Fuming with Nationwide

simonts

Need a bit of guidance if possible. Will try and be as accurate as possible.

A few months ago it appears I messed up my online banking and by accident cancelled my standing order to pay my nationwide credit card...I have an old bad habit of not reading CC statements as they just say what I have spent and paid.

I came back into the country last Tuesday and on the Saturday went to use my bank card and it was eaten by the machine. I phoned nationwide who couldn't help as the department who had frozen my account (Unsecured Debt Recovery Lending Control) were closed until Monday.

Later in the day on the Saturday the following letter arrived:

26th September
Dear Mr X

CC Number X
Flex Account Number X
Balance Outstanding X

I'm writing to advise you that your flex account has been frozen due to the unpaid balance on the above account, this action may also result in Direct Debits or Standing orders, set up from a FlexAccount not being paid.

Should the balance not be paid within 14 days, I'll transfer monies from your Flex account without further reference to you.

If you have any queries, please call me on 0845 600 6106

Sincerely

Miss X
Unsecured Debt Recovery.

9am Monday morning I phone the above number as at the time I had no idea what was going on. The response was that due to missed payments on my credit card my flex account had been frozen until the account was brought up to date.

This account was due to receive my salary the next day so I said that they could take the money tomorrow. They agreed to call me back the following day to take the money.

At the point of first contact I must have asked about 5 times that this would not affect my payments coming from the account IE Mortgage! as this was my number one priority. The response was no once the money was received and the freeze taken off the account it would be ok.

The next day they phoned back to take the payment. Again I asked for assurances that the payments would all go through. Yes this should be fine as the block has been taken off the account.

Yesterday the first of many letters came through from my Egg card informing me that my bank had cancelled the direct debit. In a word I was fuming and immediately phoned the number above to find out what was going on.

This time a new person informed me that I should have been informed that freezing the account will cancel the direct debits as they cannot be seen to be allowing payments to other creditors while I owed them money.

I was apologised to that I was incorrectly informed! I was not happy and asked to speak to a manager. The manager was very unhelpful and again just apologised that I was incorrectly informed but the fault overall was my own for missing payments.

I asked why 2 direct debits for the 1st went through ok and the other 15 cancelled to which she did not have an answer. I also stated that had I been informed that the direct debits had been cancelled on the 29th I could have put measures into place to manually pay my creditors to avoid issues.

She said that the effects were clearly laid out in the letter sent to me to which I argued that the letter did not state that direct debits would be cancelled only that they may not be paid. Her words were that this was just a technicality!!

I said you record you calls can you listen to see the errors that were made. "I can categorically state that we do not record phone calls". Well that's a lie for one it states on their website that they do and also my ex used to work in the Swindon HQ and has mentioned the use of recorded calls for training and disciplinary purposes

Subsequently from this moron at Nationwide I have missed payments for my mortgage/2 phone contracts and 3 credit cards...6 bad marks on my credit rating and probably 4 charges.

I also now have to spend hours on the phone with all the companies sorting this mess out as nationwide cannot reinstate the DD's

I am really not willing to let this drop and have their names and Nationwide complaint address.

Points of issue are as follows



Letter from Nationwide was inaccurate and did not state direct debits would be cancelled
Multiple times I was given incorrect information by Nationwide which had I been fully armed I would not be in this position now.
Due to Nationwide's error I have suffered financially and also my credit rating has taken a major hit

Oh also my current account was removed from online banking and did not come back online until today. Had this been in place when I settled the outstanding amount I could have seen my direct debits had been cancelled.

Also If I was not waiting for 7-10 days for a new card when I found out on the first I would have still had time to phone each company and make a payment by debit card.

I could not even send payments electronically due to have no access to my account or money at all.

I feel I was effectively held to ransom by Nationwide due to the fact I had a current account with them. I more than understand freezing my credit card but to ransom me over my current account is downright wrong. Can they do this?

I am thinking of reporting this to the Financial Ombudsmen but I'm not sure if I really have a case for complaint?

Needless to say I am moving my current account away!

Hope anyone can advise. While I understand my error I feel I have been severely damaged due to the incompetence of a Nationwide Employee.