NatWest student account rant

bobmccluckie

Got A level results on August 18th. Tried to open Natwest student account with the 'come on' of a free 5 year rail card that day. Started uni on September 16th. Natwest wrote on September 19th telling me that UCAS wouldn't confirm I was a student. I sent them all the requested paperwork. Today (Oct 8th) they say they never received them. Need to go through the whole rigmaroll again. Still no rail card.getting really fed up with them now!!

amandathepanda

How did you send them, maybe they didn't get them. I would take them in to a branch in person.

bobmccluckie

I did the first time!

flossy_splodge

This happened to my daughter but she didn't tell me the Railcard had failed to materialise until 5 days before she wanted to use it to make a long rail journey. I went in to her branch (HSBC by the way) and explained and the Manager herself got involved, they transferred the Railcard by their internal mail to where she was - darkest Devon- and contacted her from the local branch there to confirm it was ready for collection.!! All happened within the required timescale and she is still a happy HSBC customer. They were happy to deal with me on her behalf which not all banks will. I recommend the HSBC!!

bargains83

Be Wary of this Railcard offer from NatWest, A friend of mine who has just started UNI opted for an account with them because the idea of the Railcard seemed like a good sweetner.

Sad thing is its not Valid before 9AM on the train (Yorkshire area anyway) and given that most lectures start at 9AM anyway and you are obviously going to be travelling before this time makes this card pretty much pointless.

realaledrinker

The perk is surely to use it for going home for the weekend rather than day-to-day commuting where cheapo fares tend to be unavailable.

Just wish student railcards had been available in my day!!

flossy_splodge

Couldn't agree more realaledrinker! Both my daughters use their rail cards extensively and save lots of dosh. Keep the money saving in the family, that's what I say!

jobbingmusician

REALLY frustrating. Just to remind you, though - coaches can be even cheaper than using a student railcard.

Those LOVELY people at megabus.com.....they took me to Manchester last week for a return fare of £9.50 from London (inc 50p booking fee) which I thought was excellent. I have to go again next month - total this time £3.50!!!!!!

No vested interest in recommending them, just a (very) happy customer blah blah.... :T

flossy_splodge

Also check out website for National Express. Some superb deals especially if you want to go to or from London. My daughter used Megabus once London to Liverpool and she said even for the cost of £1 (truly) she would rather walk!!

Jules59

bobmccluckie wrote:

Got A level results on August 18th. Tried to open Natwest student account with the 'come on' of a free 5 year rail card that day. Started uni on September 16th. Natwest wrote on September 19th telling me that UCAS wouldn't confirm I was a student. I sent them all the requested paperwork. Today (Oct 8th) they say they never received them. Need to go through the whole rigmaroll again. Still no rail card.getting really fed up with them now!!

My son applied for Natwest Account and free student railcard after reading about it here at beginning of September 2005. Well he's in his third month of Uni and Railcard has not appeared. Went to local branch where the branch manager is trying to fix the problem, but SHE is getting the run around from Natwest, being given different answers each time. To be fair to her, she credited some money to my son's account as a 'sorry' a few weeks back, but she still can't give me an answer. Apparently they are requesting some information from the University again, and cannot say when it will arrive. I'm so frustrated - what can I do about this - any ideas cos I've run right out of them? Hoping there's a clever person reading this who could help.

KTF

flossy_splodge wrote:

Also check out website for National Express. Some superb deals especially if you want to go to or from London. My daughter used Megabus once London to Liverpool and she said even for the cost of £1 (truly) she would rather walk!!

I believe that Megabus use the old double Deckers that Stagecoach used to run in Hong Kong but shipped back over here so they have Air Conditioning but are still very much buses rather than coaches.

At the end of the day though, you cant really complain for the price. The ones I have used from Southampton to London have always been good.