theduke

Any recommendations on banks, well the best bank I have heard all different things about different banks.

Some say don't touch this bank or that bank but no one can give me reasons why, just because they heard from someone who heard from someone etc etc !!!


I will be tele transferring money to New Zealand and the UK also.

lionheart

There was a survey done recently in one of the papers, where RAK Bank came first, NBD about sixth, HSBC eighteenth and some Islamic bank bottom of the 28 banks surveyed for efficiency, customer service etc. I thought from somebody on here that RAK were full of hidden charges. May be wrong about that. Apparently Lloyds TSB were top of the international banks.

Slingshot

I have personally used Lloyds, ADCB and HSBC and I am not sure which one is the worst - probably HSBC, then ADCB and then Lloyds.

Blue Cat

we have used HSBC for years, never had a problem with them.

Meow

I'd be wary of having much money with RAK bank these days...

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IndieG

Absolutely second what Meow says above!!!

Slingshot

you are very lucky then!

mission

When i got here i opened an account with Lloyds, only because i've banked with them for 20 plus years back in the UK and opening an account in the UAE with them wasn't such a nightmare.

I then applied for a car loan and the frigging butt wipes declined my application.

I then opened an account with HSBC, instantly got two credit cards and am in the process of applying for my car loan. For me HSBC have so far been on top.

Madam Medusa

hsbc are a joke, heard really bad things about lloyds...just opened an account with nbd and all seems to be going smoothly (famous last words i guess)

MM, xx

bimcnorth

First Gulf Bank and Barclays for me...Works fine, in a sort of odd coincidence I just read that Sheikh Mansour Al-Nahyan who are the former First Gulf chairman (amongst other things) just have become the biggest shareholder in Barclays which makes me paranoid.

They are all out to get me...

Cham128

barclays is bad enough in the uk... i'd never trust them in another country like poobai

bimcnorth

Strengths of Barclays are: Stability, range of products, number of branches worldwide, good anti-fraud team.

Weaknesses: not exactly an innovator, some customer services issues (that bleeding indian call-center have me fuming at times..), not great interest rates, some excessive overdraft charges..:curse:

I would recommend Barclays to people who value reliability above most other things a bank might provide...

Roadking

Give me account details of bank....

No sorry, it's just to easy!

Cham128

yes the call center is a pain... but then the fraud team isn't exactly on the ball...

after having blocked my card whilst abroad (yes i did let them know before i left) and being on hold for 35 minutes to speak to someone in the call center i was then put on hold for 2 hours. Being in another country I had already let them know that this was costing about £20 a minute, i was informed that they've been on hold to the fraud department for the whole time and they couldn't get through so I would have to try myself. I called the fraud team and after another hour at £20 a minute the fraud team pressed a button and unblocked my card in about 30 seconds.

so yes they were helpful eventually but really if someone had used all the money in my account it would have probably cost less than the phone bill i received at the end of the month

theduke

Thanks everyone, now I really don't know which bank