STAY AWAY FROM THIS BANK!! (Natwest Bank)

Member Name: jonroach

Product:	Natwest Bank
Date:	17/11/02 (2938 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: None I can think of!

Disadvantages: Unhelpful, Always having problems, You're better off elsewhere

I have thoroughly enjoyed reading the various comments from other dooyooers about the Nat West Bank, and felt that no discussion page would be complete without my input – so here goes…..

My experiences with Nat West (or as other people quite correctly put it “Nat Worst”) began when I became a student back in 1994. I opened my Student Account with the Nat West and deposited my sorry excuse for a grant cheque into the account. Things went alright for a while, then I was mysteriously charged for exceeding my overdraft, I decided to write them a letter and inquire why this was. After several weeks and no reply I contacted them again and asked them why, I was then told the had no record of getting the letter – even though I had hand delivered it! Eventually they decided to refund me the charges and the matter was closed.

A few months letter I didn’t receive my monthly bank statement so again I decided to visit my branch and ask why. Unable to tell me why I hadn’t received my statement they ordered me another one. Weeks passed and no statement arrived, again back into the branch and they took my account details and my phone number in case there was any problem. Then a few days later I received a letter containing my bank statement, and ohh, what’s this…. Someone else’s bank statement! Now admittedly their account number did resemble my phone number, but surely a bank shouldn’t be sending other people’s bank statements out to just anyone! I wonder just how often this happens? Do many people get other people’s bank statements?

Again a few months passed and I decided to pay my friend a visit, this involved a train ride and as I was staying there for the weekend I decided to deposit £100 from my savings into my current account so I would have plenty of money. Saturday night came and I visited a cash point to withdraw some money only to find I couldn’t get any! Fortu
nately my friend was willing to lend me some money. Upon return home I visited my branch and asked for my balance – again it appeared to have not been credited with the £100. Upon further investigation I found out it had been credited with £1 rather than the £100! That afternoon I got a phone call from someone at the bank saying how sorry they were. I later wrote a letter pointing out that if you go overdrawn with a Nat West, sorry, Nat Worst account they send you a letter telling you so at a cost of £27.50 (correct at the time of the incident) I pointed this out in the letter and told them perhaps they would like to credit my account with £27.50 as I was writing them a letter and the seriousness of the incident. The Nat Worst Bank decided not to reply to my letter.

The years past, and I have no idea why I bothered to keep the account with them. But I did and I was sent a new Switch Card as my old one had expired. I used the new one to withdraw some money from the cash point (no problem) then a few days later I tried to take some more money out and it didn’t work. PIN number not recognized. I decided to get on to the bank, but as it was a Sunday it would have to wait. Still, just have to pop into my local Sainsbury’s and get some cash back, should be alright I thought. Wrong, after handing over my Switch Card the cashier told me if I could just wait there one moment, then suddenly some manager appeared and a security guard, and told me my card had come up as being stolen! When I asked the Nat Worst why this was they were (again) not sure and they told me they would order me a new card! Thanks, I have just been made to look like a criminal in the middle of a busy Sainsbury’s and all you can say is “Ohh, don’t know why that happened, I’ll order you a new card.”

Well, I guess you art probably wondering if I still have an account with them. Well, I do. It has a total of 3p in it, and one day (if I can be
bothered) I might close the account, but until then I will write myself the odd cheque for 1p, just to p*** them off.

Years passed and I changed banks to the Royal Bank of Scotland (at the time RBS and Nat Worst had not become part of the same group) and things were better, for a while anyway. I invite you now to go and read my opinion of the Royal Bank of Scotland.

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