NatWest Cardholder, been told you'll no longer get Airmiles? Fight back!

MSE_Martin

What's it about?

Many holders of the NatWest credit card were sent letters recently informing them they'd no longer be eligible for AirMiles. The official reason? "These customers weren't redeeming or collecting many points and so it was deemed they no longer value them".

What should you do?

After being told this, I asked NatWest if people wanted to be reinstalled on the scheme could they? Its answer: "if they write to us, and say they've been taken off the scheme in error, then we will review on a case by case basis and may reinstate." If you want to be on the scheme, it's worth writing the letter.

Why are they doing this?

Of course this is ridiculous behaviour by NatWest, if, as it claims, the only reason people have been taken off the scheme is because they don't value it. By writing to NatWest and saying "I do value it", it should automatically reinstate people not review it.

I put this to them and it replied.....

" We are not, as you saybelow, withdrawing customers from the scheme 'simply' because they do not value the scheme but because these customers hold few AirMiles and rarely,if ever, redeem them. It is on that basis that our research shows us thatthese customers do not value the AirMiles scheme."

"So, a customer contacting us to say that they do value the scheme does not necessarily change the fact that they previously held few AirMiles and rarely, if ever, redeemed them. That said, if a customer genuinely feels that we have made an error and they did regularly collect and redeem AirMiles, then we will of course review on a case by case basis."

A load of palpable tosh if you ask me!

DUMP NATWEST IF YOU WANT AIRMILES

Regardless of all this, NatWest is not the best credit card to earn AirMils on, you can earn even more on Tesco Clubcard, and more still on BAA Worldpoints, so if you are an AirMiles collector read the Maximise Your Loyalty Points article for more details.


Related Articles: Credit Card Reward Schemes, Maximise Your Loyalty Points

King_Of_Fools

Of course, if people really value the AirMiles that much they should move to the Tesco credit card where they get more miles per pound than at NatWest!

MSE_Martin

Quite right King of Fools, I've added that to the top post - though actually BAA Worldpoints pays new cardholders even more

yebaws

http://www.airmiles.co.uk/collect/partner.do?partner=AirMiles+MasterCard

Probably worth getting the card just for the 500 miles - and it's a Nat west card. They did have an offer before 20 June where you got an extra 500 miles, but unfortunately that's gone. Nat West used to transfer credit limits between the visa and mastercard - they may still do it for people who want to dump the visa.

KingLeo17

We use a Natwest Company Card, have been spending £25,000-£30,000 year, and just been told that AIRMILES are no longer available to us, and that Natwest is driopping the program. Plus they charge £60 year for card. Hardly a user-friendly bank! Henry

MSE_Martin wrote:

What's it about?

Many holders of the NatWest credit card were sent letters recently informing them they'd no longer be eligible for AirMiles. The official reason? "These customers weren't redeeming or collecting many points and so it was deemed they no longer value them".

What should you do?

After being told this, I asked NatWest if people wanted to be reinstalled on the scheme could they? Its answer: "if they write to us, and say they've been taken off the scheme in error, then we will review on a case by case basis and may reinstate." If you want to be on the scheme, it's worth writing the letter.

Why are they doing this?

Of course this is ridiculous behaviour by NatWest, if, as it claims, the only reason people have been taken off the scheme is because they don't value it. By writing to NatWest and saying "I do value it", it should automatically reinstate people not review it.

I put this to them and it replied.....

" We are not, as you saybelow, withdrawing customers from the scheme 'simply' because they do not value the scheme but because these customers hold few AirMiles and rarely,if ever, redeem them. It is on that basis that our research shows us thatthese customers do not value the AirMiles scheme."

"So, a customer contacting us to say that they do value the scheme does not necessarily change the fact that they previously held few AirMiles and rarely, if ever, redeemed them. That said, if a customer genuinely feels that we have made an error and they did regularly collect and redeem AirMiles, then we will of course review on a case by case basis."

A load of palpable tosh if you ask me!

DUMP NATWEST IF YOU WANT AIRMILES

Regardless of all this, NatWest is not the best credit card to earn AirMils on, you can earn even more on Tesco Clubcard, and more still on BAA Worldpoints, so if you are an AirMiles collector read the Maximise Your Loyalty Points article for more details.


Related Articles: Credit Card Reward Schemes, Maximise Your Loyalty Points

BaritoneUK

The article is now out of date. The link for the BAA credit card doesn't work. Have they stopped doing it now? Also with the airmiles credit card although you do get 200 free miles for joining you have to spend a whopping £2000 in the first 3 months to get the extra 300. Not so good.

Maximillion_Miles

Just found out that Airmiles have finally ditched Natwest and moved to Lloyds TSB

You can double your miles by going with them as Lloyds are giving 1 mile for every £10!

torbrex

I got my letter Friday telling me that my card was being cancelled and a new one being issued without the Airmiles logo, I also recieved in the same post a letter from LTSB offering me a card with them to continue my Airmiles collecting.
I have phoned Natwest and told them that I no longer want to do business with them if they have withdrawn the Airmiles connection and they just said ok.
My trouble is I have changed jobs in the last year and am employed through an agency, will my application for the new LTSB card be affected by these details? I also dont have a home phone number and this can adversly affect applications as well.
I dont especially need another credit card, I hardly use the ones I have and I always pay the balance in full but it would be nice to keep my airmiles total rising towards my target.
I would hate to have my application turned down, do you guys think that I should apply for the LTSB card anyway? and will it affect my credit rating if I am turned down?

virgin_moneysaver

its gonna be 1 mile for each 10 spend on the Amex card & after the inital offer 1 mile for each 50 spend - I've only ever had visa or mastercard - does American Express work the same way?

Maximillion_Miles

Yeah the Amex card works pretty much everywhere

Occaisionally I have had trouble using it in small/local shops, but all the big high street names use it and online it is fine

Maximillion_Miles

Just read up on it - It is always 1 mile for £10 on the Amex card, the 1 for £50 is on a Mastercard (I think the two cards are linked together to make it easier)

I just sent off my application - don't think not having a telephone number will matter, if Natwest will give you a credit card I'm sure Lloyds will