NatWest Switch disaster = no bank accounts

AmityNeon

The terms for this current offer are technically incorrect/incomplete. Existing customers can open a new eligible account and switch into it at the time of application, and still qualify to receive the offer.

Edy_d

overspender22 said:

I advise you to read the terms of the NatWest switch again. It requires existing customers to have been opened prior to 14th feb. And no opportunity to choose switch date :-)

Yes I never choose the switch date, NatWest just messaged to say the switch would be completed on the 10th! 
Which it was.. only there was no account to switch into!
I've still received nothing from NatWest, I was told I'd be contacted in 4 days with the reasons for why this saga happened.. 
I'm guessing they don't want to discuss why they carried on the switch for 5 days even though they had already closed the account the day after opening it.
I think there needs to be a lot more information and contact when things start going wrong with the process... Not just oh we've closed your account we can't tell you why and let's close your other bank account in the proof not sorting this out.

Anyway, I've opened a new account and gone through the long process of contacting companies to set up direct debits etc... Not fun at all! 

Like I said I filled out the online NatWest complaints form detailing everything , I wonder when or if I will hear back... Do they even care as technically I'm not a customer! 

phillw

I personally wouldn't have told them about the incorrect spelling. I ran a debenhams card for years with the wrong name, because I filled out a application paper form in store and they then typed it in wrong.

No good could ever come from it.

Edy_d

phillw said:

I personally wouldn't have told them about the incorrect spelling. I ran a debenhams card for years with the wrong name, because I filled out a application paper form in store and they then typed it in wrong.

No good could ever come from it.

I've received a letter from NatWest stating that the reason for closing the account was that the surname didn't match my driver's license, so it didn't matter if I told them or not. The reason I told them straight away was to prevent problems and get a solution. 

I've written back to NatWest to inform them exactly what happened again and to say that I'm not happy that I was told the surname issue wouldn't cause a problem when calling only for the account to be immediately closed... but the main issue from that was that NatWest didn't cancel the switch and left me with no bank accounts meaning me having to setup a new account and spending over a day setting up direct debits.. on top of the amount of time I spent and stress  trying to prevent NatWest closing the the account I was switching from.
Waiting to hear back now.

datz

Edy_d said:

phillw said:

I personally wouldn't have told them about the incorrect spelling. I ran a debenhams card for years with the wrong name, because I filled out a application paper form in store and they then typed it in wrong.

No good could ever come from it.

I've received a letter from NatWest stating that the reason for closing the account was that the surname didn't match my driver's license, so it didn't matter if I told them or not. The reason I told them straight away was to prevent problems and get a solution. 

I've written back to NatWest to inform them exactly what happened again and to say that I'm not happy that I was told the surname issue wouldn't cause a problem when calling only for the account to be immediately closed... but the main issue from that was that NatWest didn't cancel the switch and left me with no bank accounts meaning me having to setup a new account and spending over a day setting up direct debits.. on top of the amount of time I spent and stress  trying to prevent NatWest closing the the account I was switching from.
Waiting to hear back now.

Knowing that the cause of the account closure was the error in your name is some positive news. Things would have been much more problematic and complicated if it was the result of an adverse (fraud) marker (placed by Natwest or someone else). To be fair, I am a little surprised that the CASS switch process did not reject the switch based on the name mismatch - that's something that could be open to abuse by bad actors.

Btw, I don't recall you mentioning if the error in your name was a result of you entering it incorrectly during the application.

Since you have another current account up and running, and have moved your incoming and outgoing payments over to it, I'd focus on following through on the complaint with them. Keep it as factual and concise as possible (removing as much emotive language as possible), and with a clear timeline of events. Off the top of my head, some things to highlight would include:

(1) Natwest switching your only account into an account they had already closed, days after the account had been closed, leaving you with no account.

(2) Their systems allowing the CASS switch to progress and not rejecting it based on a name mismatch between the 2 accounts.

(3) Their verification systems allowing the process to get as far as it had. They should have rejected the original account application outright.

(4) Their branch staff member informing you (before closure) that correcting the surname wouldn't cause any problems (harder to prove as someone above mentioned but worth including).

(5) Their branch staff member specifically informing you (after closure) that Natwest had cancelled the switch (harder to prove as someone above mentioned but worth including).

(6) That you have been unable to take advantage of their switching offer, or another switching offer from another bank (due to the loss of your original account).

(7) The problems you have been facing as a direct result (unable to receive incoming wages/payments, unable to making outgoing payments, bounced direct debits, late payment markers, late payment penalties, the amount of time and effort it has taken to remedy, etc).

(8) Probably something else...

In your position, I wouldn't let Natwest off too easily. Remember, if you are not happy with their initial offer, you can push them, and if you are not happy with their final offer then ask them for a final response (letter of deadlock) and escalate to the ombudsman. Note that the ombudsman is a slow process.

Edy_d

Thanks for posting datz 👍
I can't be sure I didn't make the mistake and the two letters are next to eachother on the keyboard, although I always read back through any online forms before submitting.

So I'm now waiting to hear from NatWest, I received an email saying they would get back.

[Deleted User]

Hi did you ever hear back from Natwest x