NatWest Incompetence - do I pursue?

kitkatoo

I am in a situation of stalemate with the NatWest, which I would now like to resolve, but am not sure about the best way of doing so.

Since 2004 I have had problems with the NatWest and feeling quite helpless, since 2007, abandoned all activity on my current account, leaving it overdrawn and slowly accrue interest and charges. If I had been in a situation then or now to just pay it off and have done with it I would do so, but unfortunately not.

It all began when my bank statements inexplicably stopped arriving in the post in December 2004. Following this, I received a phone-call from a NatWest employee, threatening me with a bad credit score if I didn’t credit my account, which had been near its overdraft limit for some time by then. This was an unfortunate conversation: she seemed unable to take on board my point that as I had mysteriously not received any statements for many months, I felt powerless to keep tabs on my account; I felt threatened, and with a one month-old baby to look after, I ended up losing control on the phone at her obtuse and beligerent manner, and she eventually hung up on me. Subsequently I was given the bad credit score as predicted.

I then found out that my statements had been piling up in my local NatWest branch in Cambridge (why didn’t a member of staff phone me?). The explanation given was that one statement had been returned by a Postman (who had not understood a perfectly valid address) and consequently all statements since then had not been delivered. To resolve this, I eventually had to fill in a new ‘change of address’ form (indicating exactly the same address) in order to begin receiving my statements again.

Then I moved house and changed my address. All was well for a while, until again, my current account statements began to not be delivered. When I checked with the NatWest as to why, it transpired that the house name (we have a name not a number) had disappeared from the top line of my address on their database. Having identified the problem with them, I was assured it would be fixed - but no. No amount of visits to the NatWest to ask them to insert my house name on the top line of my address has resolved the issue. I would have to 'proove' my address by taking in a bill etc, in effect filling in a change of address form. This seems to me extraordinary, when all my statements for my NatWest Visa account, delivered to exactly the same address, bear the correct address and arrive perfectly promptly. So for the past 4 years or so, most current account statements don’t get delivered - except a very few, on a very random basis where the postman writes on a suggested house name. It may sound ridiculous but on principle I just refused to do this for a second time because of their incompetence.

Another frustration is the inability of NatWest to register me under my married name. I have been married for 7 years now, and have been to a NatWest branch 3 times with my marriage certificate to change my name, but, for no apparent reason, it never happens.

Next, I made two attempts in person, in a NatWest branch, to cancel my ‘current plus’ account with all its cost-saving features which come at a price, and revert back to the simple (cost free) current account. Months after my attempts to get this done, I find out that it was never put into effect, and I had continued to be billed for the privilege of the 'current plus' account.That issue was then resloved but I still paid the extra months.

Finally, I held a business account with NatWest for some years in the past decade. Again, I feel I was met with huge incompetence on the part of the staff in one Cambridge branch. NatWest mistakenly credited my current account with money sent from abroad, clearly and correctly destined for my business account. Consequently, four cheques from my business account bounced, since the funds which were meant to have been there had been mistakenly deposited elsewhere. I was charged a £35 fee for each of these bounced cheques, totalling £140. When I complained, ‘as a gesture of goodwill’ I was offered a refund of just £35. I had to drive from Cambridge to Colchester to meet a business person to get the situation resolved and fully reimbursed. Needless to say I did not find much there in the way of 'goodwill'. In a second Cambridge branch, I requested a transfer of £500 from my current to my business account to cover the shortfall that had been created by this error. I later found that £500 had instead been credited to my business Credit Card … When the business account became liable for a yearly fee and charges, I decided to close it and was told I had to write a letter in order to do so. I did as I was told but the account was not closed for moths afterwards ... the letter had never arrived. When I phoned to enquire and I was told, 'to try and find your letter would be like finding a needle in a haystack'.

I know I need to face up to this situation and contact the bank and arrange some kind of repayment plan (the debt is now about £2,700), before then closing the account completely.Can I ask for refunds of bank charges and interest, or at least for some sort of compensation for all the frustration I have endured through being treated with such seeming incompetence for these past years. Can I appeal on the grounds that for a major part of the last seven years I have been on maternity leave and tax credits. Do I have a leg to stand on, with no proof as such, no names or dates as evidence?

Thank you for 'listening'. Any advice as to where to start would be greatly appreciated!

chambta

The Natwest current account you mention doesn't carry any monthly fees. Are you referring to Advantage Gold?

kitkatoo

Yes you are right, it was the advantage gold account - thanks

jambosans

The best you can do is explain your financial situation, and arrange a repayment plan which you can afford.

As for charges, compensation, I would forget about it. Understandably NatWest will question the relevance of issues you could have complained at the time. Any subsequent cost/ compensation would have been given when the complaint was resolved.

You can't come along years later with a list of problems and say "I've not had statements in fours years" or something to that effect, ergo, I want compensation.

PNPSUKNET

amazing, never had a natwest statment go missing. this seems like something is missing to me

Twister84

kitkatoo wrote: »

.

Finally, I held a business account with NatWest for some years in the past decade. Again, I feel I was met with huge incompetence on the part of the staff in one Cambridge branch. NatWest mistakenly credited my current account with money sent from abroad, clearly and correctly destined for my business account.

They can't credit your account with funds from an International Transfer. This would have been done when you gave your details to the international party - they would have sent the payment according to your instructions.

kitkatoo

Well they did! The organisation in Amsterdam for whom I was working didn't have my current account details only my business account number, but neverthless the money went into my current account !!! I eventually made appointment with a business advisor to get someone with more authority than a cashier to listen to me and had to drive from Cambridge to Colchester NatWest Business park to do so. They admited liability in the end on that one an repaid me the fives times 35 pounds or what ever it was ...

kitkatoo

You can't come along years later with a list of problems and say "I've not had statements in fours years" or something to that effect, ergo, I want compensation.[/QUOTE]

Point taken, but does the same therefore not apply to those who are reclaiming bank charges? Were those charges not paid at the time and and then the person decides to claim them back several years later saying the charges weren't lawful/legal/fair etc? I ask because I don't know the answer as I am new to all of this and only just beginning to be able to face up to my own financial mess ...

Delree

How does a bank take it upon themselves to divert funds from abroad into another account held by that individual? There must be a part of the story missing here as banks handle thousands of these transfers per day and if they went around screwing with all of them nothing would get done. I have conducted many international transfers (and I am multiple account holder) and cannot physically see how they can get it wrong unless the person sending the funds does.

stclair

The best way forward would be to start the complaints procedure.

https://www.natwest.com/secure/global/contact_us/complaints_procedure.htm

Personally if this fell on my desk Id be like what the hell its from 2004, why havent you raised the issue earlier then tell you to sling it in so many words.

meer53

I dont think you'd get very far with Natwest with your story, if you weren't receiving statements it's up to you to ask them why pretty quickly, not leave it until you can find the time. You should send them a copy of what you've posted here so that they can look into what you are claiming and then if you're not happy with their response then you can take it further. To be honest, i feel you've let this go on for too long without doing anything about it, the bank will feel the same way, you have to help yourself, having children and claiming Tax Credits wouldn't be accepted as an excuse, millions of us are in the same boat. Your finances are THE most inportant thing to keep on top of, even if you don't want to.