The Lemon Fool

Hi,

I'm looking for a credit card provider. I admit customer service isn't something I usually ask about when purchasing products, but recent experiences with Barclaycard have taught me that its essential when things go bad, therefore, does anyone have any experiences of credit card customer service? (barclaycard were useless btw)

I don't want to be told to use their app which doesn't answer my question, i don't want a chatbot, I don't want a contact page which doesn't give a number and simply sends you back to a chatbot or tells you to use their app which doesn't work, I just want to phone and speak to someone. Are First Direct any good as they always seem to win awards?

Thanks

Andy46 wrote:I'm looking for a credit card provider. I admit customer service isn't something I usually ask about when purchasing products, but recent experiences with Barclaycard have taught me that its essential when things go bad, therefore, does anyone have any experiences of credit card customer service? (barclaycard were useless btw)

That surprises me. I have had a series of issues with credit card use (and mis-use) over the last few years and have found Barclaycard helpful.

Could you possibly expand on the issues you have experienced (if this is allowed).

Andy46 wrote:I don't want to be told to use their app which doesn't answer my question, i don't want a chatbot, I don't want a contact page which doesn't give a number and simply sends you back to a chatbot or tells you to use their app which doesn't work, I just want to phone and speak to someone. Are First Direct any good as they always seem to win awards?

I was able to speak to them by phone - it just required a bit of persistence. I do not have the "app", but do now have online account access.
Apart from Barclaycard I am not a Barclay's customer.

My personal experience.
I have first direct for current ac and credit card, great cs the 3 or 4 times I've had cause to interact with them.
I had Santander for both - not so great so closed current account and credit card which was sub optimal for a section 75 problem - they only refunded the deposit not the full amount for substandard service paid for on the card.
I have HSBC for current act and CC, a bit tricky with some current account issues but OK now and no CC probs,
MBNA for credit cards I have had half a dozen with them over the years never any big issues, I did have a problem with their online servicing and sorted the problem myself, they gave me £10 for the nuisance.
Amex credit card, really good. I've had cause to contact cs twice in a decade and both times excellent support.
M&S CC was OK the only time I contacted them.

kempiejon wrote:My personal experience.

Amex credit card, really good. I've had cause to contact cs twice in a decade and both times excellent support.

Another vote for Amex. Always prompt to answer the phone and helpful. Good global network of support. I trust them to make me whole in the event of a problem.

Recommendations for First Direct and Amex here. Neither quite as good as they were a few years ago, but still way ahead of the rest.

Amex are good, but not everywhere takes them. MBNA were good, but they changed hands ( maybe 2 years ? ) and I haven't needed cs since the change.

genou wrote:Amex are good, but not everywhere takes them.

Getting fewer and fewer, and my experience is that if you ask if a place takes Amex they often say ‘no’, but at those same places if you simply use the card on a phone as a contactless payment (without asking if they accept Amex) then more often than not it goes through.

AF62 wrote:

genou wrote:Amex are good, but not everywhere takes them.

Getting fewer and fewer, and my experience is that if you ask if a place takes Amex they often say ‘no’, but at those same places if you simply use the card on a phone as a contactless payment (without asking if they accept Amex) then more often than not it goes through.

Yes I think it is more a case of places preferring that you do not use Amex as the transaction fee is higher.

I always (try and) use my Amex card first as it has a more generous rewards programme, presumably because of those higher fees!

Lootman wrote:Yes I think it is more a case of places preferring that you do not use Amex as the transaction fee is higher.

That is certainly one reason, but I think another reason is that with any question in a retail/hospitality environment these days if the staff member doesn't know the answer to a question then they have a tendency to say "no" as it is less embarrassing to say that than "I don't know" and less hard work than saying "I will find out" and doing so.

Anyway, no hardship to try Amex as the default and if the machine goes 'nope' then I always have a Mastercard or Visa as a fallback.

genou wrote:Amex are good, but not everywhere takes them. MBNA were good, but they changed hands ( maybe 2 years ? ) and I haven't needed cs since the change.

A few years back, when cash rewards were more of a 'thing' with CCs, I had an MBNA account with an Amex card on it as well. Double reward points on the Amex. Same again later with Barclaycard plus Amex account. Try Amex first, if refused, no problem, just switch to other card. Very convenient.

Sadly these no annual charge, dual card reward accounts are no longer available, AFAIK.

First Direct have dropped all foreign currency fees from their debit card. You can now use it for cash withdrawals and purchases abroad and get basically the interbank exchange rate.

I used to keep a Nationwide flex account card purely for cash abroad, now I don't need to.

Scott.

swill453 wrote:First Direct have dropped all foreign currency fees from their debit card. You can now use it for cash withdrawals and purchases abroad and get basically the interbank exchange rate.

I used to keep a Nationwide flex account card purely for cash abroad, now I don't need to.

My Halifax Mastercard says it has no fees for foreign transactions. That said I mostly use it for purchases as I rarely withdraw cash overseas, preferring to buy FX in London before I leave.

Lootman wrote:

swill453 wrote:First Direct have dropped all foreign currency fees from their debit card. You can now use it for cash withdrawals and purchases abroad and get basically the interbank exchange rate.

I used to keep a Nationwide flex account card purely for cash abroad, now I don't need to.

My Halifax Mastercard says it has no fees for foreign transactions. That said I mostly use it for purchases as I rarely withdraw cash overseas, preferring to buy FX in London before I leave.

I doubt you can buy FX in London at a better rate than using a fee-free debit card in-country.

I keep a float of euros so I have cash as soon as I get there, and top up with debit card withdrawals when necessary.

Scott.

swill453 wrote:

Lootman wrote:My Halifax Mastercard says it has no fees for foreign transactions. That said I mostly use it for purchases as I rarely withdraw cash overseas, preferring to buy FX in London before I leave.

I doubt you can buy FX in London at a better rate than using a fee-free debit card in-country.

You may well be correct there.

I guess I still have nightmares about the cash machine that swallowed my debit card in Dublin.