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Home > Finance > Banking & Personal Finance > Banks > Alliance & Leicester

User Reviews

for Alliance & Leicester

Rating Summary based on 43 reviews

  • 5 Stars
    		7
  • 4 Stars
    		7
  • 3 Stars
    		6
  • 2 Stars
    		9
  • 1 Star
    		14

Detailed rating

  • Competitiveness of charges/rates
  • Efficiency of service
  • Online - Content/organization of site
  • Online - Ease of applying for products
  • Online - Investment tracking
  		• 2.9
  		• 2.6
  		• 2.5
  		• 2.3
  		• 1.5
Previous page Next page Page 1 of 5 | 1 to 10 out of 43 Review(s)
  • 13 of 13 Ciao users found the following review helpful
    Picture of Justbringit147

    Justbringit147

    1 Star Easy to see why they offer you £100 Bonus 08/03/2010
    User doesn't recommend the product

    Advantages Advantages None

    Disadvantages Disadvantages Charges, never answer the phones, arogant staff.

    I don't know if any of you are aware of top cash back? its a website that offers cash back on everyday transactions online including Play.com, HMV, Tesco Virgin & even Sky!. Well while looking through the site in October I noticed that Alliance & Leicester were offering £100 to transfer you back account to them! Happy days I though free money, and A&L are a big concern so they will be good to bank with and the bonus was they weren't going to be charging daily fees on overdrafts like my existing bank Halifax. Well to be honest the whole transfer was a nightmare from start to finish, and I have ... more
  • 41 of 41 Ciao users found the following review helpful
    Picture of mi_ke

    mi_ke

    2 Stars High Interest that lost MY Interest. Review with images 29/02/2008
    User doesn't recommend the product

    Advantages Advantages Good rates

    Disadvantages Disadvantages Hurrendous service and efficiency

    The Alliance and Leicester is a UK bank. It was formed in 1977 by the floatation of the former Alliance Leicester Building society on the London Stock Exchange. I wanted to take advantage of the offer of free worldwide annual travel insurance and the £25 me and my friend would get if he reffered me as a new customer. Switching banks is a thing most people think is troublesome and complicated. It simply is not, and most banks now have a switcher service where they do all the work for you and you don't have to lift a finger. I was formerly with the Abbey. The Abbey had done nothing inparticular ... more
  • 26 of 26 Ciao users found the following review helpful
    Picture of bpg2504

    bpg2504

    3 Stars Best rates and easy access but slow service 11/02/2005
    User doesn't recommend the product

    Advantages Advantages Excellent APR 5.35

    Disadvantages Disadvantages slow service

    During my comparison on the www.moneysupermarket.com for savings accounts, I was shown that Alliance leicester is offering the best rate of interest or 5.35% AER for the online saver account. So I proceeded to fill in the application and started the process of opening the account with them. Remember I had also recently opened an account with First Direct.com. The website is cluttered with banners and I did not like the look of the website. The application process was similar to all the banks and had to fill out the details and then the application was mailed out to me for sending the proof of ... more
  • 11 of 11 Ciao users found the following review helpful
    Picture of ShelfStacker

    ShelfStacker

    4 Stars The other bank 20/01/2008
    User recommends the product

    Advantages Advantages Excellent service, good interest rates, no real hassle

    Disadvantages Disadvantages Few branches, odd overdraft criteria and fees

    I've been with most of the major banks, basically because I'm of the opinion that if you're getting a crap deal somewhere then it's always in your interest to look around, and also because you're never going to be able to ascertain how good a bank is based simply on a website or brochure. There's things like how good the internet banking service is, how good the phone banking operators are and how useful they are when you need a helping hand in the form of an overdraft or such. And, as you can probably guess from the tone of my review so far, I wasn't too pleased with the others. NatWest, my ... more
  • 13 of 13 Ciao users found the following review helpful
    Picture of gerryjohnson

    gerryjohnson

    2 Stars Business Banking on the Cheap 21/03/2003
    User recommends the product

    Advantages Advantages Extremely cheap business banking

    Disadvantages Disadvantages Slow, slow service

    Alliance & Leicester (formerly Girobank) launched a huge advertisng and marketing campaign in recent months to draw in new and small businesses to their business banking product. I am sure that like many new or early years businesses I was horrified at the charges imposed on businesses (from the four big banks) for basic transactions, hence the £10 per month standard charge for all basic transactions offered by Alliance and Leicester was a great incentive to me to enquire after a new account with them. OPENING THE ACCOUNT Opening the account with them was quite laborious and a slow process as ... more
  • 49 of 49 Ciao users found the following review helpful
    Picture of denella

    Level 8 denella

    Member since 28/08/2006

    Reviews written: 359

    3 Stars Mixed feelings 01/10/2006
    User doesn't recommend the product

    Advantages Advantages Internet banking very easy to use

    Disadvantages Disadvantages Loyalty not necessarily rewarded

    I would say I have a love-hate relationship with this bank, having been with them for more years than I care to remember. (I was with Leicester Building Society before the amalgamation.) My main complaint is that I don't feel loyal, long-standing customers are given the appreciation I think they deserve. I am not a huge earner, and have on several occasions been turned down when applying for their Premier current account. I am well over the eighteen-year age limit, and I certainly pay in more than the minimum required amount each month. These are the only two conditions stipulated, and they ... more
  • 4 of 4 Ciao users found the following review helpful
    Picture of UKAnonymous2007

    UKAnonymous2007

    1 Star Too inefficient 14/11/2007
    User doesn't recommend the product

    Advantages Advantages Good terms & conditions

    Disadvantages Disadvantages Too inefficient; never managed to contact their customer service

    I considered switching from HSBC to A&L as I was attracted by the high interest on the current account (for balances up to £ 2,500). I submitted my application online, it was approved, and got a letter after about 10 days (why that long if I received the approval instantaneously online?). Anyway, the details in the letter were wrong: they misspelt my last name (adding a hyphen) and the flat number was wrong (I only received the letter because my neighbour knows me). How they can get details wrong if I type them in their website is beyond me. Anyway, I call their customer service to complain ... more
  • 7 of 7 Ciao users found the following review helpful
    Picture of iainkay1

    iainkay1

    2 Stars If you are not a UK citizen Beware 28/07/2000
    User doesn't recommend the product

    Advantages Advantages None

    Disadvantages Disadvantages whole attitude

    A friend of mine moved here from Jordan and has a work permit as an Internet Developer on a salary of £18k and had a credit card with HSBC in Jordan. When he moved here and started work he apploied on my recommendation to open a current account, no credit facilities were asked for or applied for. However he was turned down as he did not have a utility bill for my address where he is living, as stated earlier I had recommended him and had proved his residence at my address by letters sent here and the registration made by the police for immigration purposes, but this was not enough. They were ... more
  • 9 of 9 Ciao users found the following review helpful
    Picture of AW

    AW

    1 Star Appalling!! 15/08/2000
    User doesn't recommend the product

    Advantages Advantages None identified

    Disadvantages Disadvantages Dreadful communication and knowledge of service offered

    I notice that quite a number of opinions have been expressed in favour of A&L but I must disagree inview of my experience. My mother, an account holder since Girobank days, wanted to buy a few shares recently. She called the A&L and asked whether they had a share dealing service. Oh yes they said and here's the phone number. When she called to buy some shares they said 'we don't know you so you'll have to send some proof of your identity to set up an account'. She pointed out that she was an A&L customer and they said, 'yes, but we are not A&L, we are Barclays Stockbrokers operating a service ... more
  • 5 of 5 Ciao users found the following review helpful
    Picture of paulruegg

    paulruegg

    4 Stars First Rate! 29/07/2000
    User recommends the product
    I have had an Alliance & Leicester current account for over a year now and I can honestly say that I have never had any problems with them. My account probably offers much the same as any other bank would do, yet this is not really where Alliance & Leicester excel. Firstly, they have an excellant customer service and if I have ever had any problems, then they have sorted it out very quickly and without fuss. Another area where they excel is the number of ways that you can make lodgements -through the post, at an Alliance & Leicester branch or at the post office. Finally, Alliance & Leicester ... more
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