How to get a bank account - if you're unbanked - basic bank accounts

MoneySavingUser

make a formal complaint?

ESES

make a formal complaint?

To the bank or straight to the financial ombudsman?

MoneySavingUser

I don't think you can go straight to the FOS - so the bank

ESES

ESES wrote: »

My partner has recently been into 'money trouble', therefore she went to open a basic bank account. She went to NATWEST, asked for a BBA and the personn who dealt with her insisted that they had checked, and there was no problems with her cred score. O.H. was pushed into opening a NATWEST gold account, £15/pm, various benefits etc. O.H. insisted 3 times that she wanted a BBA, but Natwest said they had no such product. Bear in mind, my O.H. is French and not as savvy as some others.
Next thing, she received a letter from NATWEST saying that they won't deal with her, she is not welcome at the NATWEST/RBS banking group and that they are not willing to enter into any further communication wse. IDIOTS!

Update: Received the NATWEST advantage gold welcome pack this morning!?!?!?

Patr100

MoneySavingUser wrote: »

I don't think you can go straight to the FOS - so the bank

The problem also is this:
If you are refused an account by a bank you are not a customer of that bank. A bank can and usually does, refuse you without ANY explanation.
If you haven't officially complained to the bank as a customer (which you can't do), the ombudsman is very limited in what they can do even if they were to take up the case. as the banks do not have to justify their actions in refusing applications.
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sabazios6

I have tried RBS, Nat-west, Co Op, Abbey, Lloyds each bank offered me the basic account application form.

When trying to open the account i took a bill,driving license and passport, each bank run a credit search and based on that rejected me for the basic accounts, when i asked why a credit search was being done due to the fact there is no credit on a basic account i was told it was bank policy to run a credit check no matter what type of account you are applying for.

So unless the government does something i will never get an account, even a savings account i have had problems with.

:(:(
Dean

Olipro

sabazios6 wrote: »

I have tried RBS, Nat-west, Co Op, Abbey, Lloyds each bank offered me the basic account application form.

When trying to open the account i took a bill,driving license and passport, each bank run a credit search and based on that rejected me for the basic accounts, when i asked why a credit search was being done due to the fact there is no credit on a basic account i was told it was bank policy to run a credit check no matter what type of account you are applying for.

So unless the government does something i will never get an account, even a savings account i have had problems with.

:(:(
Dean

Halifax EasyCash: get it.