MSE News: RBS and Natwest customers in Santander switch alert

stclair

Deepfatfriar wrote: »

It will be worth moving your account to an RBS Scottish branch. Even if you take a few days off work to do it.

Make an appointment with a Scottish Branch.

Open the new account which should take about an hour.

Move your DD's etc yourself or let the new branch do it.

Finally close your account in England.

I did the same over ayear ago, no problems.

Currently investigating who to move my LLoyds accounts to as I hear the COOP online system is atrocious.

Why waste the credit search? when you could let the bank do all the transferring for you...

chambta

It's rather pointless travelling to Scotland to do it.

If you came into my English RBS branch and asked to open an account under the Scottish sortcode of your choice it's perfectly possible.

easy

chambta wrote: »

It's rather pointless travelling to Scotland to do it.

If you came into my English RBS branch and asked to open an account under the Scottish sortcode of your choice it's perfectly possible.

chambta, after Christmas I may well trundle over to my nearest branch and have a go at that. Can I transfer my existing account as-is (including my large - tho NEVER fully used overdraft limit), or does it have to be a new account ??

stclair

easy wrote: »

chambta, after Christmas I may well trundle over to my nearest branch and have a go at that. Can I transfer my existing account as-is (including my large - tho NEVER fully used overdraft limit), or does it have to be a new account ??

If you call 0800 210 0214

Opening hours: 8am to 8pm Monday to Friday and
10am to 4pm weekends and Bank Holidays.

They will be able to send you the form to enable you to transfer your account including your overdraft for you.

Deepfatfriar

chambta wrote: »

It's rather pointless travelling to Scotland to do it.

If you came into my English RBS branch and asked to open an account under the Scottish sortcode of your choice it's perfectly possible.

My suggestion was based on the fact there seems to be conflicting information about the mechanics of the transfer by the branches.

If it works great.

dabram28

I had a letter last week regarding my account moving to Santander, came as a bit of a surprise. I am certainly not up for that and I am annoyed I have been given no choice.

Looking around on the internet, some people were made aware of this transfer a while ago. People mention that they fill in a form and their account gets moved to a branch in Scotland. this would be better for me than a transfer to some ropey Spanish bank.

System

dabram28 wrote: »

I had a letter last week regarding my account moving to Santander, came as a bit of a surprise. I am certainly not up for that and I am annoyed I have been given no choice.

Looking around on the internet, some people were made aware of this transfer a while ago. People mention that they fill in a form and their account gets moved to a branch in Scotland. this would be better for me than a transfer to some ropey Spanish bank.

How do you normally receive communication from the bank ?
Do you get paper statements or do you use online banking ?

If you get paper statements you should have received notification of the sale in a letter sent around August 2010. But, if you do not receive paper statements, you may have received an email around that time.

And it is always possible that the bank did not send letters to everyone that they should have, but the sale has been covered in the news on various occasions.

chambta

Deepfatfriar wrote: »

My suggestion was based on the fact there seems to be conflicting information about the mechanics of the transfer by the branches.

If it works great.

It boils down to whether you want to see it done in front of you or are happy to leave it to the bank to sort it in their own time.

Despite being RBS staff I had a London Drummonds account opened over a year ago and had my salary redirected to it.

Even if Santander subsequently insist on it being redirected to one of their accounts (which they may not) there's every chance I'll end up with Royalties Gold free due to it being coded staff.

Deepfatfriar

dabram28 wrote: »

I had a letter last week regarding my account moving to Santander, came as a bit of a surprise. I am certainly not up for that and I am annoyed I have been given no choice.

Looking around on the internet, some people were made aware of this transfer a while ago. People mention that they fill in a form and their account gets moved to a branch in Scotland. this would be better for me than a transfer to some ropey Spanish bank.

You do have a choice, either stay with RBS and get transferred to Santander or pro-actively move your account to a Scottish RBS.

Either get the branch to do it or do it yourself.

There has been widespread coverage of this issue for well over a year now. I was certainly told of the transfer by RBS and moved to a Scottish account immediately I knew what was happening.

carrieh

I opened two new accounts with RBS Glasgow, shortly after I received the letter explaining the proposed transfer of my accounts to Santander last year. It was easy. I did it all online through my RBS online banking. I then asked RBS to change all my direct debits to one of the new accounts in Glasgow.

I did however keep one original account open at my RBS in Cheshire and left it lying dormant in case anything went wrong. With this account I asked via the transfer form to transfer it to Glasgow. This account has been transferred to RBS Glasgow now too.

I now have 3 accounts at RBS Glasgow, so will close one.

Everything very smoothly, no problems at all, and I'm free of Santander! :T

Frankly however I think it's appalling that our bank accounts can be sold in this way. Still, that's the world we live in I suppose.