They are dreadful. You can't make payments over the phone, you can't change address without going into a branch. At the branch they won't give you a balance - even though you can get it on the phone - and won't let you change address without a passport. When you try to cancel the card they lie and say retentions aren't open. Then you have to hold forever. I gave up, over paid by one pound on the card and they can send a statement saying they owe me a pound to my old address for 1000 years as far as I am concerned.

Posted by Kim on the 6th March 2009

I am an abbey employee and can only too well relate to the problems people have as I also have my accounts with them eek. Although can I just add that we try our very hardest to deliver the best customer service we can (i work in the call centre) with the limited support we receive from central administration and the powers that be. I have been there 5 years and most of the problems people face are due to the migration of all customers onto santanders new system. This makes it very frustrating for us as well when we would love nothin more than to resolve all customer queries effiently but cannot always do this because we dont know what is wrong with the system at the time. Also to the poster regarding the same name transfer, although the branch staff cause me more hassle than enough believe me, i feel i should support them in saying it is not about them having brains or following a script. Abbey have a set policy regarding ID for moving money between abbey accounts and if the staff are found to not follow this to the mark they WILL be in breach of customer security procedures and lose their jobs. They have to earn money too at the end of the day and cant just ignore abbeys policies to suit customers. Although both accounts are in your name, there have been past instances where a fraudster has had card access to a second account and not the first and so has attempted to move money into this account in order to steal it. I feel that it is prudent of abbey to request proof of ownership when it comes to moving money around. Please dont always think that if we cannot do something its just because we want to annoy people for the sake of it. Believe me it would be much easier for us just to do everything asked of us without asking for all the additional ID and get our queues down quicker. If it helps in future to be prepared - to move money between abbey accounts you need proof of ownership of both, ie card for each account or statement, plus an additional form of photographic ID - passport or full UK driving licence. I hope everyone gets the probs they are having sorted out, it makes me quite embarrassed to see people so disappointed in our service

Posted by lovelyday on the 3rd December 2008

The Abbey took over £5000 in error out of our current account with the Halifax, that was two months ago and even after endless calls to complaints dep, credit card customer services etc we still have not got our money back, their customer service is appalling and I have been hung up on and been left waiting for 58 mins... Don't get an Abbey Card. The one star rating is too high.

Posted by Tina Sullivan on the 13th October 2008

I wanted to move funds between two accounts in the same name within Abbey, but they wouldn't let me unless I showed them a statement from each account...!! How crazy is that - because we need to see proof of ownership of the accounts.... OK they are cautious, and that is commendable to protect our savings, but for God's sake (a) I wasn't wanting the money out of Abbey - I was simply moving it within Abbey, and (b) the accounts were in the same name - so I wasn't trying to defraud anyone as the receiving account was owned by the same people as the giving account....!! It's time the counter staff were given a little brains, to work things out away from the script that they are all told to follow - wouldn't do to help the customers now would it...???

Posted by k m robertson on the 11th October 2008

I've never had such bad customer service as I have experienced with Abbey and their credit card. As I type I'm on hold to the cancellation dept - 26 mins and counting! Would never recommend them to anyone again.

Posted by Rachel on the 22nd August 2008

I have been waiting almost 2 months to get £1000 that should be refunded to me by Abby National Credit Card. There customer service team including supervisors and management are incapable of handling or resolving the problem. My Abby branch who sold me the credit card insist they can not help as well.

The only way I can get round their inability to amend the problem is to threaten them with court action. I would strongly recommend that customers look elsewhere than the Abby.

Posted by Dan on the 10th June 2008

I agree with everyone about the direct debit same thing happened to me... Customer Service is a joke. I am a very happy calm person who has been left angry frustrated and nothing has been resolved... I am writing tonight to close my credit card account... As I have been on hold for over 15 mins to the retentions dept!!! ARRRRRRRGGGGGGG

Posted by laura on the 1st April 2008

I had the same problem with them not taking my direct debit in July and October 2007 and then charging me late fees and interest then refusing to refund them. I called customer service and got absolutely nowhere so decided to write. I have written 2 letters of complaint (never done this b4 in my life), got a reply 2 months later saying they would refund them. Well they only refunded one in the December. Eventually the 2nd late fee was refunded in Feb 2008, and only after many calls to the customer service dept!!!! Customer Service is the worst I have ever experienced. Been hung up on, even though I have never raised my voice was always polite, as I work in a call centre myself so know what its like! I have been told the late fee was refunded on 4 occasions and it never was! Clearly just fobbing me off to get me off the call. Shocking attitudes from everyone I spoke to... Clearly hating their jobs!! I have been doing the balance transfer switch to get 0% for a few years now; every other card company I have used is far superior to Abbey National!!! WARNING DO NOT APPLY!!!!!

Posted by kathryn on the 1st April 2008

Abbey credit card customer service is absolutly disgraceful!! I have wrote 3 complaint letters regarding them not taking my direct debit and so them putting this on my credit report! Even though the direct debit has been set up for over a year - also then crediting and debiting my account willy nilly! They promised to update me with the progress of my complaint.. this never happened. I was promised a phone call after phone call... again never happened!! Avoid Abbey!!! They may geive good offers but it all comes at a price! One star is way too much them!!

Posted by Carrie Kimber on the 26th January 2008

I have to agree with Katie, Customer Service with the Abbey National is rubbish. They might have great offers but it's really not worth the headache. None of the advisors seem to know what they are talking about and you get passed from pillar to post if you have any issues. My advice to anyone out there is to avoid them like the plague!!!

Posted by Charlie Jones on the 15th June 2007

Abbey make some good offers but the actual customer service is rubbish! I ditched my account within 6 months of opening it.

Posted by Katie Smyth on the 4th May 2007