NatWest Fixed Rate ISA.s- Nice try!

MrAnalogy

I have opened a 3-year Fixed rate ISA with them (start date 04/04) being funded by a transfer in from a 30 day notice ISA with another provider.

On the NatWest website ("How long will it take?") it states that the source provider for the transfer-in has 5 working days or the notice period (30 days in my case) to process the transfer.

The ISA Transfer request has been acknowledged by the source as being received on the 24th Feb, funds available for transfer on the 24th March - plus 5 working days from that time.

I assumed that the Natwest information was correct, and that the tranferring-in funds would be available by the dead-line (29th March?), but now I am less confident.

I contacted NatWest and their representative stated that there now was a legal obligation on the source provider to adhere to these time scales. However, I could find nothing in my 'net searches to confirm this (maybe just "best practise"?).

Not sure where this leaves me, what the rules are, or what happens if my transfer-in misses the deadline.

All in all a little unhappy with the whole situation. Maybe all will be well and the funds arrive in time, but dreading having to deal with the situation if they do not.

Does anybody actually know the rules these days (post-2010) regarding transfer times please?

p.s. I was not trying to be too clever by delaying my application to minimise the low interim rates before 4th April - I genuinely did not come across the offering until well-gone mid-february!