anyone know how good natwest are?

Kilty_2

Part of the RBS group.

Enough said :eek: .

Gordon_the_Moron

I used to bank with them, then I moved to A&L and opened a Nationwide account just for use abroad (flexaccount for cash and credit card for 0% offer and use abroad for purchases)

Natwest had the best customer service and the least favourable rates in my experience... I wouldn't recommend them as a savings account provider as there are much better out there (you can get better rates in a current account elsewhere!) for a current account if you have a high positive or any negative balance regularly don't. If you have a low positive balance normally they are fine as it won't make much difference where you go to your money.

-*- NOTE -*-
I do work for Natwest but I moved away from them as a bank before I started working for them. All I gave is my honest advice as I always do.

Da Moron

amandathepanda

As another Natwest employee, I would agree with VirginMoneysaver by saying that we are very highly thought of in our branch, we get sweets, biscuits etc EVERY week from our customers because, I believe, that we give excellent customer service. Of course we get queues, and complaints, all banks do.
I would say that I think that our products are much the same, and priced similarly as any of the main high street banks.
Natwest have no overseas call centres, you can get through directly to your own branch(if there are enough staff in the branch to be free to answer the phone that day). I must say that I think the online banking is really good.
As mentioned in a previous post all you can do is try it and if you don't like it go elsewhere. Watch out for having your account with a building society though as they do not always offer a full counter service and you may not be able to pay bills over the counter, and you will be charged to pay them elsewhere.
As for working for them, targets, targets,targets, I want another job!!

Gordon_the_Moron

Hmmm....

Natwest current account 0.1%
Nationwide current account up to 4.25%
A&L 6.1%
Halifax 6.2%
HSBC 6% (with a fee that the interest could offset, then similar benefits to advantage gold effectively free)
Natwest current account 0.1%

The rates are similar?

Similar to Barclays maybe but that is about it, all of those are banks not building societies (except Nationwide) and high street ones too.

As for savings accounts, that is not something where you need to pay bills over the counter so go for the best rates.

Just being honest, the customer service is excellent.

Da Moron

regularsaver1

Yeah their rates are not great

Phoenix79_2

if we're talking about current accounts then I've got nothing but praise for them. Helpful staff, UK based customer service, good presence on the high street (important for me) and a regular line into my account manager.

I've had accounts at all of the 'big 4' and the others fall some way behind Natwest. Perhaps we all look for different things in a bank....i'm willing to sacrifice interest rates for a uk based customer service. I never have enough money in my current account long enough to be bothered by rates anyway! Thats what savings accounts are for surely?!

Gordon_the_Moron

Yes indeed like I stated the current account is good if you want excellent customer service and are not too bothered about rates, I would recommend Natwest over Barclays, LloydsTSB and Abbey from experience of their uselessness (only my experience don't jump on me if you are employed by them or are a happy customer, especially Abbey I only have experience of their credit card services, read on for what I think about Natwest's)

Don't pick it though if you tend to be overdrawn or have large positive balances (the rates are worth bothering about then)

The savings accounts are poor and I would recommend you go elsewhere, apart from the 9 months 0% the credit card is a pretty pap too and card services are useless tw*ts (insert vowel of your choice) why it takes 4 working days for cash paid into a branch to go into a credit card account is quite beyond me (yes it does probably take that long to actually reach card services but they should backdate it to the time of deposit)

NEVER EVER EVER EVER PAY FOR ADVANTAGE GOLD
The only decent use for it is the 3 month free trial they offer, take it out before you go on holiday and it gives you free travel insurance but remember to cancel it afterwards.

Da Moron

japitts

As someone else has already mentioned, there'll always be someone with good and bad experiences, but...

If NatWest did half the stuff their adverts ("There is another way, direct line to your branch, 24 hour service etc") say they did, they'd be doing very well.

As is, myself and my wife both had fallouts with them over entirely unrelated matters and I got fed up with my "direct line to my branch" being closed after 5pm and at weekends.

We're now with First Direct, who I have nothing bad to say against. When they say they're open for business at 3am on a Sunday, they mean it... Oh yes, and when they say they'll do something, they actually do.

Sorry, rant over. Seriously though, NW do seem to have more than their fair share of complaints.

Mark7799

Gordon_the_Moron wrote:

The only decent use for it is the 3 month free trial they offer, take it out before you go on holiday and it gives you free travel insurance but remember to cancel it afterwards.

Da Moron

I would disagree that it is good. Last time I looked there were so many restrictions and loopholes I felt safer buying another policy.

Mark7799

japitts wrote:

As is, myself and my wife both had fallouts with them over entirely unrelated matters and I got fed up with my "direct line to my branch" being closed after 5pm and at weekends.

Do you really expect the branches to be open after 5pm and at weekends to answer calls at those times?