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NatWest - Warning - The unreasonable bank
Natwest Student Banking
Member Name: h.rayfield
Product:
Natwest Student Banking
Date: 07/07/00, updated on 07/07/00 (68 review reads)
Rating:
Advantages: None we know of
Disadvantages: difficult customer services reps, inflexible, unhelpful
My flatmate has demanded that I post a warning to anyone thinking of opening a NatWest account. Recently she has been working away from home (for about three weeks). During this time she went over her agreed overdraft limit by about £100. So they sent her the usual letter asking her to sort it out. However, as she was not at home, she did not get the letter. (I was checking her post, but the envelope was handwritten and looked like a personal letter!). They sent another letter about ten days later, which she also didn't get because she was away.
On her return, she found both letters, plus a third, demanding her cheque/bank/switch card and her cheque books back. The letter was incredibly rude and patronising. She rang NatWest to tell them that she had been away, she was sorry and she would go to the bank first thing the next day and pay the excess on her account. This it seems was not good enough. They still wanted all her stuff back and when she asked to speak to a more senior person she was told that that wasn't possible. Apparently "the bank" had made it's decision and there was nothing anyone could do about it. This all seems to be a bit silly and over the top for a measly £100 and my flatmate has never, ever gone over her overdraft limit before and she has had one for five years!
She is now closing that account and will be opening one with HSBC. This is all a whole load of hassle for £100 she offered to pay back immediately anyway. The customer services person was unpleasant and inflexible and did not help in anyway.
The bank had my flatmate's telephone numbers and could have phoned when they had no response to their letters (that's what HSBC do anyway). This is not the first horror story I have heard regarding NatWest, so if you want a bank account, go to HSBC!
Summary:
