Clean It Up

UK Floor Cleaning Forum => Carpet Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: Aquakleen Restoration Services on May 12, 2011, 11:43:23 am

Title: Free business banking
Post by: Aquakleen Restoration Services on May 12, 2011, 11:43:23 am
Which banks do free business banking?

Any recommendations?
Title: Re: Free business banking
Post by: james roffey on May 12, 2011, 12:01:49 pm
Santander i find them pretty good get interest paid each month as well, pay cheques in via the cashpoint which is handy.
Title: Re: Free business banking
Post by: Hilton on May 12, 2011, 12:44:09 pm
I dont recommend any banks but;

HSBC 18 months free, but all banks are 'total merchant bankers' !  ;D dont trust any, branches are now shops and the so called 'Business Managers' are nothing but salesmen.

So get the best deal you possible can and dont sign anything until you fully understand what you are signing up for.
Title: Re: Free business banking
Post by: Joe H on May 12, 2011, 02:12:06 pm
As James said, Santander is free banking.

Coop is also, but you need to be a member of the Federation of Small Businesses to receive free. Thats not a bad thing actually.
Title: Re: Free business banking
Post by: creighton foyle on May 12, 2011, 02:15:24 pm
Lloyds Tsb first 18 months free
Title: Re: Free business banking
Post by: andi wilson on May 12, 2011, 04:18:01 pm
Natwest is free for the first 2 years....
Title: Re: Free business banking
Post by: Paul H on May 12, 2011, 05:47:11 pm
coop ... through FSB....do it through your local post office...easy peasy....and memebership of FSB gives you access to some valuable info and support
Title: Re: Free business banking
Post by: mark joyce on May 12, 2011, 07:00:20 pm
yes I went with natwest last year will swap when it runs out lol  robbing barstewards
Title: Re: Free business banking
Post by: Neil Williams on May 12, 2011, 07:19:49 pm
Which banks do free business banking?

I answered this very question on the window cleaning side years ago and I'll say it again, but briefly.

Why do you want free?
What happens when your customers ask for something free?
Any expenditure comes off your end of year accounts.
You get what you pay for.
Title: Re: Free business banking
Post by: Len Gribble on May 12, 2011, 07:55:22 pm
I take it that you are referring to business banking?

Have a look at this site

http://www.freebusinessbanking.org.uk/banks/

Neil

Nothing is for free but I don’t get charged  ;D ;D
Title: Re: Free business banking
Post by: Doctor Carpet (Ret'd) on May 12, 2011, 10:52:08 pm
Which banks do free business banking?

I answered this very question on the window cleaning side years ago and I'll say it again, but briefly.

Why do you want free?
What happens when your customers ask for something free?
Any expenditure comes off your end of year accounts.
You get what you pay for.

I'm very much like Neil. You get what you pay for.

By all means have your attention drawn by the headline but consider the "stuff" not covered and which you need to consider carefully. For example:

How easy is it to pay in-do you have to post in or is it a long way to drive to the nearest branch
Clearing cycle times
Costs of accidentally going overdrawn
how easy is to to speak to somebody in authority if something goes wrong
how easy is it to transfer monies to another account in same bank/to another bank and or branch
length of and time spent queuing to gain access to a cashier
opening hours and number of branches you can pay in at
costs for such things as duplicate statements/stopped cheques etc
level of expertise of those you speak to.

I'm sure all banks will address some/all these issues to a greater or lesser extent. I just find it duplicitious that we as cc's want to maximise income for our labour but then will not accept that other service industries also wish to be recompensed for the services they provide. Or if you change banks following the best deal do not be surprised if your customers (not clients?) show no loyalty to you.

Banks provide a means of converting a piece of paper with words written on it (a cheque) into a way that allows you to buy the things you want. They provide buildings where you go; the staff to process these bits of paper; an infrastructure to undertake the transmission.

I'm more than happy to pay bank charges but I'll still look for an efficient way of doing it. It does however buy me the right that when something goes wrong I can expect my complaint to be taken seriously and answered quickly and accurately.

Each to their own but free does not neccessarily equal best.

Rog
Title: Re: Free business banking
Post by: wynne jones on May 12, 2011, 11:05:23 pm
Don't get me started about banks.

They are crooks in suits. Payment protection anyone?

So you queue for 20 minutes to pay money in that you get no interest on that they then lend out on credit cards at 20%+.

And then at the end of the month they charge you for the privilege. Come Roger are you on commission or something.

Oh and they also brought the western world to near collapse due to their greed, but other than that you can't fault them really. ;D
Title: Re: Free business banking
Post by: Doctor Carpet (Ret'd) on May 12, 2011, 11:25:32 pm
Hi Wynne

You will be relieved to know I am not on commission. But I have seen it from both sides so I do know what I am talking about.

You raise some interesting issues but they are not really anything to do with this thread so therefore are a bit of a red herring and can be discussed sometime someplace else.

Of course there are no disreputable carpet cleaners charging debatably exorbitant prices for their honest services so we (as a corporate body) can debate the issue with an entirely clear conscience. Can't we?

Rog
Title: Re: Free business banking
Post by: Steve_Knight on May 13, 2011, 07:05:41 am
Wynne
Their is an old saying: SHIRT AND TIE......LICIENCED TO LIE!! ;D
Title: Re: Free business banking
Post by: Phillip Mold on May 13, 2011, 10:01:17 am
Does anyone know where you can pay in with Santander, apart from obviously Santander?
Title: Re: Free business banking
Post by: Ian Gourlay on May 13, 2011, 12:32:32 pm
I have lost over £1000 of Cheques with Santandear post system
Title: Re: Free business banking
Post by: suffolkclean on May 15, 2011, 11:32:56 am
Phillip - any post office.
Title: Re: Free business banking
Post by: davep on May 15, 2011, 11:58:03 am
When I deposit cheques in Santander the machine prints an image of the cheque, will help if went missing.
Title: Re: Free business banking
Post by: clinton on May 15, 2011, 04:01:32 pm
Am with nat west now and as rogers post said its the security of knowing the cheque has been banked.

I did loose some cheques with the abbey(santander) with there post services..
Title: Re: Free business banking
Post by: Simon Gerrard on May 15, 2011, 04:06:35 pm
Free banking? Simple. Ring your bank up and tell them you're leaving - they'll give you free banking (provided your in the balck, of course). Mine tried to say they'd give me free banking for 6 months, so I told them well then I would be leaving in 6 months. I'm still on free banking - permanently
Simon
Title: Re: Free business banking
Post by: Steve Gunn on May 15, 2011, 06:00:14 pm
Steer well clear of Santander lost cheques the list goes on now with Lloyds 18 months free banking but the branch is local so I can speak to them direct as opposed to trying to go through an automated service before you actually spoke to someone in person.

I called into the branch(Newcastle) to close the account on the 23rd March which was told by staff all done got statement last week £175 in charges for direct debits that have been bounced as I took all the money out that day,whilst waiting to speak to someone there were 3 other people having similar problems with their personal accounts.

All banks are the same when things are going ok its when things go wrong that they lose interest
Title: Re: Free business banking
Post by: boshravie on May 15, 2011, 07:13:48 pm
Don't get me started about banks.

They are crooks in suits. Payment protection anyone?

So you queue for 20 minutes to pay money in that you get no interest on that they then lend out on credit cards at 20%+.

And then at the end of the month they charge you for the privilege. Come Roger are you on commission or something.

Oh and they also brought the western world to near collapse due to their greed, but other than that you can't fault them really. ;D

So true  ;D
Title: Re: Free business banking
Post by: Len Gribble on May 15, 2011, 07:24:49 pm
Natwest the drags business/private (they were good prior to rbs and should be sold) never lost a cheque with ABBEY (Santander) Steve check out Barclays they out source and all you get I speak English major problem I don’t understand them. Where to go from there I don’t know? Personal experience perhaps  ;D
Title: Re: Free business banking
Post by: derek west on May 15, 2011, 07:32:15 pm
 ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
Title: Re: Free business banking
Post by: Shaun_Ashmore on May 15, 2011, 07:45:30 pm
Santander always been good to me okay customer service not cracking but all I want is a simple account not after making them a friend on facebook.

Shaun
Title: Re: Free business banking
Post by: richy27 on May 16, 2011, 12:53:25 am
 biscuit tin in straw stack  
Title: Re: Free business banking
Post by: David_Annable on May 17, 2011, 08:25:27 am
Hi

Santander seem to have got really slow a cashing cheques just lately.

I had an Alliance & Liecester Account but they were taken over by Santander & the service has deteriorated.

Dave
Title: Re: Free business banking
Post by: Raymondo on May 17, 2011, 09:12:07 am

A few year I heard a saying about banks and it so true.

Banks are willing to give you an umbrella when its dry but when it starts raining they want it back.

Ray