What are KBC like to deal with?

M

Mrs. Doyle

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Thought I had read on AAM in the past where people complained about KBC being inefficient but can't find any posts on this now so perhaps I'm mistaken?

Thinking of opening a term deposit account and just wondering how others have found the whole process and if there were any problems?

Thanks,

Mrs. Doyle.
 
The process of opening an account is straight forward. You can download an application form from their website or you can ring customer service and they will E-Mail you a new account pack. You have to fill in the paper form and post it back to them along with some forms of ID. The account is usually set up in a few days.

I would advise ringing them, they are very helpful and the phone lines are open until 8PM.
 
Agree with the previous posters. I opened an account recently online and the whole process was very efficient.
 
Pros of dealing with KBC:
Good service.
Professional.
Detailed clear product information on their website.
Competitive rates.
Some branches if needed.
Expanding their retail presence, not contracting.
Belgian parent seems committed to Irish retail operation.
Their own domestic clearing national sort code.

Cons of dealing with KBC:
No ability to wire money out of your account online yet.
Regular saver T&C's are a little restrictive.
Part of Irish operation that is heavily loss making, high loans to deposit ratio and growing mortgage arrears.
Irish deposit insurance and not Belgian deposit insurance.
KBC Ireland does not have a good credit rating and the outlook is negative [broken link removed].
 
I recently opened a standard deposit account with KBC.

I made my first deposit on Sunday 28-4-13 (a €50 'test' deposit) and it still hasnt shown up in my KBC account (Monday evening)? I rang their customer help line and was told this was normal as I didnt select a 'same day deposit/transfer' with my own bank?

I presumed that any such online transfer would show up straight away?
...it makes me a little wary of transferring a larger amount online?! (that and what I have just read here about KBC's annual report?).
 
Transfers between different banks can take a couple of working days regardless of whether it is online or not.
 
Silvera,


KBC are slow in displaying the transfers online but when they do show up on your account they will have the correct date.


You sent the money on a Sunday so nothing got done until today anyway.
So, chances are the money was sent today by your bank and will arrive in KBC tommorrow (30/04/2013). KBC usually take 2-4 days before they show the transaction online but when they do it will be correctly dated 30/04/2013. It's just their online banking that is slow

If you transferred the money directly to your KBC account (990270) it will show up a bit quicker than if you transferred it through KBC's Ulster Bank clearing account (985010).
 
I think that no having the possibility to do online withdrawals is the worst defect they have (they keep promising that online withdrawal-facility will be implemented but the big question is still "when?").

Apart from that - if you have the time to go to a branch everytime you need to make a withdrawal - they are a pretty good bank.
 
Godfather said:
I think that no having the possibility to do online withdrawals is the worst defect they have (they keep promising that online withdrawal-facility will be implemented but the big question is still "when?").
Click to expand...
My take on this is that it's an effort to reinforce consumer apathy - admitedly most people on here will shop around and make an effort to have their money work for them but having lodged funds online and then having to make a greater effort to withdraw them again later, they are hoping people won't bother...
 
DMcL1971 said:
Silvera,


KBC are slow in displaying the transfers online but when they do show up on your account they will have the correct date.


You sent the money on a Sunday so nothing got done until today anyway.
So, chances are the money was sent today by your bank and will arrive in KBC tommorrow (30/04/2013). KBC usually take 2-4 days before they show the transaction online but when they do it will be correctly dated 30/04/2013. It's just their online banking that is slow

If you transferred the money directly to your KBC account (990270) it will show up a bit quicker than if you transferred it through KBC's Ulster Bank clearing account (985010).
Click to expand...

Thanks for the feedback guys!

Incidentially, I did transfer my funds directly to my KBC account (and not via Ulster Bank).
 
rob oyle said:
my take on this is that it's an effort to reinforce consumer apathy - admitedly most people on here will shop around and make an effort to have their money work for them but having lodged funds online and then having to make a greater effort to withdraw them again later, they are hoping people won't bother...
Click to expand...

+1
 
Might work in your favour as well though in a strange sort of way! If the cash is "hard" to access then raiding the piggybank for frivolous expenditure is less likely. Might be better for those with less financial discipline!
 
murphaph said:
Might work in your favour as well though in a strange sort of way! If the cash is "hard" to access then raiding the piggybank for frivolous expenditure is less likely. Might be better for those with less financial discipline!
Click to expand...

I agree, but the Cyprus-case gave me shivers and I would prefer to be able to move money via internet whenever needed rather than sending a form via mail or going to a branch... :(
 
I'm not so sure that the lack of a facility to transfer money out using the internet is a deliberate ploy on KBC's part. I think they are just very behind the times with their internet banking. For instance, I opened one of their new regular saver accounts two months ago and I still can't view it online. They initally told me that they thought it was visible online, then they said they were working on it and that it would be visible in April, then May and now they are saying that they hope it will be visible in June.

This doesn't bode well for their having a decent internet banking facility to support their proposed new current account. There internet offering for a current account would have to be particularly good to offset the lack of a branch network.
 
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I opened an account recently with them. Found the person I was dealing with very helpful and friendly.

They explained that I can only view online, but not perform any withdrawals. They are working on the online system at the minute, but they are dependent on their IT in Belgium sorting it out. They hope to have it sorted by end Q3( I believe) to coincide with current account offering that they will have.
 
daheff said:
They explained that I can only view online, but not perform any withdrawals. They are working on the online system at the minute, but they are dependent on their IT in Belgium sorting it out. They hope to have it sorted by end Q3( I believe) to coincide with current account offering that they will have.
Click to expand...

As of this morning KBC seem to be offering online withdrawals/transfers but, in my case: 'As a non current account user, you will only be able to transfer funds between KBC accounts.'

As they don't actually offer a current account, I guess this is the case for everyone!?!
 
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