UK Insurance (NatWest) travel insurance - lying

dazzalondon

NatWest Silver bank account – Life threatening poor service when needing to invoke travel insurance AND poor value for money.

LIFE THREATENING POOR SERVICE WHEN INVOKING TRAVEL INSURANCE

- When looking at flight repatriation when in Spain, UKI lied and said a flight I needed to be on (to travel with my companions as I was in a plaster cast) was fully booked. Yet looking on Easyjet website there were plenty of available seats. This meant I travelled from Spain alone in a plaster cast and wheelchair. It also means they lied.
- If UKI had provide nurse access to me as they had promised to do so then they would have identified the Spanish hospital mis-diagnosed me and would have (hopefully) arrange my immediate repatriation. I only discovered the seriousness of my injuries when immediately going to A&E after landing at Gatwick airport (1 week after the injury). As it pans out because of the delay and having 2 operations that week I was just one day away from not having treatment of sustaining more serious long-term issues.
- No advice when anticoagulants should be taken before the flight. After calling UKI multiple times to chase for an answer in Spain my last call to UKI 1hr before flight instructed me to self-inject (which I did so at the airport 45mins before flight).
- About 2 months later when submitting the travel claims as well highlighting their poor service, UKI promised not to deduct the excess amounts. But they did.
- Compensation offered by UKI for their poor service (in which they simply said ‘they could have done better’) – of £350 - less than the travel claims I had legitimately made. So, out of pocket.
- Did you know when sharing a villa with friends, only the deposit you are legally entitled to pay is covered in the travel insurance. So, if an emergency happens you have to pay for the share even though you’ve not taking the holiday, or your friends pay your share for you. UKI doesn’t cover it. Disgusting.

POOR VALUE FOR MONEY
- The £ 120 silver bank fee you’re paying is more than the cost of the services included in the Silver account (predominantly EU travel insurance, mobile phone cover) – so what’s the point. You are adding to NatWest’s profits so visibly.
- NatWest increased the claim excess from £50 to £75. And since doing this June 2015, completing a Google search you find the old terms still available on NatWest to this day (almost 1 year later). For a financial institution, you’d expect tight processes so out of date documents like this are not blatantly mis-leading existing customers (used for claims reference) and prospective customers (when reviewing insurance VFM).

I escalated my complaint to Financial Ombudsman Service. In doing so I’ve learnt they have no powers to change any of UKI’s practices, even with their lying regarding flight repatriation. FoB has offered ZERO help and seem afraid of ruffling NatWest. Disgusting when you think you have a cushion to raise complaints to. But, don’t waste your time.

POOR COMPLAINTS TEAM
Not being happy with compensation, I escalated the complaint to RBS (parent company). After a phone call starting calmly and with me humorous the Customer Care Team operator talked over me throughout. My dis-trust of NatWest/UKI/RBS was growing and I mentioned moving banks as a result of the poor service. The customer care operator said how hard and inconvenient moving banks is (with all the direct debits etc). Little did she know (thanks to MSE) I was already aware of the “Current Account Switch Service” where banks promise to re-direct payments for 13 months after switching. I told her this. She didn’t say anything. Disgusting attitude. In calls like this I always wonder if an organisation (like NatWest) has this approach to me, what are they like to OAPs?

I WILL NOW NEVER BANK WITH NATWEST AGAIN
I’m currently waiting to hear back from RBS on who dealt with me during the time I required emergency assistance when I was in Spain (because the poor service mostly falls on them). I shall not be dealing with this company ever again - how can someone trust a firm when they care so little in your care when having to invoke emergency travel insurance?

I’m currently closing my account with NatWest– to whom I have banked with for 25 years – and I’m moving banks. I’ll be taking my impressive credit rating elsewhere.

jonesMUFCforever

I thought that was the reason the bank shares went down today.

If you really think that you have been hard done by sue them.

magpiecottage

If you are unhappy about the way you have been treated, you should complain to the insurer (details of how to do it will be on the policy document).