Transferring funds (First Direct bank transfers)

General Chat
#1

Hiya everyone

Over the last few days I’ve tried to transfer in £5k via bank transfer method, their fraud system stopped every single one (small amounts work fine)

After speaking with their team, it seems smaller amounts will go through fine and for anything larger, to transfer via the FD app itself instead of initialising the transfer externally.

End of the conversation with their support team, the advisor said “chip is a stupid company anyway” and that was that. (surely being open banking means exactly that)

I wondered if anyone is using FD, and how you / what amounts are safe to transfer from them? I’m not going to let them have my savings when I can get it higher elsewhere

#2

Seems like an issue for FD to sort out. And it’s operative is clearly misinformed and insolent - lol.

2 Likes
#3

I’ve had an issue today whereby I’ve tried to make 4 payments from my First Direct account. Three were successful, but the 4th one came up saying that it was taking a bit longer to process. The funds have left the account from where the transfer was made and I have confirmed with them that there are no issues their end. I suffer badly from anxiety and am now panicking about this and I have no one I can ask! :tired_face:

#4

I’m not with FD, I’m with TSB and had the same problems with them, with as little as £800. TSB have always made ridiculous excuses whatever the problem. In my case they were stopping every transaction I made to Chip and I was forced to keep calling the fraud dept. I was even told they had two fraud departments, one for bank transfers and another for debit card transfers, and obviously I spent 30 mins speaking to the wrong one so they’d have to put me through to the other. I was given conflicting advice all the time and eventually they made the payment for me, sending it to Chip’s own account instead of mine. Chip then had to return it to me so I could do the transfer myself. I believe it all came down to them blocking the trans to check for fraud but not lifting the block correctly so every trans was then stopped, though they denied that. It’s currently with the Ombudsman.

#5

Hi I recently opened a FD account, and as you say the first payment to Chip was blocked as they deemed it ‘suspicious’.
A quick call to their Fraud Team, block lifted and no issues since; for any amount.

#6

Feels like they might be trying to sabotage the competition.

2 Likes
#7

In all honesty John, it wouldn’t surprise me, transferred £4k today, immediately got withheld even though I did it through their own app, they were asking all kinds of questions regarding chip.

Yes mate, they pay three times the amount of interest you do, that’s why I’m moving money across. The bank was adamant it’s for cryptocurrency!

1 Like
#8

Oh Yes, and again today! They obviously don’t like chip

#9

Know how you feel Emma, I’ve been transferring a hefty amount each day, worked out if the amount isn’t in the account within 5mins then FD has stopped the transfer. In the last week I have never spoken to them so much in 20 years!

1 Like
#10

I’ve been taking to them every single day in the last week for each and every transfer, crazy

#11

Wow. I usually send a £1 first, give it 10mins then send a proper amount. I swear they are trying to stifle the newcomer to the market. Was asked what I knew about chip, told them been going for five or so years, fscs registered with half a million customers, their response “oh ok then”…

2 Likes
#12

I made a small payment of £25 first and that went through fine. But I did then make a couple of larger payments which also went through fine. I think it was probably to do with that. But the person at First Direct freaked me out so much that I started doubting myself and cancelled the payment! Even though I’d used the TrueLayer thing and the other payments I had made had reached the account fine! And honestly, the types of questions that they ask you. It’s like speaking to a robot!

2 Likes
#13

Ha! The second transfer I cancelled when using that truelayer! If you go into the deposit screen on chip, right down the bottom you get the account details to do it within the FD account, today I made three deposits and the last one was stopped.

The obligatory text and phone call come and they were quite short about their views of these transfers to an “unknown company”. I do love FD, they have common sense, but their fraud system really does need updating - if I have entered my name, my sort code, account number and individual reference, you can pretty much guarantee I want that payment to go through(!), if I was forced to do it, well, I have bigger problems than a single transaction :rofl:

2 Likes
#14

I used the TrueLayer thing as I thought it was supposed to be even more secure :woman_shrugging:

I agree that their system needs completely updating. We moved to them in December and are switching away again. Using their app is like going back to the dark ages :flushed: The woman I spoke to was like ‘how did you access Chip’ and I said through their app and the next question was ‘how did you download the app’ and I’m like ‘through the App Store’!! Just shine the that light in my eyes a little bit more!

1 Like
#15

Oh dear

I’ve been with them for about 20 years, never had any issues (bar forgetting my passwords!). For me the app is fine, usually use the website.

My partner used to be a director of Amex, she said the banking industry on the whole is string and sellotape, when a new “fintech” bank comes along, the banks can’t handle it (aka don’t like it). I can understand on one hand you have the “circle of trust” between established banks, but it doesn’t need to stay that way.

I’m finding chip interesting, there are a lot of things I like, and some things I don’t, as with anything new I’m sure the bugs will be ironed out

But it won’t stop the anxiety on the transfer will it or won’t it :rofl:

1 Like
#16

I was with Lloyds for a long time before moving to First Direct and wish I had stayed with them :joy: I’m glad you are happy with them though :slightly_smiling_face:

I think it will take me a while to understand everything about Chip but it is interesting. As you say, that won’t stop the ‘transfer anxiety’ :joy:

2 Likes
#17

The great thing with transfers, it gives us a little bit of excitement during the day, it’s the transfer equivalent of paper, scissors stone :rofl:

1 Like
#18

I had the same issue with Barclays. It’s a risk issue from your bank side. You can raise it to them, but it won’t fix the problem. The bank risk team won’t change their rule system for one customer. You’re better off using a different bank.

1 Like
#19

Generally banks can’t win, we all want them to transfer money as and when we feel like it, no questions asked……until there is a fraudulent transaction….then we insist they should have stopped it!
I bank with FD and have myself got frustrated when they delay a transfer for a fraud check. But generally I’ve not had too many problems with transfers to chip.
Sending it via internet banking using ‘faster payment’, enables you to transfer £40,000 per day and seems to be the method that gets lest resistance.

2 Likes
#20

I’d have thought the anti fraud system stops the first couple of transactions, totally understand, but thereafter it should “learn” the next transaction to the same account is fine to send. Having sent lots of details to the chip team, it seems First Direct really don’t like chip/fintech alternatives.

Sending details of chip to the fraud team, still don’t like it especially when I mentioned they are the ones who make a thing of being open banking compatible

Banks can’t fight progression, and bring on more transfers!