please empty your brain below
Exactly the same happened when Midland were consumed by HSBC. Now almost everyone has forgotten they were once Midland.

A better reason for considering changing is that much better savings rates are available...

Blue Witch | Homepage | 02.08.07 - 8:16 a.m. | #

I wouldn't worry about this stuff just over a name change.
What's a "Spanish" bank nowadays anyway?
HSBC is British but founded in Asia. Money is money, really.

TM | Homepage | 02.08.07 - 8:50 a.m. | #

If you are looking to churn (apols for the jargon) then you might want to consider Smile - it's an Internet bank (British I think) spin-off from that most veritable institution the Co-Op. I have an account with them and it is excellent. Rates are good too.

Jag | Homepage | 02.08.07 - 9:01 a.m. | #

Withdraw all your money, go to a bookmakers, and bet it all on "Abbey will become known as Santander by the end of my lifetime".

Guarenteed money

Rhys | Homepage | 02.08.07 - 9:18 a.m. | #

I too recommend Smile or co-op.

Susie | 02.08.07 - 10:43 a.m. | #

i had a bank moan - about abbey - the other week. i closed my non-resident account and joined HSBC who are charming, helpful and so far, a delight.

to close my account, abbey charged me £20 to transfer the money to the HSBC. i sat there and rudely asked "why", i was so pissed off. i must have scared the woman as she quickly announced that if she gave me a cheque, it would be free.

another thing about abbey - despite holding a non-resident account, they TAX me.

i hate abbey.
with a passion.

zoe | Homepage | 02.08.07 - 10:45 a.m. | #

Boring answer but check moneysupermarket.com or similar to find best rate then use them!

ChrisC | 02.08.07 - 10:48 a.m. | #

Actually, Nationwide is still "proud to be different". Still a building society working for its members, and it has no shareholders lining their pockets with my money.

After being mis-treated by the "big four" over the years I switched all my accounts their way and I've never looked back - I even get a decent interest rate on my current account!

I don't work for them, I'm just a very happy customer, which I think is a rare find in the world of banking.

SelBel | 02.08.07 - 11:28 a.m. | #

Doesn't Spain own Heathrow etc now, or did that not go through and is it therefore them who are trying to ban the RSPB from the Piccadilly line or whatever?

I signed up with Videotron, which then became Cable and Wireless, which then became NTL, but I never cared very much till recently it became Virgin Media and they started inundating me with junk mail with their horrible logo of a finger writing in a pool of virgin's blood. Now it's up for sale again. What next, Al Jazeera?

Feargal Mooney | Homepage | 02.08.07 - 11:28 a.m. | #

I always refer to Santander as "the bank of the white dogshit" when in Spain - I suggest everyone does Abbey now too.

bounder | Homepage | 02.08.07 - 11:53 a.m. | #

And I thought I was the only one that thought the Sanatnder logo looked like a stylised dog turd with steam rising from it.

Adrian Zmed | 02.08.07 - 12:33 p.m. | #

Apparently there are more complaints made about Abbey now than any other bank, by a long margin.

Debster | 02.08.07 - 12:34 p.m. | #

Midland's transition to the innocuous sounding 'HSBC' was handled cleverly. How many xenophobic Brits would have been put off by having their money in "The Hong Kong & Shanghai Banking Corporation"? I expect Santander's focus groups are telling them 'rebrand now, the Brits love Spain'. Just check that your dosh is not being invested in Julio Iglesias will you?

drD | Homepage | 02.08.07 - 12:34 p.m. | #

I work for A & L and we've witnessed what's happened to Abbey. We've all have been nervously awaiting a takeover approach from either the Spanish or the French since we're the last remaining British high street bank that hasn't been taken over yet : (

Bag | 02.08.07 - 2:08 p.m. | #

Don't forget HSBC was always a British bank anyway, one of the colonial looting corps, from the good ol' foisting-opium-on-China days. Hong Kong, remember, it's a Brit creation. If you list the names of the founders (I'm too lazy) it will sound like a rollcall from Eton.

Feargal Mooney | Homepage | 02.08.07 - 2:16 p.m. | #

Abbey were never any good anyway, though.

Don't worry about the globalisation side of it, as that will just follow you around wherever you go. As noted, HSBC was founded in Hong Kong by British people, makes most of its profits in Hong Kong and reports in US Dollars, but people still use it. It's logo is derived from the Scottish flag, interestingly.

Abbey's Spanish and the change to the name - which isn't necessarily inevitable (insider information, sorry) - won't improve their service any.

Halifax is based in Scotland, obviously, as is National Westminster.

But you've still got Lloyds TSB and Barclays.

Anyway, all of these banks are potential takeover targets as banking becomes increasingly globalised. So it really doesn't matter. Shop around and find one that gets the right mix of service and cost for you.

And remember, just because a bank claims to have "UK-only call centres" doesn't mean that they are not sending loads of jobs to India. Just not the call centre jobs.

Alan | Homepage | 02.08.07 - 2:27 p.m. | #

Barclays may soon be Dutch.

Alan | Homepage | 02.08.07 - 2:30 p.m. | #

Santander is one of the oldest Spanish banks. I've never done any business with them and I don't like the aggressive marketing policies they adopted a few years ago, but they are as solid as any other bank.

The one I strongly dislike, for well documented reasons, is BBVA.

Regards

Pepe, in Spain

Pepe | 02.08.07 - 7:16 p.m. | #

HSBC always used to be the Honkers and Shankers, if you were a Hooray Henry.

Debster | 03.08.07 - 12:25 a.m. | #

The world headquarters of HSBC is at E14 5HQ. HQ, geddit?

I'm with First Direct, their internet bank. All the benefits of the internet, but also, all the benefits of the HSBC Branch network. They're at LS98 1FD (FD, geddit?). They claim to be award winning. Plus they're currently giving you 100quid to switch to them. Worth a look?

It uswitch.co.uk worth a look?

flashgordonnz | 03.08.07 - 3:43 a.m. | #

I hope they do go bust and Spanish. In 1995 I returned foor a short trip to England. Had 5,000 pounds in my Abbey account. Wanted a credit card, they said no. took my money next door to Barclays and got a card immediatly. Bye bye Abbey

Stan Shaw | 03.08.07 - 5:08 a.m. | #

I had to visit my branch of Abbey four times before they managed to successfully change my address. They are over centralised and even when you go to the branch to speak face-to-face they force you to carry out most transactions through their call centre.

They are stressing the Santender link right now to make the most of the Spanish Bank's global Formula One sponsorship deal. It makes me mad to think that they are wasting all that money on Lewis Hamilton et al when their service is so poor. Grrrr...

Spider | Homepage | 03.08.07 - 1:29 p.m. | #

Nationwide definitely! Helpful & friendly, and can do everything on-line, or use the branch, or if your computer's bust, use their computer in the branch. Brill!

Tina from Surrey | 03.08.07 - 8:35 p.m. | #

Abbey should go back to the old 'couple under an umbrella' logo.

And then use Rihanna's Umbrella song so that it can go back to #1 for another 74 weeks (it felt that long at least).

Because we have not had enough of it already.

bitful | Homepage | 11.08.07 - 9:13 a.m. | #

"Should I withdraw all my money and stick it in a nice solid traditional British bank instead?"

Ha ha ha!

Ha ha!

Ha ha ha ha ha!

Kirk | 15.08.09 - 8:43 p.m. | #











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