Kleinwort Benson Private Bank

Advantages: Service, Reputation, Competitive Rates
Disadvantages: Not as many branches, Not as cutting edge as other banks

...I have been banking with Yorkshire Bank for 1 year now. Overall I have nothing but good experiences with them. I am a Private Banking Client so my experience may differ from that of others. As a private client the package they offer is excellent high interest on credit balances and very competitive over draft rates of about 7.9% at the time of writing. Their charges are low with no fee for any day to day banking services such as stopping a cheque, bankers draft even for CHAPS payments. There is a monthly service charge of 12.50 For this fee you get a direct dial line to your Private Bank Manager, my manager has 12+ years of experience as a branch manager and is very knowledgable of all the products and banking procedures. All the call centres are based in the UK which is why I left HSBC! The internet banking isnt great. Its... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: They're on your high street
Disadvantages: Please read review, not enough space here

...The worst institution I have come across in both my private and working life in the banking industry. 2 months of continuous chasing to just open an account. Then you're told lie after lie, hang ups after no call-backs. I think it sums up the service level of a company when the bank manager tells you ' we have alot of customer... concerns at the moment' and basically not to even bother complaining. Also took advantage of their ' easy switch' service only to be left with over £300 of bank charges after they failed to transfer direct debit mandates. Their 'refund promise' for switching mistake never materialised nor did the £100 for opening the account during the promotion. Then they lost £3,000 due to a computer error, but dont have any system in place to spot mistakes until its brought to their attention by customers?! Cannot even deal... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful

Advantages: Lower rents, better service, more personal
Disadvantages: Poor upkeep of property in some cases

...Renting property can have many pitfalls. If you rent from an Estate Agent they have to take their cut off the top before sending the rest of the money to the landlord. Consequently they tend to charge higher rents or give the landlord less money than they otherwise could expect. Look in the local paper of the area you wish to rent and you will find there are many private landlords advertising their properties themselves. They usually require a deposit and references. These references will usually be documentation to prove that you can afford to pay the rent such as bank statements or payslips. Renting directly from private landlords can be difficult if they do not comply with all the legal requirements of gas certificates, fireproof furniture etc., but you can ask to see proof of those when you visit.... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful