The Link was set up the mid 1980’s by an organisation of 40 + financial institutions and is essentially a shared network of cash machines which are distributed throughout the United Kingdom. The aim is to decrease the expansion costs for the alliance members and by extension, lower costs ... Read review
Advantages: Convenient freee network of cash machines Disadvantages: May become a chargeable service
The Link was set up the mid 1980’s by an organisation of 40 + financial institutions and is essentially a shared network of cash machines which are distributed throughout the United Kingdom. The aim is to decrease the expansion costs for the alliance members and by extension, lower costs for their customers. A nice idea in principal, but maybe someone would like to take a look at my last bank Statement?
Nowadays, the Link is ... ...had always believed that the Link was a free of charge service, so wherever I went in the country, come rain or shine I trekked around the town until I found a Link ATM. I was wrong, it depends where you are and which card you choose to use. The rules of the money game are as follows:
If you card issuer usually charges you for cash advance, a withdrawl via the Link is not free.
If you are in a small ATM (e.g. in a corner ... more
The Link was set up the mid 1980’s by an organisation of 40 + financial institutions and is essentially a shared network of cash machines which are distributed throughout the United Kingdom. The aim is to decrease the expansion costs for the alliance members and by extension, lower costs for their customers. A nice idea in principal, but maybe someone would like to take a look at my last bank Statement?
Nowadays, the Link is nearly as well branded and established as Visa and MasterCard signs. I had always believed that the Link was a free of charge service, so wherever I went in the country, come rain or shine I trekked around the town until I found a Link ATM. I was wrong, it depends where you are and which card you choose to use. The rules of the money game are as follows:
If you card issuer usually charges you for cash advance, a withdrawl via the Link is not free.
If you are in a small ATM (e.g. in a corner shop) it is not likely to be free. The owner can add an additional £1 or £2 to your withdrawl. It tells you on screen, but if like me you are just grateful for getting out money you may not be aware.
The habitual chargers - Diners Club Card and AMEX will charge you no matter whether you use Link or not. At least you can save yourself a walk to one of the other 30 000 cash machines.
Earlier this year there was a distinct possibility that we’d be paying for all Link cash withdrawls, in addition to all the other charges we get stung for. For the time being this threat has gone away as the alliance have reached a no fee agreement.
In case you are interested, here are the majority of the larger members of the money Mafia:
Alliance & Leicester Abbey National Barclays Bristol & West Birmingham Midshires Halifax HFC Bank HSBC Nat West Nationwide Building Society Northern Rock Sainsbury Tesco
Advantages: I managed not to kill anyone Disadvantages: Total lack of customer service; depot miles away from anyone
If you've ever wondered where the people who were not quite intelligent or human-looking to work in Argos ended up then I think I have the answer. Initial City Link, the courier delivery service that could make a worthy adversary to Dr Who (if he ever, y'know, ordered a sonic screwdriver from Maplins and ICL were delivering it).
Anyway, where was I? Oh yes, the muppets at ICL. Bear in mind this review relates entirely to getting a delivery made to me in the Edinburgh area (since that's where I live, it would be silly getting something delivered to me elsewhere).
I'm not sure if it's because I was being sent expensive items, or because they were large, but the place I bought my new bike wheels from decided to send these by ICL. If I'd known this in advance I would gladly have gone elsewhere, paid 20 quid more for the wheels ...
blackpuddinonnabike 14.05.2008
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Initial City Link
Advantages: None Disadvantages: they lose stuff and are totally incompetent
As the proprietor of a mail order company, I have a lot of experience with UK courier companies; after bad experiences with Parcel Farce and Night Fright, we switched to Shitty Link about one year ago, and I can honestly say this company is by far the worse courier service in the UK.
It's not just the fact that they seem to regularly loose stuff, do not come to collect parcels when we have booked them in, or deliver goods to the wrong customer, which of course all very compelling reasons not to ever use City Link, but it's also their inability to sort anything out, once they have screwed up.
Let me explain some of the horrors with City Link
They lost a parcel containing about £400 worth of goods, and then denied that they ever picked it up, so we were unable to claim anything from their "insurance"
They lost about £1500 worth ...
TotnesHemp 05.11.2007 (13.11.2007)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Initial City Link
Advantages: none at all Disadvantages: rude staff, unhelpful, inefficient, say one thing and do another
I am writing this review as a person who has received items deliverd by CityLink.
Last year I received a card through my door telling me that CityLink had attempted a delivery.
This card stated that the parcel had to be signed for at the address and could not be delivered elsewhere. The alternative is to collect the parcel from them but they will only keep it for 5 days.
I telephoned the Exeter office to request that they deliver to my office, but they refused, insisting that it had to be left at my house and a signature obtained. I had quite a lengthy conversation with the man, saying that I lived 20 miles from their depot and was always out at work, but nothing would shift him.
(You can only have a different delivery address if you contact the company you ordered the item from and they advise CityLink, but seeing as they ...
kismet 07.03.2005 (22.02.2006)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Initial City Link
