Packaged Account fiasco!

CallyRM

Hi,

Just looking for some advice on an ongoing issue with Natwest!

I worked for natwest for 3 year, when I joined I was told I had to have a natwest a/c for my wages to be paid in, the accounts offered were all paid packaged accounts but that didn't bother me as their select silver had Hmv downloads as part of the package and I thought, that's something I'd actually use.
Opened the a/c and as I was an employee I got it for half price each month which was £4.

Some time later they changed the a/c and removed the HMV downloads as one of the benefits, I had a letter advising and so requested the a/c be downgraded as I no longer wanted it without the downloads. The a/c appeared on my banking app as 'Current Account' and there is no longer £4 a month going out of the a/c, job done right?

2 years later I leave employment with them, up until this point I've only used the a/c to have my wages paid in, I would move the wages across to barclays whom I've banked with for 11 years now and paid £10 a month for, doing nothing else with the natwest a/c. No direct debit on it, no valid card, not even a valid address (I did request to change the address when I moved but evidently this wasn't done).

When I left employment I asked to close my a/c, I was told I can't, they still have residue payments to send me, just little amounts like holiday entitlement etc. So I left in August 2015, in July 2016 I start getting calls from debt recovery. My account which last had a balance of £0 is now over £300 overdrawn! I call them back to find out how this could happen as I don't use the a/c. Turns out in February 2016 they turnt the a/c into a £14 a month a/c! They started charging the a/c which is very obviously dormant and then applying their un arranged overdraft fee on top each month.

I put a complaint in as soon as I found out and didn't hear anything back, I waited the 48 days they have to respond and then submitted another complaint.

I received a letter 2 days ago stating that as my address doesn't match what they hold on record I will need to go collect the outcome letter from a branch. My mum goes and collects for me as I'm working and the response?

We already sent you a letter in September detailing our outcome, sorry if you don't agree with it.
Nothing else, no copy of the letter or what was written in this mystery letter which I assume should be a breakdown of why they think I owe them (what's now) over £500?

Now I know natwest are terrible, I worked there long enough to see some truly horrific things but I just wanted someone outside of it all to weigh in on it. I know I should of made more of an effort to change the address and then maybe I would of received something to tip me off that all was not well but I truly believed they'd done what I asked, why else would the a/c go from £4 to nothing and then stay that way for 2 years? And why would they wait 6 months (I left employment August 2015) before turning the a/c into a paid a/c?

Thanks for reading and hope this makes sense!

agrinnall

Seems to me like a big factor in this is three things you failed to do: close the account, monitor it while it was open, and change your address. So a large part of the blame lies with your inaction. As you worked for NatWest you should well aware that your next step is to go to the FOS, who may uphold part of your complaint (the conversion of the account to a paid for one).

JuicyJesus

agrinnall wrote: »

Seems to me like a big factor in this is three things you failed to do: close the account, monitor it while it was open, and change your address. So a large part of the blame lies with your inaction. As you worked for NatWest you should well aware that your next step is to go to the FOS, who may uphold part of your complaint (the conversion of the account to a paid for one).

Only presenting paid-for accounts as options is also a bit of an issue (if it happened as the OP said). Bank staff are entitled to be treated fairly also.

Agreed on the rest though - although I'd place more stock on the account suddenly being converted, as that's a big no-no and certainly not TCF. I'd say 75% NatWest, 25% OP.

jonesMUFCforever

I will say that if the story is true as written then the OP will win 100% if they take the complaint to the ombudsman.

Packaged accounts have to be signed for these days not 'reversed instructed' ie they cannot say it will be this unless we hear from you by a certain date.
The account has to be specifically asked/signed for.

jimjames

CallyRM wrote: »

When I left employment I asked to close my a/c, I was told I can't, they still have residue payments to send me, just little amounts like holiday entitlement etc.

If you worked for a bank had you not heard about the switch service CASS? Payments get redirected so it's irrelevant if your original account existed or not

agrinnall

JuicyJesus wrote: »

Only presenting paid-for accounts as options is also a bit of an issue (if it happened as the OP said). Bank staff are entitled to be treated fairly also.

Agreed on the rest though - although I'd place more stock on the account suddenly being converted, as that's a big no-no and certainly not TCF. I'd say 75% NatWest, 25% OP.

When I worked for RBSG the offer to staff was a packaged account (Royalties Gold in my case) for no cost, so it was a no brainer to have it. However, I left in 2008 and I'm guessing that the OP worked for NatWest more recently than that so the policy for staff accounts may well have changed in that time.

agrinnall

jimjames wrote: »

If you worked for a bank had you not heard about the switch service CASS? Payments get redirected so it's irrelevant if your original account existed or not

Well, that depends on when the OP left the bank, it could have been before the introduction of CASS.

bigadaj

agrinnall wrote: »

When I worked for RBSG the offer to staff was a packaged account (Royalties Gold in my case) for no cost, so it was a no brainer to have it. However, I left in 2008 and I'm guessing that the OP worked for NatWest more recently than that so the policy for staff accounts may well have changed in that time.

Good timing?