Nationwide Standing Orders (aka regular payments) , change to T&C's?

w0z

 It is currently possible to skip a single payment which is scheduled as part of a Standing Order (aka "Regular Payment") with Nationwide. The option is currently there when logged in to Internet Banking. however I note the following paragraph in "Summary of Changes Current Account Terms and Conditions from 1 May 2025
We have added wording to explain that if you tell us you want to pause or skip a standing order payment, all your future standing order payments will be cancelled. So, you will have to set one up again if you want the standing order to restart.
This is unclear and badly written and if it means what I think it means it's certainly a retrograde step for usability.
1. "all your future standing order payments will be cancelled"  NO, I think it means that particular Standing Order will be cancelled.
2. Online these are referred to as regular payments, but the change refers to standing orders.Let's have some consistency here
2. If it's no longer going to be possible to skip a payment it's not just that they have added the wording that's changed, it's the ability to skip a payment at all.
If that's the case (and I've queried it with Nationwide but no clarity as yet), it's certainly a retrograde step for customers (not to mention a very poorly written explanation of an upcoming change in T&Cs)

wiseonesomeofthetime

I think it reads perfectly correctly to me.

I understand it.

EarthBoy

I read it as saying that you can no longer skip payments.  Instead, you have to cancel that particular standing order.

Rob5342

It's very badly written, they should just say "We have removed the ability to skip standing order payments, they can now only be cancelled" if that's what they mean. What do the actual terms and conditions say? 

EarthBoy

Rob5342 said:

It's very badly written, they should just say "We have removed the ability to skip standing order payments, they can now only be cancelled" if that's what they mean. What do the actual terms and conditions say? 

The actual terms and conditions are equally unclear as to whether skipping a payment means cancelling the whole standing order:

"Changed your mind? You can ask us to cancel it before 10pm the working day before its due to go out. This includes if you want to pause or skip a standing order payment. Cancelling a standing order means all future standing order payments will also be cancelled. You’ll have to set it up again if you want to restart the standing order payments."

Current Accounts T&Cs | Nationwide    It's right at the top of page 19.  

eskbanker

Have to agree that the wording is poor, in multiple ways!  It seems to me that what they really mean is:

"Changed your mind? You can ask us to cancel it before 10pm the working day before its due to go out. This includes if you want There is no longer the ability to pause or skip a standing order payment. Cancelling a standing order means all future payments associated with this standing order payments instruction will also be cancelled. You’ll have to set it up again if you want to restart the standing order payments."

pochisoldi

eskbanker said:

Have to agree that the wording is poor, in multiple ways!  It seems to me that what they really mean is:

"Changed your mind? You can ask us to cancel it before 10pm the working day before its due to go out. This includes if you want There is no longer the ability to pause or skip a standing order payment. Cancelling a standing order means all future payments associated with this standing order payments instruction will also be cancelled. You’ll have to set it up again if you want to restart the standing order payments."

You've highlighted a "double fail" on Nationwide's part - 1. failed to write an unambiguous message , 2. followed by failure to review.

Then again, I've found that people who are most prone to writing unambiguous messages, usually reply to any review with the response "Well I know what I mean" - leave the message unchanged, and blame the reader instead (shakes head).