Losing Interest in the Banking System?

I have been waiting for two cheques to arrive - one from the FSCS for the Icesave account and one from Friends Provident for a 10-year drip feed 'long term always done better than interest rates in the past'. Well, let me say it would have been better off under my mattress! And they have the gall to try to get me to keep drip feeding more money into their coffers...

In the meanwhile, waiting for these to arrive I had started in motion a Halifax regular saver and sent off for a Coventry BS fixed rate bond. We had also decided to each open a Barclays regular saver.

So Monday afternoon we planned a quick trip into Duns to get the Halifax one activated and then on to Berwick for Barclays.

Into Duns armed with bank statement and passport to verify my identification at the BoS to activate the Halifax account. Yes, I would be able to pay in cash for my February payment. So trot over the road to RBoS and take out a large amount of cash. I hand half of it over. But there is a problem - account won't take the money. Another lady helps out - doing an electronic identity check and that works fine. But the account still has a stop on it. They were very helpful - gave me a receipt for the money and would phone me if they still had problems. Oh - and are you happy with your other bank?

So off to Berwick. We did a couple of other chores and then into the bank. 

No - we couldn't just open an account. We needed to make an appointment with one of their account advisors. It would be at least half an hour each. No free appointments for that day. Okay - Friday is best for us as we need to come back into Berwick then anyway. I guess it will be a little like the Time-Share no-obligation but can we get you to switch all your other accounts to us too. Pleeeeeease.

It had occurred to me that the problem with the Halifax account may have been that I also needed a websaver account, and although one had been created it was moneyless. So we went back to Duns. No - they didn't think that was the problem. After a couple more tries they decided to phone their computer help desk, who managed to lift the stop and Hey! Presto! money has gone in.

Paul now wanted me to go back in to RBoS and put the rest of the money back in as it would no longer be needed for the Barclays account - his funds would have cleared by the time if/when we get that sorted, but I refused on the grounds that I would be too embarrassed...

Anyway, the cheque from FSCS arrived yesterday. Back into Duns and payed in along with the excess cash. Asked if I had plans for the money - Yes, thankyou...

But too late for the Coventry BS bond - no longer available when I looked on the web. So FirstSave is now getting it...

And at last the FP cheque arrived today, only two weeks after the policy expired. Another trip into Duns this afternoon.