Warning to Nationwide Gold Card Holders being offered upgrade to Select Platinum Card

GrumpyOldMan_2 · 8 October 2011 at 7:38PM

Hi All

Just received a letter from Nationwide offering me an upgrade to their Nationwide Select Platinum card, Whilst I initially thought nothing of it, after reading the small print some valuable benefits are being removed in this upgrade.

Loss of Free Extended Warranty on electrical goods
Loss of Accidental Cover on good purchased with the card

I called Nationwide to say that I wanted to decline the upgrade offer and stick with the Nationwide Gold card but they said this wasn't possible as they were removing the Gold Cards from their range of products.

It seems to me that this is a sly way of removing a product with some valuable free add-ons - and marketing it as an upgrade for valued customers - shame on you Nationwide, you really are risking alienting some of your loyal customer base.

GrumpyOldMan

dshart · 8 October 2011 at 7:44PM

Best thing to do is decline their "upgrade" and move to another provider. To many companies try these tricks.

EarthBoy · 8 October 2011 at 11:23PM

It is an upgrade because the new Platinum Select card provides cashback, which your Gold card doesn't.

Very few credit cards provide a free extended warranty, or accidental cover, so you will struggle to find an alternative card with those features.

Nationwide could have removed those features at any time, even on your existing card. All they had to do was give you notice.

alanq · 9 October 2011 at 2:17AM

EarthBoy wrote: »

...the new Platinum Select card provides cashback, which your Gold card doesn't.

The monthly statements for my Gold Card show "Cash Reward Earned this Month". I cannot find the percentage stated anywhere but it seems to be about 0.25%.

So it seems to be true that Platinum gives greater cashback than Gold but untrue that Gold doesn't give any cashback.

For my spending patterns I feel that I would lose more than I would gain with the new card so I don't regard it as an upgrade.

As time passes there are fewer and fewer reasons to stay with Nationwide.

Freebyman · 9 October 2011 at 2:46AM

If I remember correctly at one time the gold card did offer cashback (cant remember the amount) as well as extra warranty cover on electrical items.

If I do get the "upgrade" then I will look more closely at this, pointless complaining, tried to with the withdrawal of fee free foreign atm use. All I got was a very polite company man saying sorry all the time. As alanq says another reason to go with someone else, what a pity.

GrumpyOldMan_2 · 10 October 2011 at 12:12PM

Greetings MSE's

I am pleased to report some good (excellent) feedback from Nationwide.

After posting to this forum, I also sent a complaint to Nationwide via their online banking messaging system.

This morning I received a telephone call from Nationwide who have agreed to keep me on the Gold card along with the warranty and purchase protection insurances, which is brilliant. Top marks to Nationwide for the way they dealt with the complaint. :j

The Gold Card does offer cashback of 0.25 % on purchases, and although the card they were offering to upgrade me to offered a higher cashback rate (1% for 1st 3 months and 0.5%, thereafter) - I would have had to spend a lot of money on the card to pay for the insurances that I would have lost by moving onto the new card.

For my particular circumstances, remaining on the Gold card with a lower cashback rate but the addition of 2 free warranties works out the best deal for me.

Well done Nationwide - you are to be commended to listening to your customers feedback and acting upon it.

GrumpyOldMan (a little less grumpy after today)!!!

RayR22 · 10 October 2011 at 1:31PM

The Gold Card Extended Warranty and Accidental Cover are useful benefits but you should balance the cost savings of those against the Cash Reward of your future purchases before deciding which one is best for you.

You should also remember that you have to register the product within 60 days of purchase to get the Extended Warranty.

lizzz · 16 October 2011 at 12:30PM

Nationwide have told me on the phone that the 'upgrade' is compulsory. I have had standard credit card with them for years. Once the change comes in it is not possible to access past statements without contacting them. Will also have to notify the companies that I deal with - very unhappy bunny.

Have had a number of problems with them over the last 2 years, so after 30 years as a customer I think it is time to change provider.

Recent problems have included them cancelling wrong stolen card and being told that Customer Service has no senior person to talk to on the phone to resolve the problems:mad:.

gwapenut · 16 October 2011 at 1:12PM

So many more unhappy Nationwide customers with each passing year, and still CEO Beale flies through each AGM ... he's ruining the Nationwide. I use them for less than 1% of the level of finances that I put through them under the old management a few years ago.

RDA · 2 November 2011 at 3:11PM

There's also unlimited commission free card use abroad on purchases. This was quite an issue when it was withdrawn and now it's being reintroduced through the back door for FlexAccount customers.

Warning to Nationwide Gold Card Holders being offered upgrade to Select Platinum Card

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