Halifax Mini Cash ISA

My experience with Halifax, following bereavement, has been dreadful.

They have made a mess of everything they said they had done.

They blocked my account (said they were so sorry!) and caused me a tremendous level of stress and distress.

It was not, I believe, individuals at fault, it is the system.

Been with them over 40 years. Enough!

I will never do any business with the Halifax again after my poor experience dealing with my ISA. Their variable rate dropped 0.5% one month into its term whilst competitors remained constant. It seems they offered a high rate to tempt customers in with no intention of keeping that rate. Poor advice given, poor service full stop. Telephone waiting times in excess of 20 minutes. I had to do lots of legwork chasing them up repeatedly. Their system needs streamlining. Transferred funds to Santander what a refreshing experience, efficient, helpful, easy from customers standpoint.

Really good ISAs, especially with the ISA promise, so you get interest from the day you hand in your transfer form.

It was a smooth and simple application, everything came in the post within a few days, and I am now earning a high rate on my savings.

Can access online, and could make withdrawals (if I needed to...).

8 weeks since I went into my local branch and still awaiting notification of transfer from my previous provider. Very poor service and rubbish communication.

to be honest halfax recommended i move it to another of there cash isa which i did.

When Halifax discontinued their Liquid Gold rate my branch advised me to transfer to this Cash ISA and I enjoyed the tax free advantage and higher rate.

When (after 4 years) I cleared my credit cards and personal loans the annual ISA limit ( £3600) became a problem when I started trying to use the account to save and pay for christmas and holidays.

I have now switched to a High Interest Current Account (into which my wages are paid) and the online ISA Saver Direct (for it's better rate).

It can only be with an eye to profit that Halifax customers with another account can't use counter services for ISA Saver Direct transfers.

I am still looking for a high interest, instant access account for christmas and holiday savings!

I wasn't told in the branch that if I opened the ISA acct online that the interest rate would differ. I only noticed this when I saw ads for the ISA I'd opened with a much better rate. Once queried at my local branch, they immediately switched me to an on-line ISA account with a more attractive rate. Online banking system is a breeze to use.

I have just received the interest on my Halifax Cash Isa for 2007-8, which paid a 4.025% interest. I have been with Halifax since 2002 and have never received prior information on the final interest for any year. Having queried the rate for 2008-9, I am told that it will be 3.51%.

I cannot get my money out quick enough !!

Halifax provided one of the highest rates of interest (5.25 % AER with the ISA Saver Direct Account) when I opened my ISA in 2005. Despite recent Bank of England base rate rises by ISA still has an interest rate of 5.25 % AER, a little lower than some banks, but still higher than many others.

The Saver Direct account is only accessible via internet (and possibly phone?) banking which is why this account has a higher rate of interest than the Saver account (which is accessible in any branch). Perhaps the other reviewers should have opened one of these accounts; they would have earned a higher rate of interest and could have printed off their own statements.

Although well run the rates offered are poor at the moment with a balance in excess of £9000 I am getting only 3.9 % it has never been above 4.2 and they could not wait to bring it down at the last rate cut. all in all a poor account and one that I am getting out of