Ulster Bank Reviews 

Shady practice ….. Bank Of England raises the base rate but Ulster Bank does not raise the rate of your savings account . Avoid this bank !!

Trying to pay our builder. Both transactions "went through", only to find the "Fraud Department" had stopped them. I spent 1 hour in branch with UB staff calling various departments. Put payments through again as advised, then spent 20 minutes answering questions. Further wait for 10 minutes, then asked "Has anyone told you lies?". Hung up, asked for manager to call me and left.

They consistently lower the interest rate. The app is atrocious, the IA guide is unable to answer basic questions. Its all an exercise in frustration

I want to gradually close my account. Nobody told me i would need to be biometrically approved to do this. I downleded the app and i cant get biometrically approved as i haven't had the app long enough - surely biometric approval is just that - things aren't going to change whilst it takes anywhere between 1 day and a month to be able to approve. In the mean time i can only withdraw £750.00 a day!
When i phoned customer service the system failed to recognise my phone number and to say the 10 mins to get through to actually speak to someone was torture.
If i could get to a nat west bank to get a card reader they could help - yup thats easy as you have closed the local branch and only open the others for about 5 hours a day in the times when people work!
Whilst the customer service and complaints dept were very pleasant they cant actually help so effectively are nice but looseless. It is ridiculous as they are now holding my money to ransom whilst i am loosing interest.
Hey ho mental note never use anything associated to Nat West again! Lesson learned.

Had a couple of savings accounts, which I have just closed as the promotional rates have ended. Never had any issues as far as I can recall, and the web interface always provided a pretty smooth experience.

Good interest rates, digital setup is very clunky. Very hard to close an online account without going to a branch. Seem to send lots of conflicting information.

Absolutely ridiculous let me open an account gave me all my account details, sent a text and an email saying my account was ready can use it before the card arrives within 10 days for the following day get a text they are closing my account, I hadnt even had chance to use it, ridiculous treatment. Never ever recommend.

They used to be great. Somebody answered right away and dealt with your enquiry. Now it's AI and a foreign poorly trained agent.
Very poor.

Shocking customer service both on the telephone and online. I tried online chat and waited over an hour for a reply. Unfortunately the reply did not answer my question so I had to rephrase it and was then told I would have to wait for up to another hour for a response!! You have no choice but to phone them to close a savings account, they make it as difficult for you as possible. I will never open another account with this bank.

Shocking level of customer service for a bank. Tried to close my account at least 5 times via App the get re-directed to customer service a few weeks later asking for more information. Repeat, repeat, repeat...escalated to senior manager who said he would call me back....guess what....nothing. This lot are the cowboys of the banking world leave well alone!!!

When it came to remove money from my INSTANT ACCESS savings account I couldn't do so without biometric approval. Problem is I had operated the account via the website and you can't get biometrics set up if you have only just downloaded the app.
So I cannot access my money until some unknown point in the future when the app allows me to register for biometrics
Just to let everyone know I spent 2 hours on the phone to Ulster Bank where it was very clear no one knew how to get money out of the account. At one point I was transferred to Nat West who, after trying, transferred me back saying they have no access to Ulsterbank. I am left with thing 10,000 per day out of the account via a daily telephone call until I empty the account.
DO NOT open an account with these clowns if you want instant access to your money!

I have an Anytime saver account and tried to pay a trusted workman some interim money for items he had purchased but my transfer though verified was blocked and I had to go through two levels of security asking the same questions which I could answer but still the payment for £4,000 was blocked until I send them an invoice. I appreciate they try to prevent fraud but I do not like being treated like I am a vulnerable old lady too stupid to understand the risks. It is appalling that I cannot use my own money and why can they not protect themselves by making sure I agree that it is my liability if I want this payment to go through?
Has security gone Too Far!

Incompetent, untrained staff, excessively complicated processes to withdraw funds, close account. Unable to do via online banking. Huge waste of time attempting via App, proved impossible. Very difficult to get through on phone to Customer Services. Involved multiple phone calls since some advisers ignorant of bank's processes. One claimed he'd closed account and funds transferred out when turned out this impossible. Another kept having to interrupt call lasting 30 mins to seek advice from senior, still unable to close. Ended up having to write to them. Failed to inform me account been closed, claimed funds been sent out to my 'Natwest' account ( I don't bank with Natwest) but bounced back so they would have to issue cheque. Failed to issue cheque, involved phone call to have sent out. Felt like deliberately obstructive processes designed to prevent / delay removal of funds from them.

Ulster bank were happy to take my money…

Ulster bank were happy to take my money but now I am unable to withdraw any money at all.
After spending some very considerable time getting through to a human on their 'help' online and by phone I was told I wold have to prove my identity at a branch in NI when I live in the south midlands....
None of this was raised at the opening of the account and there was no suggestion of actually trying to solve the issue, just a stonewall of refusal.
I have also tried to close the account online, by phone and by letter without even an acknowledgement.
I have submitted a complaint and will take it to the ombudsman ASAP but in view of the (to me) significant sum involved and lack of alternative I fear I will have to take this to legal action.
I suggest you don't get involved if you might might need your money back anytime soon.

I opened a Limited Offer Access saver month or so ago . I needed to withdraw a large amount . Then i realised i can only withdraw £ 750 a day . It told Me to download the App and do Biometric Approval but the App saying its to early for Me to have it . The Terms and Conditions say for amounts over 100000 k ring the Premier Account Line . Ulster bank dont have one only Natwest who could not help ! So i cant get my money out at moment or close my account because the balance must be Zero before they will close it !
This company should be Reported and have there Banking License removed

Can't believe the majority of these reviews. I have always found the ulster bank people to be extremely competent well mannered and very patient.
I would give ten stars if I could.

This so called bank is a joke - i opened Limited Edition saving account which states it is Instant Access - when i tried to withdraw some cash there is no facility on line to withdraw cash - the stupid AI chat is totally useless after an hour on the phone i got through to someone who said to withdraw i need to apply for an anytime banking card and a card reader (no mention of that when i opened account) which i requested a month ago and has not arrived - why can't i transfer money to the bank account that i used to pay into the savings account the same as any normal bank!!! today i phoned to complain and was told a different story that i can withdraw using the app - i registered for that but found i can only withdraw £750 per day - what use it that to me when i need substantially more - apparently when i have used the app a few time i will be allowed to request Biometric validation which will allow me to apply to withdraw more of my own money - absolute xxxx - i will be withdrawing every day until can get my money back to an accessible savings account - wish i read the reviews before making the deposit

(Same as comment made about Mitek)
Appalling. Used 2 Smart phones trying to open an Ulster account. Passport accepted. Driving licence accepted. Lifeness check accepted. But IDs subsequently rejected, reason not explained. Having contacted Ulster, they know Mitek is rubbish but do nothing about it. Sorry, Ulster/RBS but I remember Fred Goodwin and his shabby approach to customer care. You haven´t moved on since his day and you have lost my custom.

I am not very happy with Ulster bank at the moment I actually am very cross and angry that you haven’t sent me my new Ulster bank master card debit card in the time frame that you said it would be here. It’s apoling service. You haven’t even given me a reason to which is it is not here yet I want it here by this next week or I am going to complain to your higher up team