Charles Stanley Direct Reviews 

178
TrustScore 4 out of 5

3.9

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Review summary

Created with AI, based on recent reviews

Looking at 111 reviews, reviewers had a great experience with this company, frequently mentioning the overall efficiency of the platform for investors. Customers frequently praise the support team for providing remarkably quick, clear, and helpful responses through the convenient online chat and helpdesk. Many people note that staff members are exceptionally polite, professional, and knowledgeable when handling various daily financial and investment queries. Though some customers experienced lengthy delays and unexpected complications during their pension transfer process. Some reviewers were not happy with communication aspects, noting that they had to chase multiple times to receive necessary updates or documents.

What people talk about most

Customer service

Users describe positive interactions with customer service, frequently highlighting the quick response times... See more

Response time

Clients share positive opinions on response time, often highlighting prompt and efficient support through the... See more

Staff

Reviewers highlight positive aspects of staff, praising knowledgeable agents who answer queries with clear,... See more

Service

Reviewers mention ambiguous feedback about service, with many customers praising the fast, helpful, and... See more

Website

People report ambiguous experiences with website, as some consumers find the platform simple to navigate,... See more

Reviews shaping this summary

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

Let us face it, the Charles Stanley Direct site is complex from a customer point of view. So I needed help to navigate and used the chat facility. I was pleasantly surprised how quick the responce was... See more

Company replied

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

CS Direct is a generally efficient and low-cost platform, with a good Helpdesk - particularly as the staff are anglophone and based in Edinburgh. The charges are sensible. I would have given you 5/5... See more

Company replied

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

Used to be the best value/service for the private investor, with a very personal approach. Since Raymond James took over it is not such good value and the Help Desk does not seem to be so customer or... See more

Company replied

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

Great platform, which is easy to use and reliable. Good value on fees. Excellent reporting. Slow take-on of a pension I recommended to a friend recently.

Company replied


Company details

  1. Investment Service
  2. Stock Broker

Written by the company

Charles Stanley Direct is a personal financial service combining a modern digital experience with the traditional client focused values of private wealth management. It provides all self investors with the knowledge, tools, products, and services to take control of their financial futures and realise the rewards of your investments. Whether you are a novice or an experienced investor we are here to help you every step of the way. You can call our award-winning client service team for technical help or speak to a qualified financial coach if you need guidance. Available online and via the Charles Stanley app.

Online investing

Written by the company

Invest in your future
Sign up in minutes to our first-class service to implement your investment decisions, through our secure platform and app.

Contact info

3.9

Great

TrustScore 4 out of 5

178 reviews

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Asks customers to review

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3.9

All reviews

(178)

105 reviews in the last 12 months

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Companies on Trustpilot aren't allowed to offer incentives or pay to hide reviews. Reviews are the opinions of individual users and not of Trustpilot. Read more

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Dividend query

Worked like Heinz beans many thanks for a swift response

20 May 2026
Charles Stanley Direct logo

Reply from Charles Stanley Direct

Dear Kristian:

I shall have to remember that expression! I'm glad we were able to help. Thank you very much for taking the time to leave feedback.

Best regards,


Louise

Louise Miller
Head of Client Experience

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

Had a query about interest payment

Had a query about interest payment. Raised q on helpdesk and got a quick and clear response. Exactly what I needed.

8 May 2026
Charles Stanley Direct logo

Reply from Charles Stanley Direct

Dear Nick:

I'm delighted that we were able to help and thank you for taking the time to leave your feedback. We are here in the event you have further queries.

Best regards,


Louise

Louise Miller
Head of Client Experience

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Emily was the first person on the team…

Emily was the first person on the team to suggest that my graph display problem was to do with the acceptance of cookies. It was a problem unresolved for over a year and a half.

14 May 2026
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Reply from Charles Stanley Direct

Dear Stephen:

Thank you for taking the time to leave a review. I'm glad to hear that Emily was able to help and I've let her know that her suggestion worked in your case. Your confirmation helps us know what might work for others if needed, so is much appreciated.

Best regards,


Louise

Louise Miller
Head of Client Experience

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Great customer service

Great customer service, and a platform that works well with transparant charges.

13 May 2026
Charles Stanley Direct logo

Reply from Charles Stanley Direct

Thank you very much for your feedback! I'm pleased to read that we've been of help over the years and we genuinely appreciate your trust in us.

Best regards,


Louise

Louise Miller
Head of Client Experience

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

i have been a client of CS for many…

i have been a client of CS for many years...in that time i have found them to be very efficient and extremely helpful on the occasions when the technology gets the better of me.

13 May 2026
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Reply from Charles Stanley Direct

Dear Peter:

Thank you very much for taking the time to leave a review. I'm delighted to read that we've been able to help over the years. We are here for any further queries.

Best regards,


Louise

Louise Miller
Head of Client Experience

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

always professional and fast and…

always professional and fast and efficient

13 May 2026
Charles Stanley Direct logo

Reply from Charles Stanley Direct

Dear Andrew:

I'm very pleased to read that your experiences with us have been positive. We appreciate you taking the time to leave a review!

Best regards,


Louise

Louise Miller
Head of Client Experience

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Wish we hadn’t moved

Wish we hadn’t moved. Worst company ever. They never respond & try to fob u off. They don’t sort issues out.

12 May 2026
Unprompted review
Charles Stanley Direct logo

Reply from Charles Stanley Direct

Dear Sarah:

Thanks once again for taking the time to share your feedback. I believe that this and your other recent review relate to Persimmon Homes rather than Charles Stanley Direct but please get in touch with us if we can be of any assistance.

Best regards,


Louise

Louise Miller
Head of Client Experience

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

Happy Days

Easy to buy and sell funds and stocks. Would be good if there was a withdrawal option on the app rather than have to use a web browser.

8 May 2026
Charles Stanley Direct logo

Reply from Charles Stanley Direct

Dear Mr McLeish:

Thank you very much for taking the time to leave your thoughts. I'm pleased to let you know that your feedback coincides with our plans for our app. Watch this space!

Best regards,


Louise

Louise Miller
Head of Client Experience

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Helpful and courteous

Helpful and courteous

7 May 2026
Charles Stanley Direct logo

Reply from Charles Stanley Direct

Dear Jane:

We appreciate your feedback! That is exactly the sort of service we aim for and we are here if you need us further.

Best regards,


Louise

Louise Miller
Head of Client Experience

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

CS Direct is a generally efficient and…

CS Direct is a generally efficient and low-cost platform, with a good Helpdesk - particularly as the staff are anglophone and based in Edinburgh. The charges are sensible.
I would have given you 5/5, but I think your website slightly lets you down, largely because it is slow and clunky (eg to look at multiple accounts, you need to keep reverting to the 'My Accounts' page, which consumes quite a bit of time when I need to look at multiple accounts).

8 May 2026
Charles Stanley Direct logo

Reply from Charles Stanley Direct

Dear Andrew:

Thank you very much for taking the time to leave feedback. Our website has done us well in terms of performance and resilience but we hear you and I'm pleased to let you know that we are planning upgrades to the website, so watch this space!

Best regards,


Louise

Louise Miller
Head of Client Experience

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Absolutely shocking and abysmal…

Absolutely shocking and abysmal response consistently from customer care they don’t give a damn sell u the dream but what you really get is a big nightmare. They ripp you off left right centre. we would never again by Persimmions Home. Shocking workmanship throughout cheap and nasty materials used clearly stuff that don’t know what the hell they’re doing.

8 May 2026
Charles Stanley Direct logo

Reply from Charles Stanley Direct

Dear Sarah:

Thanks for taking the time to share your feedback. It looks like your comments relate to Persimmon Homes rather than Charles Stanley Direct. If so, you may want to repost your review so it reaches the right organisation but, if we can help at all, please feel free to get in touch.

Best regards,


Louise

Louise Miller
Head of Client Experience

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Four generations of superb financial…

Four generations of superb financial management of the highest order with my family

6 August 2025
Charles Stanley Direct logo

Reply from Charles Stanley Direct

Dear James:

You have genuinely made my morning with that comment. We truly value such long-term relationships as well as aim to support our clients at every step of their investment journey. Thank you for your trust in us and please let me know if ever I/we can assist.

Best regards,


Louise

Louise Miller
Head of Client Experience

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

Not Quite As Good as it Used to be

Used to be the best value/service for the private investor, with a very personal approach. Since Raymond James took over it is not such good value and the Help Desk does not seem to be so customer orientated. I have full fibre broadband with good speed but CSD's server is some times slow and some features such as charts and comparisons are incompatible with Firefox

7 May 2026
Charles Stanley Direct logo

Reply from Charles Stanley Direct

Dear Martin:

Please accept my sincere apologies for the delay in responding, which was entirely down to me and unrelated to Raymond James! However, I wanted to look further into the browser issues that you report. I'll respond separately to you now by email and thank you very much for taking the time to leave feedback.

Best regards,


Louise

Louise Miller
Head of Client Experience

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

Suggestions for improvement to researching investments

Easy to use except when researching funds, ITs, etfs etc. Trustnet’s investor search too is easier to use and to make comparisons

7 May 2026
Charles Stanley Direct logo

Reply from Charles Stanley Direct

Dear Richard:

Many thanks for taking the time to leave your feedback. We’re pleased to hear that you find the service easy to use but note your comments relating to research. We are looking to make enhancements to the service over the coming months and your feedback will help us set priorities.

Best regards,


Louise

Louise Miller
Head of Client Experience

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

They always answer queries quickly &…

They always answer queries quickly & efficiently.

6 May 2026
Charles Stanley Direct logo

Reply from Charles Stanley Direct

Dear John:

Many thanks for the feedback. We are here to help and appreciate it!

Best regards,


Louise

Louise Miller
Head of Client Experience

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Quick response and very friendly and…

Quick response and very friendly and helpful.

29 April 2026
Charles Stanley Direct logo

Reply from Charles Stanley Direct

Dear Lou:

Many thanks for the feedback. That is just what we aim for and I'm very pleased we were able to help.

Best regards,


Louise

Louise Miller
Head of Client Experience

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Easy investing

Used Charles Stanley for a few years now. Good platform, simple to navigate. Support always answer my silly questions! Would easily recommend to anyone

24 April 2026
Charles Stanley Direct logo

Reply from Charles Stanley Direct

Dear Joffy:

I can confidently say that there is almost nothing we have not been asked! Please always feel free to ask away and I'm glad we've been able to help. Thank you very much for taking the time to leave feedback. We genuinely appreciate it.

Best regards,


Louise

Louise Miller
Head of Client Experience

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

On line agent help…

The online agent was prompt and very helpful. I had a question which was not covered by the FAQ's and they were quick to establish what I needed and and prompt in providing the solution

21 April 2026
Charles Stanley Direct logo

Reply from Charles Stanley Direct

Dear JS:

Thank you very much for taking the time to share your experience. I'm very pleased we were able to help. That's exactly what we are here for and please do let us know if you need anything else.

Best regards,


Louise

Louise Miller
Head of Client Experience

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

I think I solve my problem

I think I solve my problem. The agent explain quite well what to do.

20 April 2026
Charles Stanley Direct logo

Reply from Charles Stanley Direct

Dear Paulo:

Many thanks for taking the time to leave feedback. We appreciate it and are here to help you further if needed.

Best regards,


Louise

Louise Miller
Head of Client Experience

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

General account enquiry

Easy and prompt answer to my questions and concerns

16 April 2026
Charles Stanley Direct logo

Reply from Charles Stanley Direct

Dear Irfon:

Many thanks for your feedback. I'm very pleased we were able to help and we are here if you need us again.

Best regards,


Louise

Louise Miller
Head of Client Experience

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