'You are guaranteed a fair deal at the Coventry.' As a building society, run solely for the benefit of our members, we don't have external shareholders to satisfy. So as a result we can pass more value back to our savers and borrowers.

Here we illustrate what a fair deal means for our members.

Treating you fairly

We ensure that when we change our rates after a Bank of England Base Rate change, we change the rates for savers and borrowers on the same day. We pay interest on cheques from the very day you pay them into your savings account. We treat members equally, so new and existing customers can have the same deal.

Consistently good value

It's one thing to have a savings account or mortgage deal featuring in the newspaper 'best buy' tables. But once you've opened your account or taken out your mortgage, can you really be sure you're going to carry on getting a good deal?

At the Coventry we want you to get a good deal when you join us, but then we want to make sure you continue to enjoy good value over the long term. So we continually compare our existing products against the competition to make sure they measure up.

As an example, in October 2007 our NetSave Instant III was listed by Moneyfacts as paying one of the most consistently high rates for internet accounts in the UK savings market over the previous 36 months.

Clear and easy to understand

We think it's only right and fair that if we advertise a deal, you can clearly understand what it is and easily take advantage of it.

For instance, unlike most high-interest current accounts, Coventry First pays an outstanding rate on the entire balance up to £250,000, not just the first £2,500 or £3,000. So you actually get to receive the rate we advertise on all of your balance.

As another example, take out one of our personal loans and you'll pay the actual rate as advertised. We won't show you a low rate to tempt you in before swapping it for a higher one when you've been accepted.