**SO** mad at NatWest Bank

Hootie19

Kilty wrote:

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...

Actually, she probably wouldn't pass the credit check. I just can't believe that NatWest would even suggest a credit card as a *necessity* to someone with no income.

tom188

If your daughter has a complaint she should make it herself. The bank will take no notice of you. It is her account, not yours.

I have done the student thing and found a credit card invaluable in planning my incomings and outgoings, and by rigidly making repayments on time I have developed a decent credit rating that will stand me in good stead all the same.

If she is a student, the student credit card is marketed to all students and does not require any income.

Hootie19

tom188 wrote:

If she is a student, the student credit card is marketed to all students and does not require any income.

But how on earth is she meant to make repayments? I just don't understand the logic behind this on the bank's part.

I know the complaint would have to come from her, I should have made it clearer in my OP that I wondered if she should make the complaint, not me.

tom188

They can be a useful way of budgeting.

Repayments can be made from the student loan or the card can be used way of deferring end of term expenses until the first paycheck of the holiday job arrives.

And the simple fact of the matter is that most students need them once they max out their overdraft and spend their student loan. When I was at university my loan did not even cover my accomodation and I had no option but to source other sorts of lending. The sad factor is that the majority of students will be unable to repay much more than the minimum until after they graduate and get their first job, and it takes discipline even then to do this at what can be a difficult time.

Kaminari_2

Congratulations to yor daughter for turning it all down.

thesaint

I agree that you should be looking out for your daughters interests. My mum and dad look after mine, and long may it continue.

I think that your outrage in the first post has been taken as a bit OTT in my opinion.

You say that your 19 year old daughter has no income, what do you mean by this?

Surely at 19 she spends money, if so she has an income. Doesn't she purchase CD''s, make up etc. A credit card with a manageable limit(£500) could be something that you can discuss with her and help her to use correctly.
In 5 years time she may be on this board posting that she has no credit history(My mum never let me have a cc) and have no choice but to contact the sharks that are out there.

In this modern world it is getting increasingly difficult to do everyday things without one. It costs nothing, and can actually pay.

amandathepanda

Unfortunately it is the age that we live in, that branch staff have such unrealistic sales targets to achieve. If they don't reach these targets they can be "let go" on the grounds that they are under performing.
The computer systems must have recommended one otherwise she wouldn't have been offered one, well done to her for not taking it up.
PLEASE complain it is the only way that the powers that be in NatWest will realise how desperate branch staff are to try and get anywhere near their targets.
I am a fantastic cashier, who doesn't have till errors, and is lovely to the customers, but I face being "let go" for disagreeing with the underhand tactics we are expected to use. If a think a product is suitable for a customer for example someone with a few thousand pounds just sitting on a current account, I would advise them to get a cash isa. But as for giving a credit card to a 19 year old with no income, things are going too far.

ohmsoft

Does seem like you have grounds for complaint on the basis of a mis-sale although I wonder whether any actual loss has been incurred (so you may expect an apology/explination rather than redress) - without seing the firms reasons for recomendations it's hard to tell - perhaps the £12 pm saves in other areas? (unlikely, I know).

Worth pointing out the FSA's definition of a complaint is as follows.

(1) handling any expression of dissatisfaction, whether oral or written, and whether justified or not, from or on behalf of an eligible complainant about a provision of, or failure to provide, a financial service....{http://fsahandbook.info/FSA/html/handbook/DISP/1/2}

On this basis you are perfectly entititled to raise a formal complaint on behalf of someone else (although you would require their written authority should you want the response to go to you).

As stated above i think they do need to be made aware

tom188

To me there I dont really think grounds of complaint because

(A) They were offering an account which to some people would be advantageous.
(B) They were offering a credit card aimed at students to a student.

In the latter case if the OPs daughter was not considered sufficiently credit worthy her application would have been rejected by card services anyway. She was not offered automatic acceptance.

The question becomes at what stage does promoting products of interest become unauthorised pressure selling? How much were the people in branch aware of the daughters situation and did she make them aware of her situation?

daphne_descends

The bank won't 'discuss' your daughters account with you but that doesn't mean you shouldn't let them know what you think. It's exactly this kind of irresponsible lending that has led to many people logging onto this site in the first place. Good for your daughter for saying no - at 19 I would've found that very difficult to do.