co-op bank

[Karl_M]

Has anyone kept a uk bank accout open with the co-op whilst being resident in nz...we need this for some uk direct debits .....thanks in advance guys

[rogercruse]

Can't speak for the Co-op but we've kept our Nationwide bank account going. Its probably easier to contact them from NZ as their support line operates at all hours.

When do you plan to arrive and where are your aiming for in New Zealand?

[Karl_M]

Hi again rogercruse :-).....we'll hopefully be arriving mid November and based around Auckland.....suburbs to live in and state schools are my next search for info.....any advice would be appreciated

[rogercruse]

Unable to help with schooling information as we don't have kids. And without trying to put you off moving to NZ, but house prices are quite high (so people keep telling me), so maybe the getting the right suburb is dependent on being in the right catchment area for your target school.

What we did was to start with a large bucket of money when I moved over here first with my wife remaining in the UK to tidy up loose ends. I stayed with various friends for about a couple of months before finding a rented property where I stay until my wife arrived. We then moved into a larger property for another six months before finally buying a property with a now smaller bucket of money.

During those first few weeks I was able to get the feel of various suburbs before moving to the North Shore where we rented before finally moving to where we are today.

[Karl_M]

Ours is more like a thimble but thanks for the heads up

[tea drinker]

Yes to UK Co-op account whilst in NZ
I have payments going in and out and transferring without any problems
However, you can't order new cards etc. online - you have to ring them up in the UK (they are friendly and helpful on the phone)
If you change your pin number you have to access a UK Co-op bank or UK Co-op machine to verify new number
If you get a new card without changing pin, no worries
They will give you a small hand held device in which you insert your card and use your pin number to verify any payments. Other UK banks also do this e.g. Nationwide
Personally, I don't find their website that easy to navigate but I can sort it eventually
Best advice? - chat to them before you leave

[tea drinker]

'If you change your pin number you have to access a UK Co-op bank or UK Co-op machine to verify new number'

Sorry - didn't mean verify I meant if you want to change the supplied pin to one of your choice you can only do this at a Co-op in the UK