Cahoot Avis 456

With them(Simple Saver Issue 13) for only 3 months before closing account.

Difficulty in accessing website. Final straw was the reduced interest rate.

I applied for an account, a week later they said I needed a different proof of address. All fine, I sent that and was accepted. They sent the letters with the temporary password and number. The first letter came 3 weeks later, the second never came. After several calls with customer support, we agreed they should be resent. They both finally came 10 days later. This was over 1 month after they sent the first letters. I then tried to transfer money in, nothing happened. Turns out they wanted even more documents for the anti fraud, and I needed to upload to the 'document upload hub'. I tried several times but was told my details didn't match when I never had any issues with customer support identifying my account. After 30 mins on the phone I was told the person that can provide me with the correct OLA number had left for the day. I rang the next day, and after another 30 minutes I was provided with an OLA number that didnt work.

I applied for the account on the 2nd of February. I gave up trying to give them my money on the 26th of March. Terrible company, the customer support staff were very nice though.

I signed up for their savings account today and have already made several transactions that all went smoothly. I'm happy so far.

Cannot fault the people who work there, it is not their fault!
The systems are terrible apparently it's fine to not be able to offer a statement for your account for nearly 48hours when every single other bank, including their own Santander, offer it instantly online. Archaic and cost me dearly with mortgage rates rising daily.
Safe to say will be closing the account and st only advising anyone I know or who is fortunate to read this before opening an account...don't do it!!

They have been holding onto my month for 3 weeks now Taking over a week to nail out new security details Awful customer service and stalling techniques

Wouldn’t bother, you’ve more chance of getting into Epsteins files then you have your own bank account.

Unable to login to my account here.

I agree with others that their online presence is extremely outdated with no mobile app and a website which is reminiscent of an old Santander interface from 20 years ago. Many of the tabs are no longer relevant and there is only the desktop version so not easy to navigate on a mobile phone. I've not had cause to phone them so can't comment on their customer service. So why 4 stars?? Simply because they are owned by Santander giving financial muscle and security and they offer some of the very best market leading interest rates for savers like me. I'm a realist prepared to accept their weaknesses and lack of investment in apps/website in exchange for a good return on my savings. I have found that Cahoot transfers to and from my Santander current account happen immediately but can't speak for transfers to or from other banks.

What a racket Cahoot are!
Seriously, been locked out of my account twice. Had to wait nearly a week for a
reset number! Then, still got locked out of account.
Do not and i repeat! Do not bother with these cowboys. Customer service is non existent and they run a business like back in the 80's
Luckily, i only started my
account with £5, which they still have!
Awful

Just received an email from Cahoot to say the interest rate on my account will be dropping. The reason listed for the drop was 'we are reducing the rate due to the rate drop we received'. There has been no BOE rate drop. Funnily enough the Santander mortgage rate I'm on didn't drop.

Completed the entry form on line and received an email stating my account was open. I could now pay money into the account number stated. Not sure if this is a genuine account or for who. However, I now have to wait for 7 days for 2 letters stating temporary password and security number to actually sign in. No way do I want to wait for my confirmation. This company is not for me. No contact since completing my application

Cahoot 3 months to close account and get funds returned. Countless times told closed and funds returned- the account was never closed. Customer services some OK most were arrogant and hate to say it lied too. At no time did they contact me even though confirmed mobile number loads of time. Turned out they dropped a digit in the number - OK can happen but NOT after repeatedly providing a valid number. With such a poor rating damaging the Stantandar brand you would expect stantandar to act and close Cahoot down. Finally got rid of them - To call them grim would be a compliment. They are horrendously bad. Matin Lewis recomendation have my doubts as well a bit of due diligence on recomendations before quoting interest rates big mistake trusting his web site

Just mirroring what other users have said here ! ..A word of warning to other "customers" of Cahoot who are having trouble logging in to their accounts ..Have just spoken to a gentleman at Cahoot who has explained how their system works .

Stage one - You try and log in to your account and for whatever reason you are told that the details do not match ...so human nature being what it is you try again then several times , perhaps using different browsers and different devices but it fails multiple times .............so you are now blocked .

Stage Two
Then you ask for your password etc to be re-set and you are told by Cahoot that your details will be sent to you in the post via two different letters which will be received separately
After a week you receive letter one at which point you are told to wait for receipt of the second letter in the post which will allow you to access your account .

so far so good .

Stage Three

Unfortunately as I am a human being and therefore fallible!.. in between the two letters being generated at Cahoot and being sent in the post I made the fateful "error" ...of trying one last time logging in with my original security information ...BIG MISTAKE !!

Stage Four

When I have the two letters in my hand I then try to log in to my account but because in between the two letters being received I have tried to log in with my old details the new details have also become invalid ! and so again I can't get access to my funds

As I mentioned I spoke to Cahoot on the telephone and they explained what has happened albeit in a rather brusque discourteous manner .

Stage Five

I am now waiting to receive another pair of letters so that I can access my funds but I am now aware that I mustn't touch anything until they arrive !.

Stage Six

Now considering whether to Stick with Cahoot ( My wife also) or to switch .

These sort of technological log jams do cause a rather nasty taste in the mouth and ones that can be avoided by a little human empathy and an improvement in operational systems .. Not everyone can just hang around waiting for letters in the post to eventually turn up so that they can access their money.

Hey Ho - Modern Britain .

Laughably bad!

I am trying to close a savings account with no money in it. They have asked me to provide various bits of information which I have provided. I have asked why they have not closed my account. They said because I need to provide the information they requested. The information I have ALREADY provided. We have now had about 6 exchanges. AVOID this bank like the plague - they are incompetent.

Well sorry to say, but surely customers realised how Cahoot operates for this account?
Patience is involved and common problem being logged out with incorrect password , well this happened to me with other Banks (and usual?) so be fair. If you need Apps. then go for Banks that deal with them!

What’s an archaic way to bank. I opened a Cahoot savings account on the recommendation of Martin Lewis because it had a great interest rate and was instant access. I’m self-employed so I try to put as much as possible into my savings to maximise the interest then transfer money to my current account as and when I need it. Due to getting one digit of my passcode wrong three times I’ve been locked out of my savings account and left with nothing in my current account. I can’t pay my bills, I can’t buy food and I have to wait up to SIX days to get new log-in details in the post. This is utterly ridiculous. Thankfully, I’ve been able to borrow some money off someone to tide me over until I can get back into my savings, but this is unacceptable. I should be able to reset my password instantly. I’ll be moving my money as soon as I can access it, i.e. in a week. Oh, and they don’t even have an app. Avoid.

Previously I had never heard of the Cahoot bank and only found them when looking for the best rates online for my savings.

Yes, it has the feel of an 'old school' early 00's online bank. Slow process to get the account fully opened and also slow to access your money should you transfer it on the day of opening. Also, no app (or none that I am aware of), but this is not a big issue for me as I use a laptop daily.

But once I received the scratchy codes via post (old school indeed)and I was finally into the account I was very happy, the site is pretty simple to use and laid out plainly.

The saving rate is one of the best I could find, I have linked to my main bank account and can instantly transfer money backwards and forwards with ease.

One big gripe, when I log in via web browser it sends a code, a mix of numerical and upper case letters. You have 30 seconds to receive and input this code. Sometimes the message does not come through straight away, and this creates unnecessary anxiety trying to input this complex code when it is received. It would be far easy if they just stuck to a numerical code.

Overall, I'm happy, until the rate drops and my money packs up and moves on (or I choose to spend it).

Absolutely fantastic savings bank. A shame that there’s no app, otherwise fine. Good rate of interest, just make sure when logging in you don’t make more than three mistakes, otherwise you’ll have to contact customer service who answers the phone straight away, so not really a problem. Throughly recommend.

Absolutely useless! Opens account, it took 11 days for the security code to arrive and 3 more for the pin details to access online. When I finally get these and am prompted to change user name and create a pin, I do, and immediately it wouldn’t let me back in.
Reset password? No chance, because the accounts not yet activated they have to post out security access rather than email. 7 days later it’s still not arrived, what a complete s**t show! Go elsewhere and save yourself the hassle of it.

Opened an online account. Had to wait for 2 separate letters in the post with a passcode and a security code before you could withdraw any money out of the account. Putting in was absolutely fine. Tried to get some money out and hey ho, locked out of account after 3 attempts of putting in the codes sent. Phoned cahoot and all they said was you have to wait until you get new login and security through the post which took over a week. New codes didn’t work so I phoned again and she said they were having problems with people using MacBooks!! As soon as I got access to my account I withdrew the whole lot and went elsewhere. Very archaic system, no app and you have to log in online and wait for text codes as well to your mobile before access to the account. Wish I’d read the reviews before opening an account.