NatWest £125 switch incentive

robrymond

I've signed up for this and put all my account switching info in and it said it had processed and if I wanted any loans etc and I said no and the windows said 'Close to complete' but I've had no confirmation emails about anything.

Is there usually a wait?

badger09

xylophone wrote: »

Perhaps you know for certain when you receive the debit card intended for the called and the chosen....:D

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php?t=4005923&page=2

I don't care how pretty a debit card looks. I'd much rather have an ugly card & £125:D

EachPenny wrote: »

Me for one

I got conflicting stories - either I clicked on a "magic button" which was for the 'Private' version (no, I couldn't find it either), or alternatively the computer 'upgraded' the application based on the information provided by the customer. Apparently 'Private' is offered to some customers who are deemed worthy of the extra benefits (I'm not really though ).

Nice, we'll upgrade you to an account with additional benefits, but exclude you from the free £125

Ooooh hidden magic buttons in an application process and upgrades not requested but which cost money. I scent a complaint. Cue Mchambers :rotfl:

EachPenny

badger09 wrote: »

Ooooh hidden magic buttons in an application process and upgrades not requested but which cost money. I scent a complaint. Cue Mchambers

I'm not so sure, this one involves a real adverse impact (a second hard search on file)

Perhaps that is one of the benefits of being upgraded, you get £125 plus compensation. :T

I just hope everyone else is checking their paperwork carefully.... this could turn into another one of those cases where a lack of attention to detail could be costly.

charlieboycat

Seems unlikely that NatWest would deliberately wish to annoy high income/high net worth new applicants (or seriously disgruntle existing Private customers) by excluding them from the switch bonus. A post in the thread referenced above (about the debit card) indicates that the difference between Select and Select Private lies in the "account type code". If their system isn't already set to apply the bonus to both account type codes then it ought to be simple enough for them to include the additional account type.

Or maybe, as soon as one's unwelcome Select Private account has been opened, request that it be downgraded to non-Private by having its account type code changed? If this is done before the switch is completed then it seems to me the conditions would be met (albeit as an existing customer).

If neither solution works then a complaint would be more than justified.

charlieboycat

EachPenny - When they suggested you make a new application did they say how you could be sure you wouldn't once again get an unrequested and unwanted 'upgrade' to Private?

EachPenny

charlieboycat wrote: »

EachPenny - When they suggested you make a new application did they say how you could be sure you wouldn't once again get an unrequested and unwanted 'upgrade' to Private?

I'm waiting for a call back to tell me what to do next. The initial advice was to apply by phone... until I pointed out that phone applications don't meet the 'apply online' criteria for the offer :wall:

As for the downgrading suggestion in your previous post, that would work in theory, but in my case at least the application would have failed before the account was fully opened because I don't actually meet the eligibility requirement for the private account.

SuperHan

I've scrolled a few pages back and not seen anything, but have any of the existing customer switches received any communications yet?


I've had radio silence, and I'm half tempted to try doing the switch again while the offer is still around!

charlieboycat

EachPenny wrote: »

As for the downgrading suggestion in your previous post, that would work in theory, but in my case at least the application would have failed before the account was fully opened because I don't actually meet the eligibility requirement for the private account.

Thanks. In my case wife and I are still awaiting some sort of communication from NatWest (see my post 230 on page 12). I'm concerned because our existing joint account is a Reward Private. Based on the income criteria for Premier status our new applications wouldn't qualify for Private - but if that's the requirement and you don't meet it why did they 'upgrade' your application? My concern now is that as existing Private customers we might get the same unwanted 'upgrade' despite not meeting Premier status income requirements.

Guess I will just have to wait for their email/snailmail to resolve both this and my earlier post #230.

keiran

Is all this really worth it for £125..?

I can assure that I only clicked on the "Select" button when making my application - there's no button for "Select Private". I've spent a couple of hours talking to Nat West operators who know less than forumites about the issues.

They've now cancelled the Private application and say they'll remove the search (takes 3 weeks). I can apply again for the Select account, and hope that the extra search won't work against me.

Of course a stiff complaint will ensue, but this is even more work for me to do - and even though I'm a successful complainer I hate very second of it

harz99

Phew, just checked my paperwork as this Private bit was niggling me, thankfully no mention and just says Select.


I seem to recall there were two buttons to press during the application, one for select and another for select private. Easy to hit the wrong one maybe...