Why won't bank let me have a debit card?

---lee---

Further to my last post #16, I'm still waiting on Nationwide.

I sent them a secure message asking for my account to be upgraded. After a week, I got a reply telling me to go into my local branch and they would sort it out (no appointment necessary).

Called in at the local branch on the last day of holidays with wife in tow, branch was empty aside from a few staff. Was told by the receptionist that I would need an appointment. I explained head office had said and had brought all my bank statements and other docs with me. Asked if they would like to take a copy of them whilst I was there and if there was any paperwork I could sign to kick things off - was told no and I would need an appointment. The receptionist also had a rude manner about her and managed all this without even taking her eyes off the computer screen :mad:

Anyway, I replied to the secure message explaining the problem I experienced and asking if the upgrade could be done by post/internet. 4 days later, I got a reply apologising for what had happened in the branch and saying that I would get a call one day this week between 18:00 and 19:00 to sort out the account over the phone. Unfortunately, no call, so I’m back at square one.

I seem to be going around in circles now :rolleyes: . I'm wondering if it's worth opening another flex account online and seeing if they just supply the card with it rather than trying to upgrade this one?

black-saturn

---lee--- wrote:

I seem to be going around in circles now :rolleyes: . I'm wondering if it's worth opening another flex account online and seeing if they just supply the card with it rather than trying to upgrade this one?

Perhaps this is the best way to go or threaten to close the account you have, go to another bank and tell everyone you know to do the same thing.

I used my Debit card in a shop yesterday which is the first time I've ever used it that way. I was quite excited

---lee---

I just called Nationwide. I did not say anything about closing the a/c, just said that I would like to upgrade my flexaccount. Some bloke looked at the details and said it was a type that could not be upgraded, but I could open another one and this would entail credit scoring etc. I agreed to this and he passed me onto someone else to open the a/c.

Went through all the details that they already had and the new a/c was opened in less than 10 minutes with debit card. Just got to wait for the decleration to come through so I can sign it and return it.

To top it off, at the end of the conversation, she offered me a credit card. I had just got a Nationwide CC about 3 weeks ago ready for holidays so I declined.

It's been said before, but I will say it again - they are a certainly stange bunch!

Anyway, I'm a happy bunny now as I only wanted the debit card for holidays later in the year, so I'm pleased it's sorted now.

grumbler

---lee--- wrote:

....Anyway, I'm a happy bunny now as I only wanted the debit card for holidays ...

In fact their cash card is almost as good for holidays as the debit card. It can be used to draw money abroad without fees too. Using cash for purchases is even safer, because when using debit card you should be very carefull with regard to Direct Currency Conversion - a spreading scam that wipes out all advantages of using Nationwide cards abroad.

---lee---

grumbler wrote:

In fact their cash card is almost as good for holidays as the debit cards. It can be used to draw money abroad without fees too. Using cash for purchases is even safer, because when using debit card you should be very carefull with regard to Direct Currency Convertion - a spreading scam that wipes out all advantages of using Nationwide cards abroad.

So you can use the ordinary cash card in machines abroad as well? For some reason, I assumed that it had to be the debit card. Silly me, I could have probably just stuck with the cash card :cool:

Grumbler, I did read about this somewhere on the boards (currency conversion), remind me how this works again please, as I can't remember the details. Do you have to insist that Visa do the conversion rather than the shop or something?

---lee---

Found Grumblers useful post on this thread with lots of links to other threads about this (for anyone else who's interested):

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=86411

Cheers Grumbler.

black-saturn

---lee--- wrote:

So you can use the ordinary cash card in machines abroad as well? For some reason, I assumed that it had to be the debit card. Silly me, I could have probably just stuck with the cash card :cool:

My cash card has never worked for me when I've been abroad.

grumbler

black-saturn wrote:

My cash card has never worked for me when I've been abroad.

Was it Nationwide cash card? Nationwide one is Cirrus card and works perfectly with any ATM showing Mastercard logo: http://www.mastercard.com/atmlocator/index.jsp

black-saturn

Yes it was but it still has never worked whenever I've used it abroad. I've tried it in France, Holland, Belgium, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Thailand and Vietnam and it has never ever worked. Nevermind, I'll stick to travellers cheques and cash.

angelica

I just came from France and I used my Nationwide cash card there without any problem (it was not even in a major city but at a small ski resort).

Also last week at first my brother had difficulties to use his Nationwide card in Russia as he could not find a Cirrus ATM, but then found one in St Petersburg's city centre and managed to get money, too.