“Appalling customer service and obstructive algorithms. I tried moving a modest sum to a savings account and the app point blank refused. I'm going going to close all three accounts and move them to a bank with real premises and real people.”
“I have been a customer of this bank for a number of years. In general it works well, but its customer service sucks, and although it makes it seem as though they are responsive, they are not.
Like another customer below they have also asked me to verify an account, yet when I offered to do so immediately, they did not respond for quite some time.”
“They decided to review my account on Tuesday at 5.29pm. I couldnt get in touch with the review team. This means that across four business accounts and two personal accounts all of my accounts are frozen, without reason. You cant make any payments, or direct debits will not be honoured. I asked them how do I pay 16 members of staff next week? Silence. How do I feed my kids? Silence. Avoid them.”
“Be aware they treating you like a child blocking transactions to Crypto exchanges not only bank card transactions but also bank transfers. RIDICULOUS!!!! We are all adults and we know what we are doing. Remove this stupid policy!!!”
“The onboarding process requires to send a video of yourself through the app saying a specific phrase.
Unfortunately the app was unable to record audio.
And that was the end of it.
Other similar verification processes (from other companies) usually worked with taking pictures. They worked with apps or websites. Most importantly they work.
From the helpdesk you get generic advice, like reinstall the app, restart the phone.
Okay, software can have bugs. Technical issues are normal.
But when workarounds are not even considered ("no, it has to be through the app"), this just gets frustrating.
It seems, App-only is not a feature. It is a bug.
And while the helpdesk is relatively responsive, it seems to be locked into a script.
(As such, satisfaction starts higher, and bottoms when you realise your time is just being wasted)
Perhaps it works for the "majority". As long as you are not doing anything off-script.”
“One of the worst banks I have ever dealt with in the 20 countries I have lived in. Predatory, unprofessional, harvesting data unnecessarily whilst refusing to show where data is stored or sold. Read the reviews of how they freeze bank accounts leaving people stranded without access to their funds. Archaic systems, an app that does not work, call centre wait times of over 30 minutes. Do NOT using this company. I am one of thousands of unhappy customers. Starling is not a bank that supports its customers and should not be trusted.”
“I have a 1a credit rating and wanted to open a business account for a new business. Unanswered all of their questions, but was declined with no explanation. Can’t speak to them either as no contact details. Clearly a computer algorithm
In charge.
Appalling customer service”
“Your account is currently under review and remains restricted.
There is no further information we can provide at this time however we endeavour to resolve this matter as soon as possible for you.
Unfortunately our customer service team will be unable to provide any further clarification on this matter, please respond directly to this message.
Sam
Team Starling”
“We decided we wanted to take advantage of Business Switch offered by NatWest bank. My wife and I have had a partnership business account with them for 25 years, however a number of banks offered us £1500 to switch accounts to them.
We decided on the offer from Starling Bank and we were sent emails from Starling Bank to complete the Banking Switch.
I spent time doing the research and filling in online forms. However when it came to opening an account with Starling it was puzzling as to how to go about it.
After spending half an hour waiting for someone at Starling to answer the phone, I was extremely surprised to hear that I could not finish the application as Starling; 'does not accept multiple people on a sole trader account'.
It’s a partnership! There is nothing unusual about that. There are thousands of such set ups. I can’t understand why this is a problem for Starling Bank. This is utterly bazaar.
Are they a real Bank?
They should at least have made it clear that a simple typical partnership business was beyond their capacity when offering business accounts with the Banking Switch.”
“Outstanding. I use them for both business and personal accounts and couldn't be happier. Nice having access to both on the same app and not having fees for international transfers is excellent.”
“The future of banking; a simple and straightforward process to create an account, verify identity, and be up and running with immediate effect. Transparent and dependable, as well as innovative and leading edge.”
“This bank is the worst bank in the UK. They claim to be a business bank. They aren't ! Starling turned a routine business to business wire transfer and created a nightmare . They refused to credit the customer or return the funds to sender even under recall notice. Their lack of consideration and efforts to resolve any questions or issues only accentuated their distain for customers , violation of uk bank regulations( failure to give written notice ) and underscored their rank amateurism and unprofessionalism in dealing with international business . Their inaction lead to tarnished reputations for non performance and hundreds of thousands of dollars in penalties and legal costs because the company's couldn't complete their contractural obligation . Do not use this bank. Run Away.”
“VERY UNPROFESSIONAL CUSTOMER SERVICE. THEY DON'T TAKE FRAUD REPORT TOO SERIOUS
Absolutely nothing, when you keep repeating yourself over and over again , they all answer like robots , it's a disaster
They don't listen , they just read form templates.
I have explained over and over and over again about online FRAUD transactions that keep ongoing on my account,
And all I get from them:
Contact they company because you entered you details by yourself.
Or
That's is the funniest part what they say:
Cancel you card and they won't be a me to charge you again.
Ridiculous,
And I kept telling them it was for age verification purposes ONLY, I don't plan to but anything,
THEY ARE FRAUD.
I get the same answer over and over again.
TERRIBLE AND IF I DON'T GET ANY HELP,
I will start reaching out to the news media because this is unacceptable they way they handle fraud reports.
To the CEO
Kindly try to sort out my issue ASAP ,
Because as it seems your customer service agents are not able to act more effectively and attentively.
They are becoming more and more robotic by the minutes.”
“Sign up for free with referral code 6DYPC7V9
I gave this bank a go in 2017 and it was my first time venturing into an online only bank.
Well, the experience has been great. The app is second to none, immediate updates with transactions, it’s clear, great security and the customer service when I have used it has been fantastic.
Although it’s online only don’t let that put you off. You can pay in cash or immediately fund your account by bank transfer or debit card.
You can use your card abroad with no fees at favorable rates. You can instantly lock and unlock your card using the app which is a handy feature.
The bank is going from strength to strength.
If you’re not totally sure about using it as your main account then open one and give it a try. The process is super easy and quick and you’ll be up and running with an account in no time.
I’m sure after trying you’ll be using the account transfer service which Starling provides to move your account over without fuss and say goodbye to traditional banks.”
