to be REALLY narked off at my bank?

[milknosugarplease]

just need a moan!

i opened a student account 3 years ago and have had nothing but problems with them over the last 14 months!

they have no idea what the flippin hell their talking about half the time...(they sent me a letter saying i'm apparently not eligible for a credit card as i have no credit history...ummm i didnt apply for one but thanks!) get completly, and i mean COMPLETLY different advice from each branch!,

they wont let me have on the phone banking (what the hell is the difference between that and asking qs to the bank?) because i dont have a card reader...ok can i order one?... no, you dont have on the phone banking?!?!?!?!?!?!

to top it all off i ordered a new card and they sent me one...then sent me a second...by sending a new one it cancels the first one...they did this 6 times!..one time the woman on the ohone said "ok we have pordered you a new card...let me just cancel that for you!?)

i get treated like an idiot ALL the time...just because im 21 doesnt mean i dont know what im talking about!!!!

theyve just tried to sign me up to a new account when i went into complain!!

i know i should change banks and BELIEVE me im trying but i dont have a drivers license or valid passport so few probs....

.sorry theyve just pissed me off today and someone o the other end of the phone just said "well if you hadnt have ordered the new card the first time there wouldnt be problems" god i flippin hate them!!...dont even know where to post this! just wondering wether any1 else has had nat-friggin-west issues!!!!!!????????????

[FluffySaysTheDailyMailsShite]

Oh yes!! Many problems with twatwest!

[milknosugarplease]

hmm currently working out how i can put "twatwest" into a conversation on the phone with then!!!...spoke to them this morning (despite my lack of telelphone banking!) and i specifically asked for a card to be sent to the bank UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES TO MY HOUSE! thats how the whole 6 card thing started plus our mail has gone funny recently...by funny i mean diseppering!...i'll give you 3 guesses as to where theyve sent the damn thing!!

apparently "its not our fault, you cant blame us!" well i can and i will!!

[PM73]

Swap to First Direct,they are fab & give you £100 just for swapping to them.

We had a problem with our banking letters being opened,i rung them to tell them & now they send our new cards by recorded signed for.No junk mail from them & online statements.Plus they have english speaking call centres.

[silverten]

1. Go to www.moneysavingexpert.com.
   
   (ignore the terrible navigation, it is well worth the effort)
   
   
2. Read the bits about student finance and new accounts.
   
   
3. Choose another bank.
   
   
4. Change banks.
   
   
5. If you can be bothered write to the head honcho detailing why you can't be bothered with all the palaver NW have put you through any more.

[heartmoonshadow]

I second the idea of First Direct - or HSBC if you want to see a real person.

I tried to open an account with NatWest after my divorce 7 years ago (love the phrase twatwest BTW) and they wanted to see 6 months worth of statements from a previous account which was a joint one with ex and they wanted to keep them overnight to study them. All I wanted was an account to put my wages into, no cheque book, credit card or anything. Anyway I walked straight back out and went next door to HSBC who could not have been more helpful, in a little more than 30 minutes I had a bank account with a cheque book facility, an overdraft facility and as much help as they could give me.

I then went on to University they changed the account over with no hassle to a student account and gave me £50.00. Since then it has changed to a graduate account and now back to a normal account each time with them fully informing me and talking me through the options.

As a result DS CTF has been opened there - again minimal fuss. I would say change now before you lose your sanity and find another useful bank.

[weegiemum]

We've just left the RBS for similar reasons! Sheer idiocy, inability to listen to a word you say!

Plus that fact that they took 5 days to approve an emergency £500 overdraft despite the problem in our account being their fault - while paying their bloody new chairman £9.6 million pounds. And charging us for the 2 cheques that bounced even though it was their fault ....

We've moved to the Co-op and are very pleased so far!

[preciouslillywhite]

I second the Co-op vote- even tho they have just told us off about our overdraft and made us reduce it every month they are generally lovely and the branches (if you can find one) are oases of calm and civilised behaviour eg no queues, air con, friendy kind staff. In fact v like John Lewis. You feel you have slipped through a portal into 1950. In a nice way.

[OtterInaSkoda]

I second precious about the co-op. They are very strict however - I got a real telling off for accidentally going over my limit three times (PayPal taking money out weeks and weeks after I'd purchased a few things - of course I blame PayPal but I still should have tracked my balance better). They were going to close my account but when I spoke to them they were beyond reasonable. We don't have a branch near us but they are very, very civilised on the phone.

[preciouslillywhite]

My friend had an argument with the Co-op about her overdraft, and ended up shouting "but you're supposed to be ethical"

(where ethical=letting her have more money to buy shoes, presumably)

[weegiemum]

The co-op are strict, I think, but we don't mind that.

We put our situation with RBS to them, and they explained very carefully why the situation we were in would never have happened with them (cos they are not total cowboys, I reckon!).

It is years since we needed an overdraft.

We wanted something helpful and ethical, and I think we have found it!

(we also have a fairly local branch which helps!)

[OtterInaSkoda]

weegie I appreciate the strictness, too. Elsewhere I've been allowed to rack up bank fees - so yes I avoid a bollocking but who benefits in the end? I am horribly immature when it comes to money but the co-op have taken me in hand, in the best possible way, which I think is very ethical (lol at precious' friend's shoe argument!).

[milknosugarplease]

argh! god ill be grey before im 22 at this rate!...just spoke to them as i need to get a statement from the with my address on etc- stopped statements as i do internet banking...
the bloke said "i need to autherise this with my manager" (okkkk its a piece of paper but w/e!) the the most patronising moron who i hate dealing with but yet he only ever seems to be working when i ring or go in!!!
comes on the phone aand goes
"hello there love (grrrrrrrrrr) i hear you need a statement from us"

"yes i do"

"can i ask why"

"i need it to take to lloyds bank to open up an account ewith them"

"are you not happy with the service you've recieved" "no, check my file and you ll see complaints"

"ok darling ill take your word for it"

"well can i request a statement please"

"you can REQUEST one but cant promise it hahahahaha"

"to be honest im not in a laughing mood your complete lack of proffesionalism is just one of the many reasons why im not happy witrh your service"

"i didnt realise you were unhappy with our service i aplogise "

FFS! ITS LIKE ARE YOU DEAF OR JUST STUPID!

am going to lloyds now. i dont need a student account now as im working so need it to put in my wages. i walked into lloyds and ints like a whole new world in there!!!!

[oldraver]

My son had an account with Twatwest since birth. He had several hudnred pounds a month deposited from the age of 16, yet therefused to give him a proper debit card even when he turned 18. All his friends were being offered credit, credit cards and overdrafts (he didnt actually want any of that) just a proper debit card. He eventually went to Barclays. He had been with Twatfestwest for 20 odd years by then

[dawntigga]

Firstly, log a formal complaint with your bank and ask for a reference. Your bank will have signed up to this. Allow time for your bank to respond to your complaint. Log everything down. If you don't feel comfortable phoning them write to their head office instead and mark it for the attention of the CEO, I've included the big 2's ceo's here:

Barclays - John Varley
RBS/NatWest - Stephen Hester

You'll have the had office address of your bank somewhere on your statement etc.

After they have dealt with your complaint if you are still not satisfied you can contact the banking ombudsman here

Banks have dedicated teams to deal with complaints and it's a sad fact if the complaint goes through the directors offices they are dealt with quicker.

You can still do this even if you aren't a customer any more.

NotDivulgingHowSheKnowsThisTiggaxx

[dawntigga]

milk can you mail me and let me know which bank it was?

MightBeAbleToHelpTiggaxx

[weegiemum]

tigga - we have also put in a formal complaint (as well as leaving ... )

And it is amazing what they are prepared to offer us now .... too bloody late!

[milknosugarplease]

thank you all for your replies...shows me how rubbish they are!!

herbietea-hiya, im going with lloyds coz my mum and dad have been with them forever and havent had any probs-fingers crossed!! ty for your reply

dawntigga- sorry cant figure out how to message you comps gone mad- its poxy natwest

going to sort out new account on friday then its GOODBYE NATWEST!!!!!!!!!!! YIPPEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!

[milknosugarplease]

DOES CO-OP HAVE ACTUAL BANKS (SORRY SOUNDS DUMB I KNOW!) I WANT TO BE ABLE TO GO INTO THE NANK IYGWIM...LLOYDS IS CLOSE TO MY HOUSE SO IF ANY PROBS I CAN GO IN ALL GUNS BLAZING!

WHICH I DID LAST WEEK AT NATWEST...THEN REALISED IT WAS ACTUALLY MY MISTAKE...THO TBH IT WAS SUCH A SUPRISE THAT THEY HADNT MADE A MISTAKE!!!

woops caps...need to learn to touch type!

x

[MrsMuddle]

I'm with Smile (which is the co-op online bank) and if I go into the Glasgow city centre branch in my lunch hour, I swear it's an oasis of calm.

There's never a queue, and the people are pleasant.

Can't recommend them highly enough.

Oh, and they don't try to sell you more products every time you visit either!

[WebDude]

For Milknsp... Yes, the Co-Op does have brnaches, though not as widely dispersed as some other banks.

When I went to check for a 'branch locator' the front page was all about opening accounts, but then having clicked for more info, I had to click "Back to The Co-operative Bank" to get their main index.

I used to go into their branch in Chester, but it was a bit strange as they didn't handle cash deposits at the branch - it took days to get the account balance to show paid in cash (this is a while ago, 5+ years since I've been to Chester, as I don't work there now) - at that time everything went to some other branch, or their Manchester HQ, causing that delay.

As for your experience, regarding cards, I had a problem with HSBC 18 months ago, when they needed me to go to branch (as I had moved) to collect, but wanted me to bring passport or driving licence. I complained online that I have neither, but they send statements to my home address so why not the card.

They ummed and ahhhed and then sent me a message saying card hard been cancelled (WTF! I didn't ask for that, so no card at all, and no cheque book on that account)

So I enquired how I would be able to get access to my money... Gave me some suggestion about them offering a card for people with handicaps that has no PIN (no PIN - again WTF! does that sound secure to you?)

Anyway, their systems malfunctioned and they sent a card to my home some time soon after, no explanation, and I decided best for me to shut up else they'd block that card!

I take it you now have a passport!

Can be a real pain to open an account if you don't drive (I was never interested, and public transport has worked fine for me).

[weegiemum]

MrsMuddle it is the Glasgow branch we use and they are brilliant!

For some reason there is never a queue at their cashpoint either? Wonder why?

[milknosugarplease]

morning all

i live in north london and cant get onto the blimmin website (co-op) or find out about my neatrest one...shall give it a try later

webdude- i love natwest's idea of secure!! they wont let me access my account online now do anything without proof of i.d apparently yet i went on to get cash without a card...used an out of date passport...accepted it..didnt even look at it!...

and the reason i asked for the card and pin to go to branch was because we dont know the people who liuve under us (maisonette) so dont really want the card and pin in the same door iygwim...

and i rang up to access my a ccount and she asked for my password ( i have 2 accounts so 2 different passwords) i gave the password for the wrong account and her reply was " no its not that could it be your mothers first name? because the password hgere is "...dont flippin GIVE me the password!!!!!!

i still dont have a passport but if a member of you family is a lloyds customer they can "refer" you to an account so im doing it that way.

why do i feel ive spent half my life on the phone to someone in a call centre who couldnt give two shts?!?!?!

but grateful for your replys

[milknosugarplease]

and the reason i asked for the card and pin to go to branch was because we dont know the people who liuve under us (maisonette) so dont really want the card and pin in the same door iygwim...apparently fraud isnt a big issue for natwest!

(i really need to stop writing half sentences!!)

[MrsMuddle]

weegiemum, I worked in the city centre for about four years before I realised it was there. (And that was only because Pret opened over the road and I started going there for lunch!)