NatWest/RBS/Ulster £200 Switching Offer 15/2/2024-2/4/2024

Marcoos

overspender22 said:

Has anyone NOT received the activation code from Ulster within their promised 48 hours after receiving the customer number? 

Got the customer number email Saturday. Not activation code yet. Waiting to see what tomorrow morning brings. Finding the texts with account details come through first thing (before 7am). So if nothing, will chase them

Marcoos

@overspender22 one of those days and finally got round to opening my (snail) mail. Letter with account details and another with my debit card!

Hopefully the text will be forthcoming with the activation code tomorrow.. 

FarmGirl78

I'm going for the triple and opened a Metro account purely to switch. This was....maybe yesterday or day before.

This afternoon I've had an email from Metro saying they're closing my account (as aposed to being unable to offer me one) and even says that I'll never be allowed banking with them in future. The latter makes me think it's a fraud or CIFAS thing, but there's absolutely nothing I've done, nothing I could even think of. I'm absolutely pooing my pants as to what it could be, what I've done that could even be interpreted as dodgy or wrong.

I've done Chase to an existing NatWest account I've had for over 25 years.
I've done another Chase to Ulster
I've was planning to do the Metro to RBS but I found an old FD account.

The Ulster hard search has appeared on my credit file today. I can't see any CIFAS info on my reports but I've restarted a SAR regardless. I've downloaded National Hunter forms to request my info from them too.

Is this just Metro being picky or have I somehow messed myself up financially forever? How much should I be worrying?

Ed-1

FarmGirl78 said:

I'm going for the triple and opened a Metro account purely to switch. This was....maybe yesterday or day before.

This afternoon I've had an email from Metro saying they're closing my account (as aposed to being unable to offer me one) and even says that I'll never be allowed banking with them in future. The latter makes me think it's a fraud or CIFAS thing, but there's absolutely nothing I've done, nothing I could even think of. I'm absolutely pooing my pants as to what it could be, what I've done that could even be interpreted as dodgy or wrong.

I've done Chase to an existing NatWest account I've had for over 25 years.
I've done another Chase to Ulster
I've was planning to do the Metro to RBS but I found an old FD account.

The Ulster hard search has appeared on my credit file today. I can't see any CIFAS info on my reports but I've restarted a SAR regardless. I've downloaded National Hunter forms to request my info from them too.

Is this just Metro being picky or have I somehow messed myself up financially forever? How much should I be worrying?

Can you screenshot the email?

Was Metro aware of the switch request at the time they closed your account as I've heard of Barclays deciding to close recently opened accounts that are immediately switched out? So may be just Metro reacting badly to the activity rather than anything fraud related.

WillPS

FarmGirl78 said:

I'm going for the triple and opened a Metro account purely to switch. This was....maybe yesterday or day before.

This afternoon I've had an email from Metro saying they're closing my account (as aposed to being unable to offer me one) and even says that I'll never be allowed banking with them in future. The latter makes me think it's a fraud or CIFAS thing, but there's absolutely nothing I've done, nothing I could even think of. I'm absolutely pooing my pants as to what it could be, what I've done that could even be interpreted as dodgy or wrong.

I've done Chase to an existing NatWest account I've had for over 25 years.
I've done another Chase to Ulster
I've was planning to do the Metro to RBS but I found an old FD account.

The Ulster hard search has appeared on my credit file today. I can't see any CIFAS info on my reports but I've restarted a SAR regardless. I've downloaded National Hunter forms to request my info from them too.

Is this just Metro being picky or have I somehow messed myself up financially forever? How much should I be worrying?

Metro permabans are not uncommon. I think our resident helpful stalwart @Bridlington1 has one from them? First I've heard of an instant permaban for using them as a burner but it kind of makes sense if that's been your only activity with them, and knowing (too late) they actively weed out 'undesirable' customers... 

I wouldn't let it worry you too much because Metro is clearly not long for this world in its current form but do keep an eye for CIFAS markers. 

Bridlington1

WillPS said:

FarmGirl78 said:

I'm going for the triple and opened a Metro account purely to switch. This was....maybe yesterday or day before.

This afternoon I've had an email from Metro saying they're closing my account (as aposed to being unable to offer me one) and even says that I'll never be allowed banking with them in future. The latter makes me think it's a fraud or CIFAS thing, but there's absolutely nothing I've done, nothing I could even think of. I'm absolutely pooing my pants as to what it could be, what I've done that could even be interpreted as dodgy or wrong.

I've done Chase to an existing NatWest account I've had for over 25 years.
I've done another Chase to Ulster
I've was planning to do the Metro to RBS but I found an old FD account.

The Ulster hard search has appeared on my credit file today. I can't see any CIFAS info on my reports but I've restarted a SAR regardless. I've downloaded National Hunter forms to request my info from them too.

Is this just Metro being picky or have I somehow messed myself up financially forever? How much should I be worrying?

Metro permabans are not uncommon. I think our resident helpful stalwart @Bridlington1 has one from them? First I've heard of an instant permaban for using them as a burner but it kind of makes sense if that's been your only activity with them, and knowing (too late) they actively weed out 'undesirable' customers... 

I wouldn't let it worry you too much because Metro is clearly not long for this world in its current form but do keep an eye for CIFAS markers. 

That's right, on 31st August 2023 Metro kindly sent me this email:

Irritatingly after offering nothing of interest in the time I had banked with them, they launched their top paying EA account in November 2023.

For context I opened my Metro account in January 2023 and I had used them as one of my nominated accounts for 8 months, probably the most outrageous thing I can recall doing during this time is ordering a chequebook to use as proof of my nominated account and bouncing several 4 figure and the occasional low 5 figure sums through the account as my savings moved through it on their way to higher savings rates (similar activity occurs on many of my current accounts).

I never broke any of their Ts&Cs, I never used them as a donor account or anything, I'd even set my statements to paperless so naturally this lifetime ban took me by surprise. Out of the 3 lifetime bans I've received (Barclays, LBG and Metro), this feels like the most unwarranted one.

So @FarmGirl78 I wouldn't worry too much about it. I never did anything wrong but they still banned me, it's a bit of a pain but it's not uncommon unfortunately.

bigstevex

What's the easiest way to close all these new accounts I have open   Had my 3 bonuses and now want the accounts gone.  Assume it can all be done online?

FarmGirl78

Ed-1 said:

FarmGirl78 said:

I'm going for the triple and opened a Metro account purely to switch. This was....maybe yesterday or day before.

This afternoon I've had an email from Metro saying they're closing my account (as aposed to being unable to offer me one) and even says that I'll never be allowed banking with them in future. The latter makes me think it's a fraud or CIFAS thing, but there's absolutely nothing I've done, nothing I could even think of. I'm absolutely pooing my pants as to what it could be, what I've done that could even be interpreted as dodgy or wrong.

I've done Chase to an existing NatWest account I've had for over 25 years.
I've done another Chase to Ulster
I've was planning to do the Metro to RBS but I found an old FD account.

The Ulster hard search has appeared on my credit file today. I can't see any CIFAS info on my reports but I've restarted a SAR regardless. I've downloaded National Hunter forms to request my info from them too.

Is this just Metro being picky or have I somehow messed myself up financially forever? How much should I be worrying?

Can you screenshot the email?

Was Metro aware of the switch request at the time they closed your account as I've heard of Barclays deciding to close recently opened accounts that are immediately switched out? So may be just Metro reacting badly to the activity rather than anything fraud related.

The email is the exact same one that @Bridlington1 recieved. I hadn't actually opened the RBS account (to switch to) at that point as I was waiting for the Metro card to arrive in the post as I assumed I'd need the number for the RBS application. So they can't have known about it. The only inking they could have is a hard search from Ulster (a switch from Chase) added to my credit report.

Hopefully it's just Metro getting pious about things without good reason. There's no CIFAS on my credit reports as yet, but I'll keep my eyes peeled.

Thanks for the replies folks. Xx

Bridlington1

bigstevex said:

What's the easiest way to close all these new accounts I have open   Had my 3 bonuses and now want the accounts gone.  Assume it can all be done online?

The easiest way is probably to switch them out to other accounts. I'd just keep hold of them for now until a switching offer emerges elsewhere that you can get and then get rid of them that way

FarmGirl78

I have just realised something.....🙈

I get loads of spam calls so recently I've taken to answering them and quickly saying (before the spammer can even start to speak) "Is that you? I'm so glad you've called! I've done it. But it's a mess. There's a LOT of blood. Have you got a guy who can sort this? I don't know what to do. And that car hasn't moved from outside so I think we're being watched". It's cut down on spam calls MASSIVELY over the last month but what if one of the ones over the weekend was Metro doing a check on details? I'm desperately trying to remember if it was Sunday morning or yesterday I did my last one. Oh I'm an idiot!!