**SO** mad at NatWest Bank

Hootie19

My daughter is 19.
A student.
No income.
No EMA.
No pocket money even (after a "talking to" from those on the DFW board, we stopped giving her pocket money!)
She opened a NatWest current account two years ago when she *was* eligible for EMA.

She went into the branch today to pay a birthday cheque into the account and was invited for an account review.

They have pressurised her into upgrading her account to one which attracts a £12 a month fee and have told her that she NEEDS a credit card.

Fortunately, she resisted (I am pleasantly surprised, as if anyone had asked me, I'd have said she'd have accepted), but just HOW irresponsible are NatWest being here.

Trying to foist a credit card on someone with absolutely no means with which to repay AND trying to upgrade to an account which would immediately put her into debt when the first monthly fee was debited.

I am absolutely livid with them. Is there any point in complaining about this, do you think, and if so, to whom should the complaint be directed?

amfiroda

Dont know about the legality of what they did but morally it is completely wrong. i would write a very strongly worded letter to the manager, naming if possible the person that interviewed your daughter. Also send a copy to head office. you might get the brush off but I think its more likely you should get at the very least an apology.
Oh, and well done your daughter, I think at 19 I would have took the credit card!

jonesMUFCforever

You will not like this but your daughter is an adult. Good for her that she did not take up the offer of a credit card but they will not listen to your complaint.
You say that your daughter is a student - does she have a student account?

Mikeyorks

Hootie19 wrote:

, to whom should the complaint be directed?

Your daughter ... whilst you're standing in the Branch with her, waiting to see the Manager! They won't talk to you, unless she gives her face to face consent so .. embarassing for her or not .. do it. £144 pa fees for nothing that will help her .. is pushing their luck.

Been through it all with my son - so have total empathy. He was warned that if I even smell a CC on him, he's disinherited. Unfortunately I forgot 'overdraft' - and have just had to pay that off at £1400. He's having to move flats (London) this week and I'm literally waiting to ring him to see (landlady inspection tonight) if he's getting any of the deposit back (the 2nd one I've paid - and probably lost). So I've resigned myself to giving him a further £850 this weekend as a further deposit / month's rent .... and so it goes on. And he left Uni in Sept and is working (ish)

All this knowledge / information at their fingertips these days .... and they're total dipsticks when it comes to money. So do not need help from the alleged professionals to part with their money.

Go for it - the jugular is just down the side of the neck. Even on Bankers.:rolleyes:

Mikeyorks

Mikeyorks wrote:

Even on Bankers.:rolleyes:

Sorry ejones999 .... didn't see your contribution until I hit the post button!:o

skintscotsman

Hootie19 wrote:

My daughter is 19.
A student.
No income.
No EMA.
No pocket money even (after a "talking to" from those on the DFW board, we stopped giving her pocket money!)
She opened a NatWest current account two years ago when she *was* eligible for EMA.

She went into the branch today to pay a birthday cheque into the account and was invited for an account review.

They have pressurised her into upgrading her account to one which attracts a £12 a month fee and have told her that she NEEDS a credit card.

Fortunately, she resisted (I am pleasantly surprised, as if anyone had asked me, I'd have said she'd have accepted), but just HOW irresponsible are NatWest being here.

Trying to foist a credit card on someone with absolutely no means with which to repay AND trying to upgrade to an account which would immediately put her into debt when the first monthly fee was debited.

I am absolutely livid with them. Is there any point in complaining about this, do you think, and if so, to whom should the complaint be directed?

at 19 your daughter's finances should be no concern of yours.

Kilty_2

It surprises me that she would pass the credit check for a credit card though.

Another example of totally irresponsible lending that is a major factor in the rising debt levels in this country...

Hootie19

amfiroda wrote:

Dont know about the legality of what they did but morally it is completely wrong. i would write a very strongly worded letter to the manager, naming if possible the person that interviewed your daughter. Also send a copy to head office. you might get the brush off but I think its more likely you should get at the very least an apology.
Oh, and well done your daughter, I think at 19 I would have took the credit card!

Thank you - I should have worded my OP differently. I personally think a complaint should be made, but by my daughter, rather than me, although I think I will write and voice my concerns, as it really horrified me that they would try and push a credit card onto someone with no income.

Hootie19

ejones999 wrote:

You will not like this but your daughter is an adult. Good for her that she did not take up the offer of a credit card but they will not listen to your complaint.
You say that your daughter is a student - does she have a student account?

You are of course correct. She is an adult, and as I said above, I should have worded my OP differently. I personally do think a complaint should be made - it *is* irresponsible of a bank to encourage someone with no income to take a credit card - but the complaint should come from my daughter, with perhaps a general complaint from me.

No,she doesn't have a student account. Apparently when she first went in to open the account, she was told that a current account would be better for her.

Hootie19

Mikeyorks wrote:

Your daughter ... whilst you're standing in the Branch with her, waiting to see the Manager! They won't talk to you, unless she gives her face to face consent so .. embarassing for her or not .. do it. £144 pa fees for nothing that will help her .. is pushing their luck.

Been through it all with my son - so have total empathy. He was warned that if I even smell a CC on him, he's disinherited. Unfortunately I forgot 'overdraft' - and have just had to pay that off at £1400. He's having to move flats (London) this week and I'm literally waiting to ring him to see (landlady inspection tonight) if he's getting any of the deposit back (the 2nd one I've paid - and probably lost). So I've resigned myself to giving him a further £850 this weekend as a further deposit / month's rent .... and so it goes on. And he left Uni in Sept and is working (ish)

All this knowledge / information at their fingertips these days .... and they're total dipsticks when it comes to money. So do not need help from the alleged professionals to part with their money.

Go for it - the jugular is just down the side of the neck. Even on Bankers.:rolleyes:

Oh my - you have been more than patient with your son! The things we'll do for our kids, eh?

I will encourage her to make a complaint, and I think I will also make a more general complaint myself at the same time. It probably won't do any good, but at least I will feel I have tried to do *something*.

Hootie19

skintscotsman wrote:

at 19 your daughter's finances should be no concern of yours.

My daughter will be my concern until the day I die! I would consider myself to be a pretty poor parent if I didn't voice my concerns, and stood back and let her go ahead and make financial mistakes without advising and guiding her (I have made more than enough financial mistakes of my own - I certainly don't want her to be going down the same path).

I think NatWest have been *extremely* irresponsible in trying to persuade her that she *NEEDS* a credit card, to start to build up a credit rating when they know she has no income.

But thank you for your comment, all the same.