Nationwide are pissing me off with their incompetence - is there anywhere better or are they all the same?

[TheArmadillo]

Nationwide are repeatedly pissing me off, through sheer incompetence - and I am thinking of moving my accounts.

Mostly it's minor things and I have still had access to my money and they have sorted things out eventually.

However a change of address took 5 years to complete!!! and it's things like that that piss me off and the branch I use has some of the most incompetent staff I have come accross.

And getting to a branch is a pain as there isn't one near enough to my house, or to my work and so it always requires a special trip.

Their latest incompetence has pissed me off as it has taken 2 phonecalls (which they always end up telling me I need to go into a branch to sort out) and 3 trips to a branch (with another trip needed) to sort out something they have mucked up again. Not to mention the complicated forms to fill out - 1 trip to collect, 1 phone call to help me fill it in and another trip to return, and then they apparently lost it anyway.

I wouldn't mind so much if it was somewhere I could call into on my lunchhour or similar.

And the amount of times they stop cheque claiming you don't have the money and charge you for it, when they have forgotten YET AGAIN you have an overdraft, so you have to spend ages sorting that out and getting refunds - which pisses off the person you have paid the cheque to understandably.

So am I kidding myself that anywhere else won't make similar mistakes.

Any recommendations?

That does sound like moer than normal to me. try speaking to friends and family for recommendations of local branchs and then see which is cloest.

Internet banking - 24 hour service, great service online or at the end of the phone.

We use First Direct - if you need to pay something in then we go to HSBC, but sure you can use other banks.

I have friends who use Smile, who speak highly of them.

I bank with Cooperative, and they are great. Because there are so few branches (I've never been to one) the phone support is really, really good, and they never say you need to go in to a branch to do anything (I can only compare with Barclays and Lloyds, both of which I used to bank with, and found endlessly frustrating on the phone).

For the times when you need a 'branch', you use the Post Office - that's where I pay in my cheques. Post Offices are everywhere (except when they've been closed down...), and more likely to be open late and on Saturday mornings.

Another advantage is that you know you're money is being used ethically.

sorry - your money, not you're money... (oops!)

Another vote for first direct. I have been with them ever since they first started, and have only ever had them make one mistake, which they sorted out instantly over the phone.

I can't rate First Direct highly enough. You get straight through to a person and I have always found them really helpful.

I bank with nationwide and haven't ever had problems, have mortgages & 3 diff accounts. Perhaps it's just luck of the draw?

Smile. totally recommend them, and ethical too . or tridos bank who reinvest profits into the community- also highly professional.

oops should have been triodos!

thanks for these opinions.

Can't really get opinions from family as guess who both sides bank wtih

Will discuss it with dp tonight.

I know a part of it is just bad luck, but today after being told the wrong info 3 times by the one branch I can actually get to (and they keep doing this ) I think I have had nearly enough of it.

Thanks

when you move which branches will you have near you?

I don;t know.

Depends where exactly we move to.

Fair point though, it may be worth relooking at it when I do move.

Also if you are going to be renting etc it may be better to wait until you are moved full stop!!! How are the plans going to escape your parents?

You have my sympathy - they have turned into right awkward bastards!

I've been with Nationwide for years and had my mortgage with them. Always thought they were fantastic - until now! We moved abroad 2 years ago, but keep an account to pay the odd UK type bill and a UK loan/credit card. They removed my overdraft facility one month without notifying me, which bounced everything and caused all sorts of hassle.

We moved house. I filled in the form and they changed details of the bank account, but not my credit card. Tried to use cc, and it wouldn't work. It was on stop because statement returned. I rang them, filled in more forms, but basically they have a problem that cannot be resolved until i physically present myself in a branch and sign something.

In the meantime they cannot stop sending my statement to the old address despite me going through the security screening on the phone. They can't even just not send it! I am sooo pissed off about this. The risk attached to it worries me but can't do anything about it til back in UK at Xmas......You have my sympathy - they have turned into right awkward bastards!

i like the nationwide becuase it doesn't have shareholders.

i use it for my child benefit and occasion savings rather than a current account.

i bank with the co-operative. the nearest branch to me is 20 iles away in brighton.

this has never been a rpoblem - i cannot praise the telephone banking system highly enough, there is sometimes a wait, but the operatives are always more than helpful.

and remember it is ethical banking.

Yes you are right.

I am a bit calmer than i was earlier as well - was pissed off with them. Plus it was re money I need to move and I was panicing that cos of their cockup I wouldn't have it in time. Hoping it will all be ok.

Plans fine - we now know that lodger is def coming with us, bit of panic over that is sorted.

Just waiting till I actually find somewhere and give my parents notice at which point I assume they will kick up a fuss.

Despite the oh 6 months or so notice.

It's all good atm.

Thanks for asking.

Interesting to hear someone else has had cock up over change of address.

I was lucky that the previous address was my parents, not some strangers, else it could have been really risky.

But come on 5 years!! 2 branches!! how many mistakes do you have to make for that (at one point they changed another family members details to my address, while leaving mine at previous address - aargghh).

I may look into co-op, but I think realistically (now I have calmed down - blame the PMT ) that it will be better to wait until I have moved.