Goodbye Nationwide sort of vent

st999

I have a Nationwide FlexAccount and credit card for using abroad while on holiday.

I have a Capital One cashback crdit card that I use for my normal spending at home.

So I get a letter from Nationwide today explaining that they are proud to be different.

So no free stuff abroad anymore.

To qualify for the FREE European travel cover worth up to £80 per year I have some criteria I have to qualify to.

I must use my FlexAccount as my main account and credit £750 per month and transfer all my direct debits and be aged UNDER 65.

well that is 2 things I don't meet the criteria for.

I can't decide whether to withdraw the 2 pence in the account and close it or leave the account open to !!!! them off.

Same with my Nationwide credit card. I will never use it as the cashback from my Capital One credit card will help to offset any costs while abroad.

My wife has a Tesco credit card that we can use for backup while abroad and I also have a couple of other credit cards somewhere.

Bowling_4_Gold

I would just leave it open with the 2 pence. I did the same to Lloyds when they frustrated me over some petty card matter. I now enjoy getting mail and the occasional statement from them telling me how 'brilliant' and 'amazing' their bank is. Just reinforces how happy I am with my current bank, HSBC.

frivolous_fay

They were very keen for me to know that they needed me to be a proper customer - I tried to open the account for the card and they told me I'd have to make it my main account, I couldn't just open it purely for the card, blah blah. So it was made pretty clear to me they don't like being milked for their goodies.

sharpy2010

I can't see how leaving an account open with a credit balance of 2 pence is in any way going to annoy/irritate/upset the bank?

Surely since all account details are held on a computer system, unless the account owner (you) requests details of your account, no one will ever see the account in question.

That's hardly going to !!!! them off, is it?!

Storck

It will cost them money sending statements out every month, quarter or whatever is set up for the account. I have two accounts with Santander that have a zero balance but they send me a statement every month. I have asked them a number of times to close them down but they haven't so now I have just left them.

tbw

I got shot of my N/W credit card a while back. I kept it for using on holiday abroad but they started charging for usage outside Europe. The Post Office card is free to use anywhere so I got one of those instead.

mynameisdave

Storck wrote: »

It will cost them money sending statements out every month, quarter or whatever is set up for the account. I have two accounts with Santander that have a zero balance but they send me a statement every month. I have asked them a number of times to close them down but they haven't so now I have just left them.

I wouldn't bother wasting my own time to open the letters and put them in the recycling for such a small amount over such a trivial issue.

Andream

Nationwide don't send out a statement if the balance is the same as it was the last statement date (account not used in that period), at least they don't send me one.

fluffnutter

You're certainly not the only one to be affected by this, st999. I know of a number of people who have flexaccounts with Nationwide to take advantage of their zero charges abroad policy. Unfortunately, Nationwide has been affected by low interest rates just like everyone else and have found their profits reducing. That's why they've begun to pass on the charges that they incur to customers. It's just market forces.

williham

They don't want your custom or anyone elses custom who only uses it on holiday. It doesn't make them money it costs them money so I think they'll be glad to see you go. That is after all the reason why they've started charging for foreign withdrawals.

serious_saver

I had the same thing with the over £750.

Nationwide are a very strange company. Their customer service is EITHER exceptionally good or exceptionally bad depending on the person you're dealing with. I'm glad that I'm through with them as they're so unpredictable!!!