51 Years of NatWest Ends!!!

TychoTMA

After 51 years of banking with Natwest, I've finally pulled the plug and I'm closing the account. It surely must be the worst bank in the UK.

I'm moving my current account over to Nationwide, where have other accounts and feel reasonably confident things will be better. I should also be picking up £200 from their current offer on switching accounts, but the online process for doing that could be easier!

friolento

Can you share what was so bad with Natwest and what makes you reasonably confident will be better at Nationwide?

MikeJXE

friolento said:

Can you share what was so bad with Natwest and what makes you reasonably confident will be better at Nationwide?

I wondered that too as I have kept my Natwest as a secondary account since I acquired the incentive and opened the regular saver. no problem since 

MEM62

I have been with Nat West for 40 years and never had a problem. It was my main account for most of those, then became the account through which I run the finances for my flat when it was rented out and now just sits there as a secondary account.  The app is fine and I have never had an issue with customer services.      

DullGreyGuy

Natwest is a breeze to deal with compared to Nationwide... think they have modernised a bit since my dealings with them but there was a lot of having to post forms to them (eg CoA) or going in branch which then just gets posted internally whereas NW and all our other banks you could self serve online or via telephone banking

VXman

Another happy Nat West Customer here too. I don't use it as my main account but I get the rewards for 2 direct Debits, using the app (£3 per month profit after the £2 charge)  I've used the digital saver and a excellent high interest ISA. I did use credit card for 0% interest too. Never have had any problems and it has been financially beneficial for me.

SiliconChip

DullGreyGuy said:

Natwest is a breeze to deal with compared to Nationwide... think they have modernised a bit since my dealings with them but there was a lot of having to post forms to them (eg CoA) or going in branch which then just gets posted internally whereas NW and all our other banks you could self serve online or via telephone banking

What are you trying to do with Nationwide that can't be done online or through the App? It's probably 15 years since I had to go to a branch to do something other than pay in cash or cheques, neither of which I do any more. All the account opening I've done in the last 10 years has been achieved online (there might at some point have been a form to sign, but I don't recall anything in the last few years). At no point has CoA required a form to be completed. Perhaps there is some peculiarity to the way that you operate your account that makes them ask you to do things that nobody else has to.

To the OP, I would suggest that you retain your NatWest account because the length of time you've had it is good for your credit record. Just reduce the balance to a small amount and make the occasional transaction to keep it live, and open another account (either with NatWest or one of the recommended donor accounts) to switch to Nationwide.

subjecttocontract

Same here......I've had a Nat West (or NAFF WEST as some call them) credit card for as long as I can remember.......probably getting on for 50 years. Never had a problem with them and I'm a difficult customer to please with anything & everything.

subjecttocontract

mortgageFTB said:

Crazy that people stick with a company for decades lol.

Not really......I'm a great believer in finding something that works and sticking with it. It's not compulsory and it wouldn't do for us all to be the same......imagine how boring life would be if we all did the same as you !

EssexExile

I've never had an account with NatWest and after limited dealings with them on a couple of occasions I never will.

RG2015

I have had a NatWest current account for 50 years and it remains my main account. I have also had current accounts with 11 other banks but none are anywhere near as good as NatWest.