Credit Card Low Interest Con (Natwest Credit Cards)

Member Name: jimbhuna

Product:	Natwest Credit Cards
Date:	14/06/02 (584 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: None

Disadvantages: Loss of confidence

What fun i've had with this one...
Nearly 2 years a go i was sent an offer to my house personally addressed from Natwest. It was a graduate offer (which I am) for loads of things but the one that caught my eye was for a Mastercard with low interest rates for purchases and a very low interest rate for balance tranfers from 'ANY' credit card. I stress the ANY for reasons which will become aparent.
Now as a graduate i had about £3000 worth of high interest credit card debt on a Natwest Visa so the balance transfer seemed like a financial life saver.
So i rang the number on the offer, explained what i wanted and was told I could not transfer Natwest to Natwest... Oh well I thought and left it for a while.
I re-read the offer a while later and all the smallprint, nowhere was this restriction mentioned.
So i rang back, and after several discussions I eventually got one of the girls on the phone to agree the error and to send me an application form with an authorisation number on it so I could receive the golden card.
So I filled it in, sent it off and got my card. I then got a letter saying.... You cannot transfer NW to NW! This i knew but had already had authorisation... So in to my local branch i marched...spoke to a non too polite advisor who to cut a long story short left me talking to the Card Center Manager.. He was quite short with me and refused to budge despite having been told previously i could have the offer.
By this time I was getting a bit mad and before slamming the phone on him, i asked if I had at least got the low interest on new purchases.... The answer was "No"
So patience now shattered I embarked on a personal mission to get my card.
This has gone round and round for over a year between managers, customer service centres etc...Every time i move it up a level, I get a lovely call asking about the issues and astonishment at the misleading advert etc... Then I get the familiar call...No NW to
NW!
I am currently in contact with Customer Relations awaiting their 10 day call back.
I have been given payments of £30 and £50 from the card centre...offered £100 to basically shut up which I turned down...It has gone beyond that for me now.
To top it off, I asked for settlement figures on the 2 cards, which I paid that day (recently) only to get charged interest the next month!
I have shortened this as you do not need to hear accounts of every call and conversation....Basically I have been ripped off and at the time I was very vulnerable financially. The low interest could have helped me out immensly. I have a good job at the moment and have afforded to be able to clear my card debts which is why I am pushing this matter again without a financial noose around my neck.
I am so aware now that you cannot transfer Natwest to Natwest, I feel like I work there.
Unfortunatly for them though they sent an offer with terms and conditions which did not state this. I beleive this to be legally binding and will take it as far as I can afford.

End of my rant....Now my opinion

In my opinion Natwest have been a good bank to me over the years, however I now see them merely as an institiution intent on making interest off my money or debts. They seem very polite and customer friendly on the surface, but when you question their decisions, are quick to brush you under the carpet or hope you will get bored and go away. I am sure they are just as bad / good as all the other high street banks but I have been left with a sour taste as they are not willing to honour an offer which I have recieved. If in my job I said I would do a b and c then I would be expected to do it, not say I would and then do e and f whilst charging 4 times the rate...!

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