Beware Nationwide Switch Con

35har1old

Zanderman said:

RJD2020 said:

Attracted by the £210 to switch offer from Nationwide I made the switch to them and set up 2 new direct debits from other accounts to qualify for the payout.  I've just received this message from Nationwide: "We're really sorry but you didn't transfer 2 Direct Debits as part of the switch from your old account to your new Nationwide account.  So you don't qualify for the switch offer ending 136C."  Talk about needing to read the small print!  I'll be closing the account asap - can't trust these guys - so be sure to check the fine detail if they go fishing again!

Er... that's not a con. That's just you not reading up the offer. If you didn't have two DD's on the account you were switching in then you didn't qualify. That's not Nationwide being untrustworthy, that's your error. Always read the offer details - and those bits weren't in the small print - they were detailed in the offer conditions in plain sight*. 

Not sure what you mean by "set up 2 new direct debits from other accounts". Generally DD's can't be set up by you from your own accounts - do you mean Standing Orders rather than Direct debits? Which aren't the same and won't even begin to qualify. 

*Edited to add:  The offer terms conditions are here - it's not a long read (just 8 points): https://www.nationwide.co.uk/current-accounts/help/terms/current-account-online-switch-offer-terms-and-conditions/#how-do-i-qualify

 7. You must transfer a minimum of 2 active Direct Debits from the current account being switched to the Nationwide account as part of the switch. Direct Debits set up or transferred after your switch has been started will not count towards this offer. Other types of automated payments, such as standing orders and recurring card payments, won’t count towards this.

Your description of your switch above implies you made the switch, and only then tried to add the DDs - wrong order! And implies you set up 'DDs' from (an odd word to use) other accounts - but DDs go to other accounts and are generally only for services, not for your own account, so it reads as if you actually set up SOs (which you can do for your own accounts) and which do go from other accounts. 

Lots of people on this forum have successfully got that switch bonus - there's loads of advice about it if you look. But the key thing is to understand the terms - as they are crucial.

I think he meant he had asked the companys of 2 DD he had elsewhere to change where they where  collected from ie  the new Nationwide account

Zanderman

35har1old said:

Zanderman said:

RJD2020 said:

Attracted by the £210 to switch offer from Nationwide I made the switch to them and set up 2 new direct debits from other accounts to qualify for the payout.  I've just received this message from Nationwide: "We're really sorry but you didn't transfer 2 Direct Debits as part of the switch from your old account to your new Nationwide account.  So you don't qualify for the switch offer ending 136C."  Talk about needing to read the small print!  I'll be closing the account asap - can't trust these guys - so be sure to check the fine detail if they go fishing again!

Er... that's not a con. That's just you not reading up the offer. If you didn't have two DD's on the account you were switching in then you didn't qualify. That's not Nationwide being untrustworthy, that's your error. Always read the offer details - and those bits weren't in the small print - they were detailed in the offer conditions in plain sight*. 

Not sure what you mean by "set up 2 new direct debits from other accounts". Generally DD's can't be set up by you from your own accounts - do you mean Standing Orders rather than Direct debits? Which aren't the same and won't even begin to qualify. 

*Edited to add:  The offer terms conditions are here - it's not a long read (just 8 points): https://www.nationwide.co.uk/current-accounts/help/terms/current-account-online-switch-offer-terms-and-conditions/#how-do-i-qualify

 7. You must transfer a minimum of 2 active Direct Debits from the current account being switched to the Nationwide account as part of the switch. Direct Debits set up or transferred after your switch has been started will not count towards this offer. Other types of automated payments, such as standing orders and recurring card payments, won’t count towards this.

Your description of your switch above implies you made the switch, and only then tried to add the DDs - wrong order! And implies you set up 'DDs' from (an odd word to use) other accounts - but DDs go to other accounts and are generally only for services, not for your own account, so it reads as if you actually set up SOs (which you can do for your own accounts) and which do go from other accounts. 

Lots of people on this forum have successfully got that switch bonus - there's loads of advice about it if you look. But the key thing is to understand the terms - as they are crucial.

I think he meant he had asked the companys of 2 DD he had elsewhere to change where they where  collected from ie  the new Nationwide account

Maybe - but that's not how it comes across from OP's wording ("set up 2 new direct debits from other accounts"). 

OP ignoring the very explicit basic instruction that DDs have to be in place before the switch, plus that odd wording about DDs after the switch, doesn't build confidence that those subsequent DDs were even DDs. Wouldn't be the first time someone has misunderstood what is an SO and what is a DD, especially a presumably inexperienced switcher.

Until OP responds (if they ever do) we'll not actually know.  

jsrose

How long do you have to keep this account for?  Is there a minimum time limit - I’ve got the switching bonus but not liking the app as it keeps glitching 

Middle_of_the_Road

jsrose said:

How long do you have to keep this account for?  Is there a minimum time limit - I’ve got the switching bonus but not liking the app as it keeps glitching 

There is no minimum time you have to stay after receiving the incentive.

km1500

35har1old said:

km1500 said:

sounds like there was a problem with the two direct debits on your old account.

are you certain they were showing there and what they definitely active i.e a payment had been taken from each before the switch

He didn’t have DD on the account he switched he setup DD that he had with other accounts elsewhere after the switch completed so he didn't qualify for the switch incentive 

that's not the way I read it

sheramber

I made the switch to them and set up 2 new direct debits from other accounts to qualify for the payout. 

Rather than
 I set up 2 new direct debits from another account and made the switch

were the DDs to take money from the other account to the new one?

were they set up on the other account already?

or , as the OP says ‘new direct debits’ were they only set up and then transferred before being actioned?

too many options that the OP needs to clarify

RJD2020

Thankks for all your comments.  I'll put this down to inexperience and my failure to follow the conditions to the letter.  Not having 2 active DDs on the account being switched, I incorrectly assumed that by transferring DDs from other current accounts I hold, I would satisfy the requirement.  Lesson learned.

eskbanker

RJD2020 said:

Thankks for all your comments.  I'll put this down to inexperience and my failure to follow the conditions to the letter.  Not having 2 active DDs on the account being switched, I incorrectly assumed that by transferring DDs from other current accounts I hold, I would satisfy the requirement.  Lesson learned.

Just to clarify, did you transfer these DDs before switching, and if so, were they then invoked at least once from the account being switched or did you effectively switch without them becoming fully active?

Zanderman

eskbanker said:

RJD2020 said:

Thankks for all your comments.  I'll put this down to inexperience and my failure to follow the conditions to the letter.  Not having 2 active DDs on the account being switched, I incorrectly assumed that by transferring DDs from other current accounts I hold, I would satisfy the requirement.  Lesson learned.

Just to clarify, did you transfer these DDs before switching, and if so, were they then invoked at least once from the account being switched or did you effectively switch without them becoming fully active?

I don't think active or not matters - OP confirms the DD's weren't even on the account being switched and admits they failed to follow the requirements.  Plus Nationwide's message to them confirms there were no DD's on the account being switched. OP says the DDs were moved from other accounts - presumably manually and afterwards.

RJD2020

I actually set them up afresh on the Nationwide account before the account went live.