SAYNOTO0870.COM - Banned by Alliance & Leicester

longusername

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Alliance and Leicester card activation
Reply #60 - Oct 19^th, 2007 at 3:11pm

Greetings all, just thought I should let you know of my experiences trying to activate my Alliance and Leicester visa debit card on 0845 925 8456 , the activation number they supply.

I first got a skype error #9306 or something so I tried the alternative number in the database 0800 0688661 and finally 0800 0688638 (they're much the same). I got through to credit cards, who put me through to current accounts who, because I have no phone pin put me through to security who put me back to current accounts who (YAY) put me through to card activation. My pitch to Claire in current accounts was that I had no money to call 0845 from a pay phone and had no credit on my mobile and so couldn't activate my card until I got some money out but couldn't get any money out until I activated my card. Sorry for the long sentence.

I was told, you _shouldn't_ have called an 0800 number and in future you won't be able to get through, but just this once I would be put through.

So I got through to card activation in a pay phone on an 0800 number. It was such a privelege to talk to Matthew in Yorkshire. He took my details, as one does, and then tried to sell me card protection services while we waited for activation which would "take a few minutes". Was I interested at all? No, Matthew, thanks. Would you like me to explain them to you? Not really, unless you insist. OK, I'll explain then, and on and on and on. Finally, Look Matthew, I'm just not interested in this. Can I ask you why you're not interested...

It was at this point I explained to Matthew that customers were calling on 0845 numbers which were costing minimum 7p per minute, maybe 30p on a mobile and revenue was being shared with Alliance and Leicester. I mean he had gone on and on about the risks of chip and pin and did I travel abroad. Matthew was ebullient and unstoppable. He appeared genuinely surprised that 0845 numbers were not free. I politely gave him the whole schpiel. He became almost apologetic and promptly told me my card had been activated and wished me a good day. I did the same for him. It was genuinely a pleasure talking to Matthew from Yorkshire.

Hope that helps somebody out there in the nightmare that corporate power has created for us in its seemingly unstoppable pathological craving for profit maximization.

Be well.

longusername

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Keith Senior Member Offline Posts: 378 Surrey Gender:	Re: Alliance and Leicester card activation Reply #61 - Oct 19^th, 2007 at 3:24pm Longusername, Sometime ago I had great pleasure in reading one of your postings. And yet again. I wish I could write like you. You get the point over and make me smile at the same time whereas the content should actually be making me bang my head against the wall.
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longusername Newbie Offline Posts: 40	Re: Alliance and Leicester card activation Reply #62 - Oct 19^th, 2007 at 3:48pm Thanks Keith. I appreciate your appreciating me.
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brucie

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Re: Banned by Alliance & Leicester
Reply #63 - Nov 22^nd, 2007 at 7:25pm

Oh how I wish I'd read this thread BEFORE opening an account! I have been given the runaround this afternoon by A & L and finally caved in and rang the 0845 9262626 and then spent over half an hour getting more and more frustrated!

First the 01519284033 operative told me that the number was for lost and stolen cards only. When asked for a geo number she said there wasn't one. When pressed further she actually said " this conversation is fruitless, you are preventing genuine callers from getting through on this number, I am terminating the call" and promptly did ! Angry

Other numbers given were out of use, I got through on the 0800 cc number but didn't manage to get to the department I needed.

Without exception everyone I spoke to was unbelievably rude and ignored anything I said carrying on their diatribe as trained.

I left Lloyds because I was so fed up with the way I was treated as a customer of long standing but I would have thought I would be treated a little better when actually going through the transfer process.

I will continue the battle another day. Oh and when I asked one operative for the managing directors name she said she'd forgotten it and cut me off! Angry

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« Last Edit: Nov 22^nd, 2007 at 7:28pm by brucie »

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sherbert Supreme Member Offline Posts: 2,011 Gender:	Re: Banned by Alliance & Leicester Reply #64 - Nov 22^nd, 2007 at 7:37pm Go to ...http://www.alliance-leicester-group.co.uk/html/general/board.asp You will find what you are looking for.
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brucie Newbie Offline Posts: 4 Gender:	Re: Banned by Alliance & Leicester Reply #65 - Nov 22^nd, 2007 at 9:25pm Thanks sherbet, I have been there already but I notice the MD of retail banking is not listed but commercial is??? Maybe the Chairman will get a letter instead!
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Leighton_Dan

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Calling alliance and leicester (or not)
Reply #66 - Jan 29^th, 2008 at 8:34am

Hi All

Anyone else experience this ? it is an absoulte BALLACHAE ! phone pin ? what phone pin ????? i just wnat to ask some simple questions about my account , better still i`d rather not pay 0870 charges but on this occasion i thought sod it i really need to speak to them and i STILL cant get through !

i cannot for the life of me get hold of a human , its enough to make me change banks , which is ridicolous

Has anyone got any tips or advice

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irrelevant Senior Member Offline Posts: 409	Re: Calling alliance and leicester (or not) Reply #67 - Jan 29^th, 2008 at 11:18am http://gethuman.com/uk/ suggests you don't press anything at all after calling (it lists an 0800 too) and you should be pt through.
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NGMsGhost

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Re: Calling alliance and leicester (or not)
Reply #68 - Feb 24^th, 2008 at 3:12pm

irrelevant wrote on Jan 29^th, 2008 at 11:18am:

http://gethuman.com/uk/ suggests you don't press anything at all after calling (it lists an 0800 too) and you should be pt through.

It now seems to be www.gethuman.com and there is then a UK lookup on that page.Unfortunately as a US site they do not yet seem to be aware of the need to quote alternatives to 0845 and 0870 numbers. Shocked

Useful site though. Now in my Favourites

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idb

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Re: Banned by Alliance & Leicester
Reply #69 - Apr 18^th, 2008 at 1:17am

http://www.mortgagesolutions-online.com/public/showPage.html?page=789653

A&L unveils single broker phone number

<<
Alliance & Leicester has launched a single contact phone number for intermediary enquiries in a bid to improve the efficiency of its service to the intermediary market.

The introduction of the number is part of the bank's 'Programme of Transformation' which is looking at ways to improve and enhance communications with intermediaries.

As part of the programme an e-welcome pack was launched at the end of last year for new broker contacts to provide them with a comprehensive introduction to the bank.

Brokers can use the new number, which is 0844 8009999, from Thursday 17 April. The previous contact telephone numbers they have for Alliance & Leicester will still be in use for approximately four weeks while the changeover takes place.

Jill Butterwood, intermediary transformation manager at A&L, said it was a much more straightforward system for intermediaries. She added: “From this one single number, there will be clear and concise options for intermediaries to choose to enable them to get to the right person and department as quickly and efficiently as possible.”

Butterwood said intermediaries were a key part of its mortgage business and as such its service and commitment to them is a priority.
>>

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As from November 21, 2013, I no longer participate in the forum and am unable to receive private messages.

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NGMsGhost Supreme Member Offline The Forum Ghost of NonGeographicalMan<b r /> Posts: 2,720 Surrey, United Kingdom Gender:	Re: Banned by Alliance & Leicester Reply #70 - Apr 18^th, 2008 at 9:29am Clearly they are unfamiliar with the old maxim that "you can fool some of the people some of the time but you can't fool all of the people all of the time".
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bill Full Member Offline Posts: 193	Re: Banned by Alliance & Leicester Reply #71 - Apr 18^th, 2008 at 10:08am idb wrote on Apr 18^th, 2008 at 1:17am: The introduction of the number is part of the bank's 'Programme of Transformation' which is looking at ways to improve and enhance communications with intermediaries. They'll be telling us next they're going to get the think wok out and stir fry a few ideas!
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Heinz

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Re: Banned by Alliance & Leicester
Reply #72 - May 3^rd, 2008 at 7:45pm

Never believe the "you must dial 08xx" garbage from A&L. Be nice and friendly and it's amazing what you can achieve.

I just got through to the department which deals with online banking passwords after dialling 0800 0688638 (credit card services)!

The first person answering asked me what company I was calling (clearly he dealt with many). When I said A&L, he asked me my query and I explained. He asked whether it was a credit or debit card PIN I needed and, when I explained it was an online banking PIN, he said he would transfer me.

The next person to answer said he didn't deal with that and would have to transfer me and, when I put on my best "please don't put me in another half hour queue" voice, he promised it'd be 5 minutes maximum.

He came back on the line within a minute saying he couldn't get through so he'd deal with the matter. And he did. Yes, I had to suffer the "Have you been into a branch for an account review recently?" questions at the end but he'd done what I wanted and I'd paid nothing so I was happy to joke my way through that too.

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After years of ignoring govt. guidelines & RIPPING OFF Council Tax payers using 0845 numbers, Essex County Council changed to 0345 numbers on 2 November 2015

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jrawle

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Alliance & Leicester internet banking - success!
Reply #73 - Jul 21^st, 2008 at 11:43am

I wanted to close my A&L direct ISA which I opened online and have always managed that way to avoid paying for any phone calls. I sent a secure online message with this request, and also said that I did not wish to call them unless they provided a standard phone number. I also provided my numbers so that they could call me if necessary. But they told me I could only close the account by calling 0844 800 1144. They won't call me as they "don't ask for security details in outgoing calls". So it's OK for anyone to phone up pretending to be me, but they won't call me on the number I've provided using their secure, online messaging system. There was no mention of how much it costs to call that 0844 number, but I checked and it's a 5p/min number (no surprises there).

So I tried one of the freephone numbers in the database, 0800 056 6066. It asks for a 12-digit customer ID, even though A&L have been using new 8-digit IDs for a while. Fortunately I know my old ID, so I was able to proceed. I didn't try the "security team" option to see where that would take me. Today I was able to get through and speak to someone who closed the account for me with no problems. Note however that this number only operates Mon-Sat until 8pm, unlike the 0844 number, which is supposed to be 24 hours. I did have to wait quite a few minutes to get through, but at least it was at A&L's expense.

I'll try to avoid using A&L ever again. I don't like their use of rip-off numbers, and I also don't like the way their accounts such as the ISA are launched as a new "issue" each year with a good rate of interest, but then existing customers' accounts are lowered to a poor rate of interest.

I just thought I'd let people know that it is still possible to fool A&L and avoid the expensive numbers, for certain types of query at least.

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NGMsGhost Supreme Member Offline The Forum Ghost of NonGeographicalMan<b r /> Posts: 2,720 Surrey, United Kingdom Gender:	Re: Banned by Alliance & Leicester Reply #74 - Jul 21^st, 2008 at 12:43pm Another approach to closing your account without paying for an 0844 phone call would probably have been to email the Chief Executive with cc to their Head of Customer Relations. However its good to hear that you managed to get through on a regular phone number in this case.
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