Nationwide are rubbish

ajharris

lolarentt wrote: »

I have a Santander account abroad, and also one here with Cater Allen, who are part of Santander now, and I have no problems with them at all. I think it's the Abbey organisation that needs sorting out, rather than Santander itself.

Agree N'wide are hopeless, although I keep a Flexa/c and CC going for foreign use - we use the Flex as a sort of holiday savings fund! I think my Nwide story beats anything I've heard - they took my name off a internet only savings a/c (just removed it suddenly and duplicated my partners name so the ac read 'Miss A N Other & Miss A N Other, she was the second ac holder) and then of course wouldn't discuss it with me on the phone because the ac number I was quoting wasn't for an account in my name! Neither of us could access the ac because I was the online ac holder and the account just wasn't listed any more - I would add it had a significant amount of money in it as Nwide ac rates were good at that time!. It took ages to sort out - I had to visit a local branch and make a lot of noise in a busy bank to get to see the manager, as I had paper proof that the ac was mine the month before. They got on the case but I never got an explanation, and it took him, his IT expert, Nwide HO to get my name back on a week later. He did phone daily with a progress (or lack of) report . In the end I had apologies and it was put down to a 'clerical error' back at base!!

Your story is a true nightmare. My story is mild compared to the horror story you have just quoted.

zfrl

ajharris wrote: »

The so called world's largest building society

I think you need to take more notice of this bit - they are not a bank they are a building society. They do things differently to banks.

ajharris

zfrl wrote: »

I think you need to take more notice of this bit - they are not a bank they are a building society. They do things differently to banks.

I take that on board totally. Does this mean that you think it is acceptable that the 'Worlds largest building society' cannot organise a simple weekly money transfer every Friday?

ajharris

dzug1 wrote: »

So you are happy to pay HSBC's charges for overseas payments?

2.99% plus a 2.5% fee for cash. Your plus account may well excuse you the latter, but certainly not the former.

I'd have kept both accounts in the same circumstances

I have kept the account for overseas usage but I think that within a couple of years they will revoke this perk, bang goes their USP.

choc_mouse

ajharris wrote: »

It is not a legal requirement to sent you written notification of impending chagres. I was told by a member of Nationwide staff that their system does not allow you to view pending charges on line hence the postal notification. HSBC warns you on line.

Fair enough but Nationwide does display prominantly that "Important" notice - even on printed and PDF statements, so I don't think your claim about them not being able to cancel paper statements is fully justified.

Anyway, you've done the right thing as a consumer by leaving Nationwide based on them not meeting your expectations.

They still meet most my expectations, especially since the problems you highlighted aren't really a problem for me, so I'm still a happy customer with them.

ajharris

Inactive wrote: »

7-day-weekend.....I do similar, best move that I have ever made for currency in Spain.

Great value overseas withdrawals is all that they are good for. I have used my Flex account all over Asia and have always had great exchange rates too.

Inactive

ajharris wrote: »

Great value overseas withdrawals is all that they are good for. I have used my Flex account all over Asia and have always had great exchange rates too.

That may be true, but that is all I use them for, apart from a couple of long term ISA's that havn't yet matured.

seven-day-weekend

It is all I will use mine for too, that and feeding my ISA.

Also the fact that it is a Building Society is important to me; I have Bank Accounts but want to keep a Buiding Society account. I started off with the Staffordshire, which was taken over by Portman, which was taken over by Nationwide.

pmduk

It's probably best to use only a bank for banking and building societies for saving only. I'd also avoid those organisations that are wannabe banks (Halifax, Abbey and A&L spring to mind)

seven-day-weekend

pmduk wrote: »

It's probably best to use only a bank for banking and building societies for saving only. I'd also avoid those organisations that are wannabe banks (Halifax, Abbey and !&L spring to mind)

I agree.

Our savings are with Nationwide and West Bromwich Building Society, our main income/bills/direct debits etc are with LTSB and Co-op.