Why I like Dreamhost. Why I don’t like Goldfish.
Some companies just seem cool to deal with. As an example of what is cool about Dreamhost (who I’ve used now for web hosting for getting on for 2 years), have a read of their blog. In particular, articles like this make interesting (and often amusing) reading.
I’ve contacted their support several times and always got a useful response back very quickly. The services they offer are great and they keep increasing these (this blog was installed using one of their one click installs for example). Anyway, if you are looking for absurd amounts of bandwidth, loads of disk space and every service you can think of (well ok, not *every* service maybe) then go sign up - use the promocode DMC20D and you’ll get $20 off of your hosting (which is pretty good given it starts from $7.99 a month!) and even better, I’ll get a discount on my next hosting bill 
Other companies seem to not give a toss about customer service. Unfortunately, Goldfish Credit cards appear to have become one of these companies. As I posted recently, my online view of my account went somewhat screwy for a while. Due to a slight technicality with the take over of Goldfish by Morgan stanley, they ended up not actually having a license to issue Visa cards so I’ve been issued with a nice, new shiney Mastercard. I ring up to activate it (freephone this time) and ask how the online banking will work. In particular, I want to see if the 600 quid that “Laura” claimed to have taken from by debit card on Saturday has appeared in the account. No problem I am assured. I just need to login to the site and relink my new card. Fair enough.
Until I try that is.
The website just tells me that the card number isn’t valid. Great. It also tells me to contact customer services on another expensive 0870 number. Ignoring their attempt to rake in some more cash while I’m on hold I ring the freephone line back. After a bit of playing (hell, it’s their phone bill) I discover that if I keep hitting random numbers until the phone system thinks I’m utterly incompetent it transfers me to a real person. Result. I slowly and calmly explain the issue to the customer service droid (nice and slowly. It’s still their bill and I need to get my own back for the 20 mins I was on hold the other day). To be fair, this guy is helpful and spends a while looking into it before telling me I need to ring the 0870 number again. I protest and in the end he appears to manage to transfer me to customer service. It’s amazing how much less annoying the hold music is when it is costing someone else for the call 
Finally I get through and explain everything again. Apparantly I need a code off of my last statement to register with the website. Problem is, my last statement is for the old card that they have cancelled for me and the statement for my new card won’t be with me for 4 weeks. The only way I can check transactions, pay the bill, find out my balance etc is to ring their expensive line again. I think not somehow. Given I wasn’t paying I then spent sometime enquiring how I can cancel the account. Something I will be doing in the near future once I’ve maximised the number of points I’ve collected and converted them into John Lewis vouchers for the last time.
As I write this 6 days after the transfer to clear the debt was alledgedly made Natwest are still not showing the transaction…given we have had a bank holiday in the week I’ll give them the benifit of doubt for now but I’m not holding out that much hope TBH.
Anyone recommend a decent credit card? I’m tempted by tescos as we use the clubcard points for all sorts of things but I’m put off by the crappy online banking that they offer (you can see your balance - that’s it). Nationwide is tempting as I;ve heard only good things but they don’t offer any freebies. Suggestions? Interest rates not important as I clear it each month. Decent online banking and decent customer service win though
May 5th, 2006 at 11:43 pm
I’m using Morgan Stanley and used to use Goldfish. I had a hunt around a while back and the key things I wanted were:
1. Ability to download statements
2. A decent reward scheme - points, cash back, whatever
Like you I couldn’t care less about interest rates. Maybe take a look at http://www.fool.co.uk and see their credit card secition?
Customer services isn’t something I know much about. I hate ringing banks or credit cards because they never seem helpful or friendly
May 6th, 2006 at 12:29 pm
If you don’t mind an American Express card I’d recommend the Nectar Amex card. Good rewards scheme and it seems quite quick to rack the points up (paying for a couple of transatlantic flights with the card may have helped of course
) Good online management, not sure about the interest rate as we pay it off every month.
May 8th, 2006 at 4:27 pm
Well I quite like the John Lewis card that I am using these days, the internet banking works well, the customer service is exceptional. Oh and I get sent John Lewis vouchers every few months automatically.
June 7th, 2006 at 5:35 pm
I’ve been using Cahoot for years, no problems. Their online thing has always worked fine. We moved to Cahoot after Egg pissed me off by declining a transaction because I’d already made 5 purchases on the card that day. This was on a Saturday about 3 weeks before Christmas - you think people might be using their cards a little bit on a day like that??? Slightly annoying to have the checkout girl at Toys-R-Us call Egg, pass the phone to me to confirm that I am the real, bona-fide cardholder AND EGG STILL DECLINED THE FSCKING TRANSACTION.