Natwest/RBS 2.85% esaver

Errata

You seem to have everything very well documented. Any chance of you posting on here the complete original advert that you have, together with what Natwest says is the original advert ?

premierfella

h176 wrote: »

They have sent me a copy of the revised advert yet again, saying this was the original advert of 29th September.

Crazy - so do they seriously believe someone would go to the trouble of "photoshopping" the advert (which is surely the only sensible explanation for them replying as they have?)

Best of luck with the Ombudsman and I for one would be interested in how your complaint is finally resolved.

SnowMan

h176 wrote: »

I am utterly astounded. They will not admit that the advert was changed.

Time for the Ombudsman & the Daily Mail!..........

I am astonished also. It makes me so angry that Nat West can behave in this appalling way.

:mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad:

The sad thing is that some of us reported the advert to the FSA misleading advertisements helpline on 7th October. So the FSA themselves should be able to show Nat West are acting dishonestly and disgracefully. The FSA say they can't tell me what action they took (for confidentiality reasons) but of course I fear they did nothing and never looked at the webpage.

My complaint against the FSA for refusing to take action on this matter is still outstanding. I am going to write to them again.

Devonjem

I too have received Natwest's final position.

The gist of it is that they believe their original webpages sufficiently advertised the bonus interest bit. In this regard they refer specifically to the common questions page. No mention of any other webpage. They also said they expect customers to be familiar with their general conditions in their booklet, which are repeated on the website (they say).

They said their website was updated on 15 October to show the amendments. No mention of what those amendments were and why they were made, other than to say it was in light of comments and queries received.

No reply to my references to breaches of the BBA Code on advertising interest bearing accounts.

Complaint not upheld but they acknowledge I have suffered inconvenience and surprisingly quantify that in a sum equivalent to bonus interest from account opening to mid November.

It is not enough to refer to a FAQ page for important info about rates. What on earth is a "Rates and Important Info" page for. At the time I applied, I got all the info I needed without the need to look at the common questions page - I simply did not have a question - so why look at the FAQs?

SnowMan

Devonjem wrote: »

I too have received Natwest's final position.

The gist of it is that they believe their original webpages sufficiently advertised the bonus interest bit. In this regard they refer specifically to the common questions page. No mention of any other webpage. They also said they expect customers to be familiar with their general conditions in their booklet, which are repeated on the website (they say).

They said their website was updated on 15 October to show the amendments. No mention of what those amendments were and why they were made, other than to say it was in light of comments and queries received.

No reply to my references to breaches of the BBA Code on advertising interest bearing accounts.

Complaint not upheld but they acknowledge I have suffered inconvenience and surprisingly quantify that in a sum equivalent to bonus interest from account opening to mid November.

It is not enough to refer to a FAQ page for important info about rates. What on earth is a "Rates and Important Info" page for. At the time I applied, I got all the info I needed without the need to look at the common questions page - I simply did not have a question - so why look at the FAQs?

I would suggest you take it to the Ombudsman . They should have admitted their error, corrected the interest, and on top made you a small payment for your time and effort in having to complain about their incorrect info.

The 15th October date isn't far off the 18th October date I mentioned in that template letter I posted up earlier. I didn't think they corrected the page until the Monday 18th but it is just possible it was corrected before the weekend on the Friday (15th). That said I recall it being wrong over the weekend so perhaps they submitted the change to their IT department on the Friday and the change showed up on the Monday.

Of course in your letter they have contradicted what they said in their response to h176 that the website wasn't changed after 29th September. More evidence of their shambolic lies.

Prior to 18th (or 15th) the only mention of the bonus delay was in the 16th of the questions in the FAQ (which contradicted the much more prominent information elsewhere saying it was for the first 12 months from account opening) and that small reference in the 66 page error strewn booklet i.e. the one on the page showing the wrong net rate. No reasonable person would suggest that was sufficient, but Nat West are not reasonable people.

neilsedaka

I made a print to pdf copy of the e-Savings information on the NatWest website on 29th September 2010. Send me a private message on here including your email address if you would like a copy. The pdf is seven pages.

I too have complained, first of all by telephone, and was advised to make my complaint at my local branch, which I did in writing on 12th November attaching my evidence including two online chats. The branch said they could not help me because the e-Savings is an online only account! Anyway, I left my complaint with the branch as originally advised and obtained a receipt. Result - no reaction from NatWest yet.

h176

Spoke to the Ombudsman Service earlier. Can't lodge my complaint with them yet, as this morning's insult of a letter from NatWest wasn't their 'Final Response' letter. Have to wait for that, or for 8 weeks from the date of my first written complaint to NatWest (12 November) as opposed to telephone complaint.

Phoned NatWest Customer Care/Insult Team, asked if he had anything further to say about not upholding my complaint, bearing in mind I was talking to the actual person who I sent the Google Cache copy to in the first place. He spoke to 'Head Office', and then called me back, saying they had been instructed to 'stand by their decision'!........ Was then told to speak to NatWest Customer Relations Unit (again!). They have now instructed the Care Team to send a 'Final Response' letter.

The whole thing is a scam and a cover-up. They will not admit to changing the advert.....

Rollinghome

h176 wrote: »

I am utterly astounded. They will not admit that the advert was changed.

They're bonkers. Presumably products of the Fred Goodwin legacy of bank management.

They repeated the same website error not once but at least twice, not to mention the incorrect figure repeatedly given for net interest. You were obviously entitled to rely on any one of those statement without having to search out and assume that an alternative but ambiguous statement hidden on another part of their website might be the more accurate version.

Presumably they are aware that so many independent sources including me took copies of their webpages and able to provide them to Natwest or anyone else who needs them?

While I'm not affected this time, I've banked with Natwest for years so does concern me that I might have similar unreasonable behaviour from them if they mess up my accounts. Will be interesting to see whether the ombudsman or the newspapers sort it out most quickly for you. Newspaper stories of a bumbling bank that tells porkies to cover up their incompetence won't do confidence in them any good at all. Good luck.

SimonM_2

neilsedaka wrote: »

I too have complained, first of all by telephone, and was advised to make my complaint at my local branch, which I did in writing on 12th November attaching my evidence including two online chats. The branch said they could not help me because the e-Savings is an online only account! Anyway, I left my complaint with the branch as originally advised and obtained a receipt. Result - no reaction from NatWest yet.

From my experience, this seems to be a common issue with branches saying "it's an online account, can't help you", where as NatWest's own complaint procedure says otherwise.

Please contact your branch and ask for the complaint reference number associated with your complaint, which they should have raised after you took that information in to them. Ensure that you get a complaint reference number from them and don't take any other answer.

meldrew58

Can't believe how ignorantly they treat people. Thankfully only opened account with £10 to see how it worked, planning to then transfer a substantial sum. Couldn't find how to transfer so rang to ask, told to go to my own bank who would advise me. Not happy so said I wished to complain and was told that I would have to write in to my branch - "any branch", erm this is an e-saver. Asked for supervisor, told there wasn't one there, then eventually got transferred to Customer Lending. They initially also said I had to write in but after further discussion, was given email address and phone number. Staff member said not necessary though as he would log complaint and I would be contacted. Two weeks later, nothing, so rang to ask how to close account, to be told again had to write in! In what sense is this an esaver?? Had to insist on speaking to a supervisor who asserted that this is the only way to close the account; drew his attention to NatWest's small print which says the account can only be operated via the internet. Said he would log my complaint and get back to me. When I said I had not heard from previous logged complaint, he promised to "review the tape of my discussion" and phone back. When he did, he claimed that he had listened to the tape and there was no mention on logging a complaint. I pressed him on this and he said that perhaps some of the conversation had not been recorded! How convenient.
I'm still waiting to hear further but what arrant and patronising nonsense. Rhyming slang all too obviously appropriate!:mad::mad::mad::mad::mad: