Nationwide making 88 year old attend branch??

Section62

boingy said:

Wow, there's not much empathy in this thread! I hope none of you end up in a wheelchair on the wrong end of a frozen bank account.

@OP I suggest your friend emails the CEO using these addresses:
debbie.crosbie@nationwide.co.uk
ceo@nationwide.co.uk

Emphasise the disabled/wheelchair thing and mention discrimination.
Debbie will probably be relieved to get a complaint that is not connected to the Fairer Share thing!

Debbie Crosbie is unlikely to be responsible for the parking restrictions in the place where this person lives.  Although Nationwide might respond with the suggestion that blue badge parking is available somewhere close to the branch and that using this would have avoided the need for the person to be pushed "miles" through the town centre to get there.

If there's no blue badge parking arrangements then the complaint is better directed to the local highway authority.

It isn't unreasonable (or discrimination) for Nationwide to ask members to come into branch in person in cases where activity on the account is suspicious.  If anything it may be more appropriate for contact to be on a face-to-face basis where there is any hint or suggestion of vulnerability so a proper assessment can be made of whether the person in question is in control of their account and making decisions on their own free will.

The discrimination element - if there is one - is in the parking arrangements in that town centre.

Bottom line - what Nationwide are doing is intended to protect people like this person's mum.  Yes, there's some inconvenience involved, but Nationwide have an obligation to protect the funds of members (individually and collectively) and if something untoward has happened with the account then it appears Nationwide's actions are in order.

bundoran

boingy said:

Wow, there's not much empathy in this thread! I hope none of you end up in a wheelchair on the wrong end of a frozen bank account.

@OP I suggest your friend emails the CEO using these addresses:
debbie.crosbie@nationwide.co.uk
ceo@nationwide.co.uk

Emphasise the disabled/wheelchair thing and mention discrimination.
Debbie will probably be relieved to get a complaint that is not connected to the Fairer Share thing!

Actually I don't think there's much empathy in the OP describing someone as "wheelchair bound".

My Mum used a wheelchair in her 80s and if anyone had written her off with "wheelchair bound" then they'd have quickly regretted it.

If Nationwide didn't have disabled access to their branch then that would be discrimination, and worthy of complaint.

Treating disabled customers as ordinary functioning adult members of society isn't discrimination.

retiredbanker1

All banks and Building societies made all their branches suitable for disabled access after legislation was introduced  in the early 1980's.