First Direct

Want to know more about careers at first direct bank? Join us at Revolucion de Cuba in Leeds on Thursday 5th July.

Want to know more about careers at first direct bank? Join us at Revolucion de Cuba in Leeds on Thursday 31st May from 6.30pm.

Join first direct and get a bank that works for you. It's not rocket science.

We’re dead proud to have been nominated for the #WhichAwards2018 Bank of the Year. Thanks very much Which? You’ve made this bank’s day!

Want to know more about careers at first direct bank? Join us on-site in Hamilton on Wednesday 4 April from 6pm.

❄ Due to the weather conditions today, our call centre is much busier than usual. If you’re having problems getting through why not try our App or Online Banking instead? We can help with general questions too. Stay safe out there! ❄

It’s time to take the first step towards better banking.

Happy New Year! Go on, give us a kiss…

We’ve explored some of Father Christmas’ other identities from around the world. It brings a whole new meaning to ‘Secret Santa’.

With just 4 sleeps to go until Christmas, here are some other numbers to know about the festive period.

We’ve got something cool to share with you this Christmas.

Here’s our favourite first direct choir Christmas song - now it’s your turn…

Be fraud aware. We've seen an increase in fraudulent text messages.

Christmas. Untangled. Round 3.
He’s been down there all day, but he’s nearly finished! That means it’s your last chance to win a prize. Help Vince Pie through the final stage by guessing the number of the next broken bulb (between 1-1,000), and win something wonderful from our basement.

Christmas. Untangled. Round 2.
Vince Pie is still down in the first direct basement, untangling all those lights and locating the broken bulbs. Help him out by guessing the number of a broken bulb (between 1-1,000) in the comments below, and if you’re right, you could win something wonderful.next broken bulb (between 1-1,000) in the comments below to win a wonderful prize.

Our very own Mr. Vince Pie has been given the mammoth task of untangling the Christmas lights. Join him live from the first direct basement. Just guess the number of the next broken bulb (between 1-1,000) in the comments below to win a wonderful prize.

Lights. Camera. Action! Our very own light fairy Vince Pie is getting ready for this Christmas challenge. We’re inviting our customers to join us on Facebook Live at 1pm, 4pm and 7pm to help him untangle the lights, locate those broken bulbs, and be in with the chance of winning some prizes. 18+ Customers only. T&C’s apply http://bit.ly/2jyIClW

Terrible service with mortgage application.. Long turn arounds. Waiting for at least 30 minutes on average to even get through to a team member. Lost out on one house due to your valuation report and now we are not going to be able to exchange on time on the second house as we we are still awaiting written confirmation of mortgage offer..This should be done within 48 hours yet still waiting.. Is this not your SLA? We were told verbally 7 days ago that it was all approved.. Our solicitor needs this confirmation in order for us to exchange.. Take this as an official complaint or I shall take this up with FOS. We have been a customer for 15 years and have never had a problem but you are clearly over your head with being able to keep up to date and keep to service standards with your mortgage section.

Terrible customer experience trying to complete a remortgage with FD. I really feel for everyone who is actually in a chain looking to complete on a house. The only salvation is I see that so many people are having the same problems and it’s not just me. In short FD staff do not understand their processes end to end, they tell you something different every time you go on hold for 30 mins to call them, mortgage phone number 0345 610 0198 rings out and cuts off the call no IVR and queue system, complaints get logged and not acted on, staff although are really friendly cannot commit to timescales and blame other departments. Staff are now admitting that there are staffing issues to me on the phone. I started process in May, underwriters have accepted me, we are now waiting for FD to produce an offer which unbelievably should take then 2 weeks now into week 3, I am not sure when this nightmare will end, sort yourselves out FD.

Very disappointed in service provided by first direct in regard to a mortgage application. Now nearly 3 weeks from being told it should take 10 days and solicitor has still not received mortgage offer and legal pack. It has taken two weeks for me to receive my offer document after being approved by the underwriter. The most frustrating thing is to be told something different every time I contact first direct on the telephone after being on hold for 20 minutes to get through. I paid my £490 booking fee 6 weeks ago for this product and am now at risk of losing my purchase due to the time it is taking first direct to process this application. The other mortgage companies involved in the chain have been ready for 2 weeks. I have been a customer for 6 years and this is my 4th mortgage product and the process has never been so painful in the past! Not really the service levels I expect from an award winning bank.

Possibly the worst experience I've ever had! Applied for a mortgage online, thinking it would be quick and simple....how wrong was I!! Even though no advice was required, I still needed to have several "appointments" with Mortgage Associates to discuss the application. The Valuation took ages to arrange and then ages to be processed. The staff are all very pleasant, but the information they give you is not always correct (one member of staff told me the valuation had been received that day, when I'd spoken to a different person two days earlier who also told me the valuation had been received that day too!!). The process is not very slick and seems to involve sending information to as many different departments as possible, while at the same time leaving you completely in the dark about what is going on. There is no way of knowing what stage of the process you are at, without ringing FD (and spending half an hour on hold waiting for someone to answer!). So here I am still waiting for at least another week for an Offer Letter, while being pushed to exchange contracts and all I can tell my Solicitor is that FD "are dealing with it as quickly as they can"...which is very slowly! Seriously, if anyone is thinking of taking out a mortgage with FD...go to Nationwide!!

If you are thinking of moving to or opening and an account with First Direct read this first:



I recently decided on trying a new account as I had my 123 Current account with Santander for 5 years and sadly the benefits just are not worth it for me any more. I decided to try FD after glowing reviews on MSE (Money saving expert). During the switching of the account I had absolutely no contact from them during this time and subsequently problems arose that resulted in the transfer not completing correctly and myself having to chase up on it.



more issues : tried to set up verified by visa - got interrogated by their fraud department as to why I was buying things in a local off license.

Spent an hour tonight trying to set up a simple Standing order and which I said to set for the following month due to not being able to set it up for the next available working day. So I decided to set this up as a one off payment which 3 attempts later the websites crashed and I am done.



The First Direct online banking is the worst banking system I have ever used. you have to log on the app just to log on to your internet banking which in turn logs you back out for you to have to log back in to generate a payment code which then logs you back out again.



Shambles! I hope your social media team read this and understand what a frustrating and un user friendly system you have!

I would highly recommend that if you wish to bank online or remotely you DO NOT use First Direct. Their service is appalling and all they do is keep you on hold transferring you from one agent to another. No one is willing to assist and their security set-up online does not work.



I have been banking with them for over 10 years but over the past 2 years it is with regret as they are preventing me from accessing my money because their systems do not work. It is simply one excuse after another ... and unfulfilled promises.

Hmmm where to start.... This has to be one of the worst companies I have ever had the displeasure of hearing about. Whilst my Girlfriend is attempting the get a mortgage with them (having already been a customer for years), they have consistently let her down at every hurdle. From the initial offer to getting the paperwork ready, the first direct team have not only consistently lied to her but also failed on many occasions to produce vital paperwork and has now put the buying of our first home together back by over 4 weeks!!! Even when they admit blame they still continue to deliver false information and lead her on. We just want the paperwork sorted, how is it so hard to do?

Do NOT join this bank!! My husband had £500 stolen from his account last wk through no fault of his own and first direct have decided not to refund him the money even though he had a police report and they know the money was stolen from him. The customer services are absolutely terrible. Someone from the fraud department even contacted him when it was happening and rather than tell him something suspicious was occurring with his account they asked if now was a good time. He was at the gym and so they told him to call back at a convenient time but obviously if he had known something was happening he would have left straight away and they would have been able to stop the fraud before it even took place. When my bank- NatWest have called me about fraud they have never once asked if it was a good time. They have got straight to the point and told me what was happening and when they haven't been able to get hold of me they have rung me numerous times and left messages to try and stop the people in the act. Instead first direct handled everything so poorly. After my husband had found out what had happened an hour later, first direct told him he would be refunded the money. However the next day he was called back by someone to say they in fact would not refund the money even though they knew it was fraud. What kind of bank does that?! I can't actually believe how badly they have dealt with everything and needless to say he will be changing banks asap.

Awful!! Me and my other half started our mortgage application on the 2nd may to be told it would take 6-8 weeks straight forward because it was no chain. Now 9 weeks in we are told different time and time again by different people, we ring them all the time we've had one email and two texts the whole duration of the application. It took 3 weeks for them to arrange our valuation but was quick enough taking our money for a buyers report. We are now at the underwriters stage which we was told would take 48 hours to be told today now it will be another 10 days!! Our solicitor is all ready to go and the other party are moving away and need the money asap!! If We lose this house because of first direct I will take them all the way!!