How do I deactivate on-line Banking

CheeseSpreadButties

I had Natwest current and mortgage accounts for many years and used their on-line banking.  I also had a Natwest credit card which used a different on-line system.  I paid off the mortgage a few years ago, then Natwest closed their local branch so I switched to Lloyds and wanted to deactivate/delete my Natwest on-line banking login/account.  Natwest Customer Services said I couldn't do that and advised me to enter an incorrect password three times to block the login.  Then the other credit card on-line system closed and moved to Natwest's on-line banking so by clicking "forgot your password" I went through the procedure to be able to log in again.  Now I've closed my Natwest credit card account but there's no way to deactivate/delete the on-line banking - it's just dormant.  I can still log in, but there is no account or personal information to see.  But with today's concerns about security, fraud and scams, I'm not happy that the potential to log in is still there.

Maybe it's the same with other on-line systems.  Has anyone any experience, information or ideas about this?

jbuchanangb

I think it varies from institution to institution. I just checked my access to various utility companies with whom I have had online accounts, and So Energy seem to have deleted me, my account with First Utility has disappeared in the takeover by Shell Energy, but my account with Npower, which I last used in 2014, is still available. My online account with Scottish Power gives me access to two real accounts, one which I closed more then a year ago, and an active one which I opened in April, so, having kept the online account open even when I stopped buying their energy, they were able to connect the new energy account with the existing online account. I'm sure I've got a long list of online shopping accounts where I haven't placed an order for many many months. They just sit there doing nothing.

mazzetti

Googling 'how do I deactivate my natwest online banking' finds:

To cancel or suspend your Online Banking service please contact our Online Banking helpdesk. There is a chat button to contact them or you can call. Not saying it works though!

eskbanker

Probably a sledgehammer to crack a nut but I'd have thought that it would be possible to argue that a bank's rejection of a request to remove an online banking account contravenes the Data Protection Act, in that they're obliged not to keep personal data for longer than it's needed and must abide by deletion requests unless they have a legitimate reason to retain such data, as accepted in their privacy policy.  Obviously, as covered in other threads, the GDPR 'right to be forgotten' doesn't give bank customers the unilateral right to have everything wiped (such as records of defaults, etc) but I can't see how NatWest could argue that online banking data has to be retained.

Having said that, locking an online banking login by use of incorrect passwords does effectively achieve deactivation (rather than actual deletion), but only as a clunky workaround, which can presumably be reversed by a phone call (albeit requiring security challenges to be passed)....

Shakin_Steve

Personally, I would want to keep the online account open in case I needed to access to access my previous statements. You could, of course, print them off first.

RG2015

Shakin_Steve said:

Personally, I would want to keep the online account open in case I needed to access to access my previous statements. You could, of course, print them off first.

I agree, but with NatWest, if an account is closed they remove it completely from online banking.

eskbanker

RG2015 said:

Shakin_Steve said:

Personally, I would want to keep the online account open in case I needed to access to access my previous statements. You could, of course, print them off first.

I agree, but with NatWest, if an account is closed they remove it completely from online banking.

....and hence:

CheeseSpreadButties said:

I can still log in, but there is no account or personal information to see.

RG2015

eskbanker said:

RG2015 said:

Shakin_Steve said:

Personally, I would want to keep the online account open in case I needed to access to access my previous statements. You could, of course, print them off first.

I agree, but with NatWest, if an account is closed they remove it completely from online banking.

....and hence:

CheeseSpreadButties said:

I can still log in, but there is no account or personal information to see.

Oh, yes. But I was reacting to @Shakin_Steve's comment.

I guess if the OP opened a new account, that it would be added to the (currently) existing online banking login.

London7766551

At most banks the online login will lay dormant but will not have any accounts linked to it. Therefore it can do little harm.

I believe with Lloyds, if you do not login for 18 months you have to re-register for online banking, whereas at HSBC, your ID will stay active for use if you ever re-join.

Ultimately sooner or later, the banks systems will be updated, or new terms will need to be accepted, and any left over accounts will likely get the chop.

Highland76

With most banks I've closed accounts with, they don't block online access immediately after closing the accounts, even though the accounts no longer show up. From  experience, online access remains for 6+ months and will automatically be removed by the bank's systems. IMHO nothing to worry about.

mazzetti

Well it COULD be something to worry about - ie you could worry that someone might get access somehow and unbeknown to you open some account or whatever. Hopefully you would be tipped off if cards started coming to you in the post unless of course the fraudster changed your address.

I am not saying it would happen but you could certainly worry about it.