off) 3 day service exists. It's just that they don't want to offer me it over the counter. Hm
• Cash Cow (Score:1)

  by lilstevey (4628)

  I've recently swapped banks myself.
  
  Very stupidly I agreed to a pay-for-banking-deal - it seemed like a good deal, cos I was applying for a mortgage at the time.
  
  It was like ticking a box saying "rob me blind" I wouldn't be at all surprised if banks have a target list of fools who have accepted there rip-off deals and target for further abuse.
  
  A little while later £800 was wrongly charged to my account ( Apparently for a TV ). I had also been a mug and paid for "insurance" in case my card was
  • That's one thing the US does right (Score:1)

    by btilly (5037)

    By law, the banks are liable for virtually any mistake. If there is any question, then you get the benefit of the doubt, always. Somebody stole your credit card and racked up a bill? Their liability, not yours.

    The result is that mistakes are fairly few and auditing for fraud is rather tight. It also gives the banks a lot of incentives to get security right. Because if they can't prove that it was you withdrawing money from the ATM, they lose. Which means that things like having a security tape with a