Switched to RBS Rewards - did not get £175 cashback incentive

Arfa__

I recently switched to the RBS Rewards account, to earn cashback on direct debits etc. The Switch promotion came with an incentive for £175 cashback - £125 paid out earlier, £50 later after 6 months.

However, I have just discovered I did not receive this cashback due to some less than obvious date cut off on their T&C's. One condition is that one must pay £1.5k into the account each month, to get the cashback and earn rewards.

Got welcome email from RBS on the 11/07/19, my direct debits were all switched on 18/07/19, with first transaction out on the 19/07/19. I made some payments into the account to cover the bills coming out at the tail end of July. I then paid a larger sum on the 08/08/19, coinciding with my payday, to cover all bills for following month.

RBS have just informed me that because I didn't transfer > £1.5k before the 02/08/19 I did not meet the T&C's and thus was no eligible for the £175 switching cashback. The initial sums transferred in July were below £1.5k. The sum transferred on 08/09/19 was greater than £1.5k. So technically, I did transfer > £1.5k within 1 month of account opening, just not within the given date cut off they apparently stipulated.

I don't recall any details of this date cut off, I can't find any mention of it in any email correspondence I received. Apparently it was in the T&C's on the website when I signed up, can't say I recall all the details in those, and the offer since changed on their website. In fact I'm struggling to find any mention of the cashback promise at all!

So, bit of a rant I'm afraid. Much I can do here? Worth going through their complaints procedure? Anyone else been caught out? If you're switching to RBS now, be warned!

castle96

T&Cs = T&C I'm afraid

Willing2Learn

Sorry Arfa__,

I don't think you stand much of a chance of getting RBS to pay the switch incentive. If I recall correctly, the cut off date was clearly stated in the t&c's of the incentive...

PRAISETHESUN

I had a similar experience with Halifax and their recent switch incentive - I paid in the required amount every month, but their T&Cs stated that payment needed to be paid in every month for 6 months "after the switch". I complained and they basically came back saying the exact thing you've been told - the first month's payment technically didn't count because of a clearly written, but difficult to understand piece of their T&Cs where the payment needed to be made before the 30th of the month, but after the switch had fully completed (even though I had paid in that first month).

You can try escalating but I don't think you'll get very far I'm afraid - the banks are very good at hiding behind their T&Cs...