Basic Bank Accounts

br12i74an

Hi, my partner and I applied for a joint basic account, online, with Nationwide. Today I have received a reply saying we've been turned down for our current account due to credit scoring. I phoned the number provided stating that we applied for a basic account and to my knowledge everyone is entitled to one, even if they have poor credit scoring. I was told that the application was put through as a full Flex Account application, with cheque and debit facility and was turned down, so then downgraded to a cash card application and was still turned down. I stated that I never applied for the flex account and was totally unaware of them putting the application through like this. I also said that to my understanding no one can be turned down for a basic account, unless maybe due to any illegal activity, which certainly isn't the case and was told that they couldn't help me. I even phoned my local branch and was told that even if I applied in branch it would now be turned down by head office automatically and couldn't help me. Does anyone have any advice? Thanks

Fruit_and_Nut_Case

br12i74an wrote: »

Hi, my partner and I applied for a joint basic account, online, with Nationwide. Today I have received a reply saying we've been turned down for our current account due to credit scoring. I phoned the number provided stating that we applied for a basic account and to my knowledge everyone is entitled to one, even if they have poor credit scoring. I was told that the application was put through as a full Flex Account application, with cheque and debit facility and was turned down, so then downgraded to a cash card application and was still turned down. I stated that I never applied for the flex account and was totally unaware of them putting the application through like this. I also said that to my understanding no one can be turned down for a basic account, unless maybe due to any illegal activity, which certainly isn't the case and was told that they couldn't help me. I even phoned my local branch and was told that even if I applied in branch it would now be turned down by head office automatically and couldn't help me. Does anyone have any advice? Thanks

Welcome to MSE :wave:

Co-Op or Barclays seem to be quite flexible.

Oh, and paragraphs are cool.

Archi_Bald

Afraid, a bank, or building society, can turn you down for any of their accounts. May be this article will help: http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/banking/basic-bank-accounts

br12i74an

Hi, yes I've seen this article and it does state that you can't be turned down for a basic account unless you have a conviction for fraud, which we don't.

Thanks

Archi_Bald

Afraid, you are mis-interpreting the article. No company is forced to offer you a basic account. Your only option is to try your luck elsewhere, like Barclays or Coop as has already been suggested. Or try one of the other options in the article.

dr_adidas01

I'm not sure where you have read that any bank has to give you a basic account.

Quite simply they don't have to offer you any sort of account if they don't want to.

Even for basic accounts most banks actually credit score and check your credit file for anything nasty they don't like, if there is something they don't like then they can and do decline you for any sort of bank account.

As others have suggested try Barclays cash account or Co-op cashminder account, these are both basic current accounts, which again you maybe turned down for if there is something nasty and untoward on your credit files.

colsten

OP, have you checked both your, and your partner's, credit files? This might give you a clue as to why they turned you down, and you might even find wrong information on your files.

kpearsoncj

I have a barclays cash card account - i have had this for a few years - i had 3 defualts which are now paid in full and barclays also offer contactless card on there cash card account also.

Nationwide have so many it problems it goes down regular nowadays (i haev just switched away from them too lloyds)

dr_adidas01

kpearsoncj wrote: »

I have a barclays cash card account - i have had this for a few years - i had 3 defualts which are now paid in full and barclays also offer contactless card on there cash card account also.

Nationwide have so many it problems it goes down regular nowadays (i haev just switched away from them too lloyds)

Don't I recall that you left Nationwide to go to RBS who has one of the worse IT systems for malfunctioning out of all the banks and building societies in the UK?

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/66159549#Comment_66159549

Now your saying you didn't and went with Lloyds instead?

kpearsoncj

Hi your right I had two accounts with nationwide. I transferred one to rbs and one to a joint. account with Lloyds with my gf to get the free cinema tickets . I use the club as my main account and use the rbs for work expenses. it's good for me as I use a contact less card. no one else would give me one yet as j had previous defaults due to redundancies

kpearsoncj

I use a few different accounts for benefits etc like cinema tickets and cash back.