Wheeler-Jones

I currently have a Natwest account and the buggars are charging me on both my accounts now $6p/m and $3p/m (the latter has only been there for less than a year). I am a little peeved with them, since for the last 6 years I have been trying to avoid paying fees but they wouldn't waive the $6p/m charge and I am not happy when I add up the charges considering they don't do a great deal to earn that money!

So - I am due to come back (finally!) in four months with UK savings and a hubby, so want to find a good bank with good customer service that will go the extra mile for a loyal customer.

I understand for the intended mortage purposes that it may be better to stick with what I have but am out of touch and curious to hear peoples opinions on who they would choose.

I have dealt with Westpac and did like them, also know a little about Commonwealth, but thats about all I can recall.


Appreciate your thoughts and personal experiences.

Hope you all are having a lovely Xmas down under!

shiels

Westpac gets my vote, our branch at Burleigh on the GC is great!! C x

Johnsyweb

We opened a Commonwealth Bank account (actually, Thribble did, but it was a joint account) from England before we left those shores and it was relatively easy. We could transfer money from our UK accounts to a Commonwealth Bank Account in London, this would automatically find its way to Western Australia three working days later.

We arrived in Melbourne at the end of February 2006, just as the Commonwealth Games were about to begin. Getting accommodation was tricky and so the pressure was on to find a place to rent. We found a place pretty quickly and were due to pay the first month's rent and bond (deposit) at 10am on a particular morning. Meanwhile, my brother had sold my car back in the UK, so we transferred the profit from that into the Commonwealth account to pay for the bond.

The day before the bond was due, we went to get a bank cheque (like a banker's draught). Firstly the security guard at the door tried to turn us away as it was 15:55 and they would be closing in five minutes. We insisted that they let us in and when we got to the counter were told the funds were not in the account. Three full working days had passed since the money had been deposited, yet there was no sign of it in our account. The bond had to be paid by noon the next day and we were more than a little anxious. The bank "couldn't" help us and suggested that we went back in the morning. We spent that evening conceiving contingency plans involving UK credit cards.

On the morning the bond was due we were outside the bank when it opened at 10:00. We asked for the bank cheque and again were told that the funds were not in the account. We highlighted that the money had been transferred into the Commonwealth Bank more than the prescribed three working days and backed this up with a print-out of a statement from or UK bank account. The branch manager made some calls and confirmed that the funds were on their way from London and would be in our account later that day.

"Excellent", I said, "so we can have the bank cheque".

"No", came the reply. The funds haven't cleared into our account yet!


We had paid our money (clear funds, not a cheque or anything) into the Commonwealth Bank, but nearly a week later they still wouldn't let us access it. They wouldn't grant us an overdraft for a few hours, even though they had seen for themselves that the funds were in their own system. I was furious.

About eleven-thirty that morning we went into a different branch and it had transpired that our money had cleared and all was well with the World, we got our bank cheque and paid the bond on our new flat. I was still not happy with Commonwealth for the pains they'd put us through, though.

Within about a week, we'd opened an account with ANZ and have been really happy with the service we've received. Okay, the card we have says 'debit', but is actually treated by retailers as 'credit' because it's a Visa, but other than that, no complaints.

Hope this helps and Happy New Year!


--paj

rabsody

I've been with ANZ for a few years (mortgage, credit card, three other accounts), have also been with Suncorp Metway, National (don't even go there!) - have found ANZ to be great so far. Customer service is pretty good, rarely have to go into the bank (that's when the trouble starts in my experience, if you use the internet or call centres, no problem at all). Cheques can take a long time to clear which is painful. I would recommend ANZ.

Mrs Jackaroo

There have been quite a few threads about banks on here.

Heres a Poll I found

http://britishexpats.com/forum/showt...ight=bank+poll

HTH

Rach xxxx

232Bar

HSBC - no hassles, easy account set up, no problems since we joined them over 2 years ago. Mortgage and house/contents insurance with them as well, also no hassles

aston man

were with the westpac,i tell you they treat us fantasticly...a billion times better than the tsb...

king kong

I am with the Commonwealth and have found them very good and because i have a mortgage ,we dont pay any fees on our accounts .If we go overdrawn [which we dont ] we get whacked with a fee but thats par for the course with all the banks .
I in general have found all the banks helpful here in australia especially towards new migrants and by and large they wont give you the run around like british banks do when trying to get a mortgage .
They are certainly better than banks in britain where the answer always seems to be NO,NO,NO .

augigi

Bendigo Bank if you have it. They actually know us by first name when you go into the local branch. No account keeping fees, and no hassles.

I have both my mortgages with Members Equity Bank. If you are in an industry superannuation fund you can access ME Bank. Excellent mortgages.

longreach

HSBC online savings account. No fees whatsoever and we have it linked to an ING account. Works very well and wouldn't hesitate in recommending them.

As for a mortgage, that very much depends on your circumstances.

Cheers,
Mark.

moneypenny20

We're with the Commonwealth and from our perspective they have been brilliant. Great service when we first got here, to the extent that when we moved into our house the girls asked if we were having a house warming, we said no we don't know anyone. They said but Margaret at the bank is lovely, we should invite her Our local branch is superb. Other people hate the Commonwealth though so it's not the bank, it's the branch you deal with.

walaj

Somehow Westpac has won award for its' Rocket mortgage, and it has a 'ask once' policy. We are having numerous problems that we have highlighted to them on more than one occassion, chased for responses, and are still waiting for them to do something.

A bank that can not arrange a mortgage, reminds of the phrase of not being able to organise a piss up in a brewery

mand8002

We are with the Commonwealth Bank and have found them to be very good. We have our mortgage with them so have no account fees and we also have our business account there. We always get excellent service from the customer service team when we go into the branch, the only thing I wish they would change.........is the bank manager.........she is a pain.

The OH

I agree, they need a 'Rocket' up their arse.

The local finance manager has really messed up with the Stage payment now overdue..not impressed

quoll

St George -very happy customer. Because I have my salary paid into my account I pay no fees at all. Also has good interest on internet savings accounts.