Banking on migrants/Sticking 2 fingers up to new customers.

MoneyExpert.com - Lloyds TSB launches account for immigrants - 25/04/2007
http://www.fairinvestment.co.uk/banking-news-Lloyds-TSB-courts-Polish-custom-103.html

**A bank(Barclays) staffed by Mark Benton wannabe's but without the inteligence, the humour or even the looks of that comedian.

High street banking giant Lloyds TSB has announced the launch of a current account aimed at newcomers to Britain.The bank says the new account is "ideally suited" for people who have just moved to the UK, in particular "the growing Polish community".

Account holders will be offered a range of incentives, such as a debit card and European travel insurance.Research conducted by Lloyds TSB among members of
the Polish community found that they wanted to be able to transfer money quickly
and easily to family at home.

More than 40 per cent of respondents said they had transferred money home recently and 75 per cent were planning to do so in the near future.

With this in mind, the bank has developed a pre-loaded money transfer card that can be sent "to a designated family member or friend" who can use it for cash withdrawals or purchases.

Caroline Brady, head of segments at Lloyds TSB, said: "The rapidly expanding Polish community is having a major impact on the UK current account market." According to the BBC, more than 450,000 polish citizens have applied for UK work permits since the country joined the EU.

Yet no one sees such large scale migration as a problem, least of all the high street banks. One has to wonder if the banks check that these people are legally allowed to be in the UK, and if they turn a blind eye to those who are not in order to fund their own profit margins.

Of course it would be too much to expect such banks to report illegals to the authorities, firstly as this would as they no doubt would argue not be their job but more importantly it would hit their profits when word spread throught the migrant community.

Tags: Polish
Banking
Migration
LTSB

The second part of this is about the banks treatment of new customers, it would appear that should you try to get a better online rate with your bank your chances of that are small to say the least.

Customers who are following industry advice to shop around are being frustrated as they try to find better rates for their savings accounts by looking online.

Some banks are refusing to let new customers apply online for savings accounts, giving only existing customers that option, claims research by Global Review.

This policy means that new customers are unable to apply for the favourable rates of interest that banks offer online.Earlier this month the Moneyfacts website revealed that there can be up to a two per cent difference between the rates that banks offer on the high street and rates they offer online.

But research by Global Review showed that visitors to the Lloyds TSB, Barclays and Nationwide will find that they are being frozen out by the banks who are only offering online savings accounts to customers who already have accounts with them.

Even banks who do allow new customers to apply are not making the process easy, often failing to mention what documentation is necessary or how long the application will take to process. Global Review gave only NatWest and Halifax a score of over 60 per cent on the quality of the information provided to help applicants.Adam Goodvach, director of Global Reviews, said: "A greater alignment of customer needs with what institutions offer is the challenge lying before them."
http://www.thriftyscot.co.uk/Finance-News/042007/new-customers-frozen-out-of-online-savings-accounts.html

And people still wonder at how they post such huge profits. Some assorted bits on Banks and the thievery that they get upto below. If I come across as anti bank that is just because I am an ex customer of Barclays and Lloyds Tsb.

http://newportcity.blogspot.com/2007/04/bank-charges-record-numbers-changing.html
http://newportcity.blogspot.com/2007/04/bank-charges-dont-let-them-rip-you-off.html

Link to BBC News: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/6476155.stm
Ye olde links to previous bits: Previous bits on Barclay's and some tags:
http://newportcity.blogspot.com/2007/02/banks-bloody-parasites.html
alsohttp://newportcity.blogspot.com/2007/02/banks-make-change-its-worth-it.html
alsohttp://newportcity.blogspot.com/2007/02/cry-freedom-escape-from-barclays-bank.html
also:http://newportcity.blogspot.com/2007/02/barclays-bank-still-cunts-even-now-i.html
check out this site. http://www.chargeclaims.co.uk/
http://newportcity.blogspot.com/2007/02/cry-freedom-escape-from-barclays-bank.html
http://www.blagger.com/db4/company_id/130/companyname/Barclays.html
http://www.litsl.com/miscellaneous/poor_customer_service/barclays_bank_barc_the_woolwich.html
http://www.ciao.co.uk/Barclays_Bank__Review_5133047
http://www.teneric.co.uk/forums/finance-forum/business-banking-complaints-4719.html
http://www.grumbletext.co.uk/vt.php?t=108
http://www.barclaystory.com/
and lastly: http://newportcity.blogspot.com/2007/03/barclays-bank-barclays-pay-bob-diamond.html

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