Natwest Advantage Gold

Bunnie1982

I feel extremely angry at Natwest at the moment.

We originally had an Advantage Gold Joint Account which we downgraded to an ordinary current account because the charge kept increasing and increasing.

We have had the ordinary current account for over a year now and today we get a pack through the post saying "welcome to advantage gold"

Natwest had signed our account up to Advantage Gold without permission or authorisation from ourselves.

I phoned my branch who downgraded the account again.

The person I spoke to at the branch advised me that sometimes the call centre upgrade accounts to Advantage Gold.

To be honest I am really shocked and it has made me wary of what this ban are actually doing with the account without permissions.

Sorry rant over

Phoenix79_2

I'd write a letter of complaint! Upgrading you to a chargeable account without your authorisation is nigh on fraud! (bit dramatic i know but you get the point)

save-a-lot

Glad you posted, I need to downgrade mine, I have just moved to NatWest a month or so ago. I'll do it tomorrow.

Gordon_the_Moron

Bunnie1982 wrote:

I feel extremely angry at Natwest at the moment.

We originally had an Advantage Gold Joint Account which we downgraded to an ordinary current account because the charge kept increasing and increasing.

We have had the ordinary current account for over a year now and today we get a pack through the post saying "welcome to advantage gold"

Natwest had signed our account up to Advantage Gold without permission or authorisation from ourselves.

I phoned my branch who downgraded the account again.

The person I spoke to at the branch advised me that sometimes the call centre upgrade accounts to Advantage Gold.

To be honest I am really shocked and it has made me wary of what this ban are actually doing with the account without permissions.

Sorry rant over

I work for them and I've never heard of them doing it to anyone else. I would certainly complain, it's unethical and against the banking code (I think) and I'm sure the charges would be unlawful, I certainly couldn't see a court upholding them.

:xmassmile DA MORON :xmassmile

amandathepanda

I agree, as a Nat West employee myself I find this totally unacceptable. I know that all staff are targeted for advantage gold conversions, but this is underhand and dishonest,the staff member concerned should be disciplined for converting an account without the permission of the account holder.

Bunnie1982

I am in the process now of working out a fast way to pay off the overdrafts and move away from Natwest, I just feel harassed by all this.

To add insult to injury someone from Natwest left a message on our answering machine today asking us to call them to discuss having a review on our account, to be honest it is the last thing on my mind this close to Christmas.

GSD4ME

NatWest converted my account to Advantage Gold while I was abroard.

I had been briefly with Advantage Gold before, but cancelled it almost at once as I could see no advantage in it at all for the monthly fee. Then 2 years later they transferred it again. I complained and got the charges back, but it still really got up my nose that they could do this.

Gordon_the_Moron

GSD4ME wrote:

it still really got up my nose that they could do this.

They can't it is unethical and the charges for it would be unlawful. If you hear of it happening to anyone tell them to complain like hell.

:xmassmile DA MORON :xmassmile

gwinnie

I was told I shouldn't downgrade because of my overdraft and they said I'd be worse off.

Gordon_the_Moron

How would you be worse off? The overdraft rate is marginally lower on Advantage Gold and the in credit rate slightly higher.

Do the sums though, how much better off will each of these make you, does it add up to more than the £12 per month fee. Also consider the fact Nationwide and A&L current accounts pay more in credit and charge less overdrawn than Advantage Gold and they are free.

:xmassmile DA MORON :xmassmile
The Honest Natwest Cashier

natweststaffmember

Just to add to Gordon, if you change it back within the first 90 days you should automatically get any of the charges back.
Be aware the T&C's are changing on that point as of February 2007 so that if you have used any of the benefits within the 90 days nothing will be refunded.
At the moment though my first statement is true