Unbelievable incompetence (Abbey National)

Member Name: frank Schulmeyer

Product:	Abbey National
Date:	16/10/09 (32 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: none so far

Disadvantages: expensive, staff unknowledgeable, simple banking procedures impossible

I've been an Abbey mortgage holder for the last 3 years. The mortgage is interest only, so I am obviously keen to pay off lump sums as often as possible.
When I wanted to transfer some funds from Germany, I was told that this is easy, all I needed was an IBAN number, which was supplied. However when the transfered the money, it was sent back by the Abbey with no comment, just less a lot of fees.
After many inquiries into this, I was told that you can't just do this (ANY other English or European bank does it this way) and had to go down a very bizarre route of various transfers to various banks. Very dubious....
Anyway, I tried another transfer, this time into an Abbey savings account. No problem with this at all, I was told by 2 different customer advisors (I thought I'd double check - clever me.....well.....). Anyway, same thing happened. Loss of money in fees again. No apologies, no refund, but lots of empty promises.
Now..... going into a branch, with a UK cheque, asking to have this money paid off my mortgage. Fine, no problem, until I received a letter saying it was not done properly (even though the man in the bank did it), and it could only partly be deducted. What?
Long story short, do not rely on ANY information ANY Abbey staff give you, international banking with the Abbey seems impossible, promises are not upheld and generally staff have no idea about banking procedures.
This is still ongoing as no one at Abbey is competent enough to resolve this.
Stay away from Abbey, choose a different bank, and mortgages are generally a lot cheaper anywhere else as well. And to other Abbey customers : GOOD LUCK!!!!!

Summary: Go somewhere else