Screaming at web sites

[watervole]

The Alliance and Leicester online business banking system is slowly driving me to a nervous breakdown. It has such a ridiculous level of security that it's almost completely impossible to use.

Company ID

Log on ID

Password

Second password

And the rules on what makes a valid password are so tight that you can't generate one that suits your own preferences.

They want three digits from each of both passwords (in a random order) and by the time you've counted that many on your fingers, you almost ineivitably make a mistake. I got logged out today (after already having input all passwords correctly in order to be allowed on the site at all) when I failed to input the second one correctly, yet again, in order to authorise a payment.

Is free banking really worth this much hassle? Or are all business accounts this hard to access?

I need a 'tearing out hair' icon.

Comments

[inamac.livejournal.com]

I have an on-line savings account that I've never accessed, and never activated the credit card for - I dread the thought of ever having to log in for it (especially on dial-up!). Barclays tried to get me to do online banking, but my computer was so old (five years!!!) that it couldn't handle the level of security they had on their access disk - let alone actually logging onto their website!

One advantage of retirement is that I'll be able to toddle along to my local branch and bang desks to rather better effect than banging the keyboard.

[watervole.livejournal.com]

BArclays personal accounts aren't nearly as bad. I use their online account with almost no problems at all. I think it may be because the Alliance and Leicester one is a business account that it's so impossible.

[sallymn.livejournal.com]

My bank try very so often to talk everyone into it (mind you, the counter staff are not exactly high-pressure about it, they probably want to keep their jobs).

I'm still dubious.

Reading this, my dubiousness is not lessened :)

[lexin.livejournal.com]

I use online banking for my personal accounts, but only from home. This is because at home, I have a passworded file (a password generated by Steganos software and itself held securely) with the passwords in a numbered grid so that I can just look and put in 'the third letter from your banking password' and so on.

It sounds like a long way round, but it works for me.

[twinfair.livejournal.com]

May I just advise you to make sure you back up any password tracking files you have (or even print them out and lock the printout in a safe). If you have a PC failure (especially your hard disk) you may have got so used to the software, you might forget the passwords and have a hell of a time trying to get them all back.

[watervole.livejournal.com]

Bloody good point. I've just printed out my mnemonic password file and put it in with the house documents.

[johannes-d.livejournal.com]

LLoydstsb require a password, without too many restrictions and a memorable phrase. You never type the phrase but pick three characters from it at random from drop down lists. I find logging in relatively easy the difficult bit is that they insist on a numeric user identity. The log on is the same for for both business and personal accounts.

[watervole.livejournal.com]

Sadly, you can't pay into a Lloyds/TSB account at a post office, which is A+L's big advantage.

Barclays can't have too many accounts on one log in. Been there, tried it. I think the maximum is 2 and I already have access to my mortgage online as well as my current account. I agree that their system is much easier to use.

Do they have free business banking?

[ia-robertson.livejournal.com]

I have 4 accounts against my Barclays login....

Alastair

[watervole.livejournal.com]

Strictly speaking, I have 4. Normal, overflow, savings and mortgage. I just tend to think of the first three as one as they all feed into one another.

all I know is that it broke the system when I tried to add a club account as well.