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Trouble activating Natwest card reader

I've just opened a new Natwest account via CASS, and now it's complete I'm stuck at the step where I enable my card reader. Has anyone had trouble with this?


I've followed the steps about 20-30 times now (locking the card twice in the process) and every time I get the same error from the Natwest website: We can't verify your card details, please check carefully and try again (paraphrasing). Online / telephone weren't much help. They kept thinking I'm entering my debit PIN wrong, which can't be because if it were I couldn't get to the stage where I get the 8-digit passcode.



Submitted a formal complaint to see what they say, but has anyone experienced this?


Thanks
«1

Comments

  • Smodlet
    Smodlet Posts: 6,976 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    In a word, yes.

    The NatWest's customer service used to be one of the best I had ever experienced; now it is a nightmare. I won't bore you with the nonsense I have had to endure from them recently but I raised two complaints in as many months; you better believe I had compensation on both occasions.

    I can only suggest you ask for the same, OP and good luck to you.
  • Smodlet wrote: »
    In a word, yes.

    The NatWest's customer service used to be one of the best I had ever experienced; now it is a nightmare. I won't bore you with the nonsense I have had to endure from them recently but I raised two complaints in as many months; you better believe I had compensation on both occasions.

    I can only suggest you ask for the same, OP and good luck to you.

    I switched to them a year or so ago just for the cashback and I left as soon as it was paid. They're dismal.
    urs sinserly,
    ~~joosy jeezus~~
  • JuicyJesus wrote: »
    I switched to them a year or so ago just for the cashback and I left as soon as it was paid. They're dismal.


    That's my current plan too. I'm unable to transfer money out to my savings accounts because of this, tried to transfer over the phone but even then the system wouldn't let them.
  • JuicyJesus wrote: »
    I switched to them a year or so ago just for the cashback and I left as soon as it was paid. They're dismal.
    Me too:)

    Well, technically, my account is with RBS rather than NatWest. They seem to use the same systems and processes, and often the same people, as NatWest (reasonable enough, given that RBS owns NatWest). I switched to them last summer for the incentive (£125). I plan to leave next summer, as soon as the second tranche of incentive (another £50) has been paid.

    I haven't actually had any individual experience bad enough to justify a complaint, but there's been a long string of minor irritations. The overall experience has been thoroughly unsatisfactory. I went as far as to write to them in September, and listed six things that I disliked about the way they treated me. I told them then that I intended to leave, and when. I never received a reply to that letter. To be fair, I did explicitly say that it shouldn't be treated as a complaint. (With hindsight, I regret saying that.)

    The problem that I'll have next summer is deciding where I'll move my account to. I have the distinct impression that all of the banks have been cutting costs to the bone over the last ten years, and that their service has deteriorated as a result.

    I was with First Direct for 25 years (1990 - 2015), and know that their service wasn't as good at the end of that period as at the beginning.

    I thought that Santander's online banking offering was good, but their telephone service was dire.

    I've found, as a result of acting as my mother's attorney that neither Lloyds nor Halifax is good.

    Barclays? Well, I gave up on them in 1990, and haven't been hearing anything good since.

    We've all heard the tales of woe about TSB. It'll take a long while for their reputation to improve - if it ever does.

    I think that only leaves Nationwide and the Co-Operative bank, about which I have no useful information.
  • Smodlet
    Smodlet Posts: 6,976 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    I concur the Halifax are useless and that customer service over the whole sector has deteriorated exponentially in recent years.

    I remember when you could call the NatWest at 3 a.m. and get the same excellent service you could at 9 a.m. That was several years ago. They seem to have replaced professional adults with ignorant brats, IMO and that is not only age talking.
  • 18cc
    18cc Posts: 2,120 Forumite
    Yep, and especially so when when you consider that in-credit banking is pretty much free..
  • Tallaght
    Tallaght Posts: 1,632 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    Have you done the following ?

    01
    Insert your card into the reader making sure the card number matches the one shown on Online Banking

    02
    On the card reader, when asked to 'Select Function', press the button with the up and down arrows

    03
    When prompted, enter your card's PIN and press the 'OK' button

    04
    In the card-reader, enter the number displayed by Online Banking and press the 'OK' button

    05
    In Online Banking enter the passcode number shown by the card reader
  • gafffe
    gafffe Posts: 19 Forumite
    edited 20 December 2019 pm31 3:49PM
    Yes, close to about 30 times now. Your card gets locked from being used with the reader after I think 10 attempts, I've had to unblock it twice now.


    My problem is that no one in Natwest is understanding the issue. They think I must be entering my PIN wrong which would mean I can't get past Step 3, but I can.
  • soulsaver
    soulsaver Posts: 6,400 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    edited 20 December 2019 pm31 3:53PM
    It may seem a silly question, but did you order & get the card reader from Nat West? Or are you using a generic?

    If the latter, it won't work as card reading functionality is enabled 48 hours (?or so) after ordering the NWst card reader. After that you can use the generic.

    PS IIRC you can make withdrawals (upto £250) without the card reader using the app.
  • Not a silly question, the card reader is from Natwest. Also used a generic one I had from Nationwide; same results.


    I can withdraw money from the ATM no problem, it's just transferring larger amounts to other accounts that I'm being stopped from doing.
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