NatWest Basic Account Reviews

Ratings based on 557 reviews Last review 2 months ago

NatWest Basic Account reviews come from people like you! With so many different current accounts now available, you can read these honest NatWest Basic Account reviews to find out what life as a NatWest customer is really like. And remember, if you...

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NatWest Basic Account reviews come from people like you! With so many different current accounts now available, you can read these honest NatWest Basic Account reviews to find out what life as a NatWest customer is really like. And remember, if you are a NatWest customer, you can write a short review here to help other potential customers. Smart Money People is the UK's leading financial services review site and dedicated to being an independent and honest source of NatWest Basic Account reviews. Together, we can make financial services work better for everyone.

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Your Basic Account Reviews (557)

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16th September 2020

VERY SHADY AND UNTRUSTWORTHY BANK

After banking with NatWest for over 5 years, I've recently had my account closed down overnight without doing anything wrong or given any explanation, only that they consider that i have broken their terms and conditions which i haven't. All my funds...

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After banking with NatWest for over 5 years, I've recently had my account closed down overnight without doing anything wrong or given any explanation, only that they consider that i have broken their terms and conditions which i haven't. All my funds have been withheld and are being withheld by the bank for up to 60 days. After carefully reading the bank's terms and conditions, i am 110% sure i have not broken any, definitely NOT committed any fraud (reason why bank can withhold funds for up to 60 days). After being told that my account was closed by going in branch and speaking with the account closure team a couple of times. I find out today that my account is still active and receives funds although i have no access to it or to any funds on it. I've asked for my bank statements up until the account closure so i know the exact amount i'm supposed to get back as all my salary and any kind of funds are stuck there, today after speaking with the Account closure team, i find out that i only have around 600£ out of 3183£ but why i ask, the answer being that its maybe related to the to the personal loan i have taken out and the credit card money i owe , mentioning that i have paid money in my credit card account and last time i've spoken to the closure team i have been instructed to arrange a standing order just a few days before the normal paying date on my new bank account(with another bank) to pay back the money i owe in instalments as i did until now. The bank has taken the liberty of paying off the loan and credit card apparently out of my funds without my consent and without me knowing. I cant believe this has happened and i don't see how this can be legal, it is my money and the decision to close down my account was not mine and i have not done anything wrong. I dont understand how an institution so big can commit such acts and take money from me without my consent. For anyone reading, please do not open an account with this SHADY BANK!!!!

Theo's avatarTheo
(0)
4th July 2020

Great account for those with poor credit

I was unfortunately in a position of having extremely poor credit but Nat West offered a lifeline and opened my account with no fuss. They were professional but sensitive in all aspects. Super set ice

Anthony Tony Parker's avatarAnthony Tony Parker
(0)
31st March 2020

Appalling service and incompetency

Utterly appalling service and...

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Utterly appalling service and incompetency.
I tried 3 times to move a direct debit payment for a NatWest loan from my NatWest account so that I could close the account. I sent off the required form to the Manchester address twice - no result. I then went into the branch at Covent Garden where they did the same - sending it via the normal post and ALSO through their internal mail system. No result - the payments were still debited from the NatWest account. I was told I could make a complaint from the Covent Garden Branch and stayed to do so, staying with the manager in his office waiting on the 'phone for almost 20 minutes. Unfortunately, the complaints team must have been very busy that day as we never got through to anyone. After 20 mins I had to go back to work but the manager kindly stayed on the 'phone to wait. He rang me later in the afternoon to say that he had got through but couldn't make a complaint as I had not been with him in the office at the time. The direct debit - almost a year after I first started to try to change it is still coming out of the NatWest account I wanted to leave. I also went into the Strand branch where they were less helpful - they said it was nothing to do with the branch and couldn't help although they did say they would try and call someone. I sat waiting in my lunch hour. The lady who went to call had still not returned after almost 15 minutes and I left.
Today, trying to help my mother who is elderly and has no online banking we spent an hour waiting for someone to answer the phone. A fortnight ago, mum went round and round the automated system before giving up trying to speak to someone.
At the present time, all phone helplines are of course very busy - but I have called the mortgage company, a loan company and a credit card company within the last few days - waiting a maximum of 15 minutes to speak to someone, and in 2 cases, considerably less.

NatWest - I don't believe you couldn't have arranged the direct debit to be taken from another bank, I don't believe you make a proper effort to provide easy access to telephone service with an agent - very important for those who are elderly.
I am very happy to be contacted about what I consider to be dirty tricks.

Craig Edwards's avatarCraig Edwards
(0)
31st March 2020

Appalling service and incompetency

Utterly appalling service and...

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Utterly appalling service and incompetency.
I tried 3 times to move a direct debit payment for a NatWest loan from my NatWest account so that I could close the account. I sent off the required form to the Manchester address twice - no result. I then went into the branch at Covent Garden where they did the same - sending it via the normal post and ALSO through their internal mail system. No result - the payments were still debited from the NatWest account. I was told I could make a complaint from the Covent Garden Branch and stayed to do so, staying with the manager in his office waiting on the 'phone for almost 20 minutes. Unfortunately, the complaints team must have been very busy that day as we never got through to anyone. After 20 mins I had to go back to work but the manager kindly stayed on the 'phone to wait. He rang me later in the afternoon to say that he had got through but couldn't make a complaint as I had not been with him in the office at the time. The direct debit - almost a year after I first started to try to change it is still coming out of the NatWest account I wanted to leave. I also went into the Strand branch where they were less helpful - they said it was nothing to do with the branch and couldn't help although they did say they would try and call someone. I sat waiting in my lunch hour. The lady who went to call had still not returned after almost 15 minutes and I left.
Today, trying to help my mother who is elderly and has no online banking we spent an hour waiting for someone to answer the phone. A fortnight ago, mum went round and round the automated system before giving up trying to speak to someone.
At the present time, all phone helplines are of course very busy - but I have called the mortgage company, a loan company and a credit card company within the last few days - waiting a maximum of 15 minutes to speak to someone, and in 2 cases, considerably less.

NatWest - I don't believe you couldn't have arranged the direct debit to be taken from another bank, I don't believe you make a proper effort to provide easy access to telephone service with an agent - very important for those who are elderly.
I am very happy to be contacted about what I consider to be dirty tricks.

Craig Edwards's avatarCraig Edwards
(0)
7th March 2020

Malevolent scrutiny!

Utterly disappointed with the ridiculous policies the bank implements....

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Utterly disappointed with the ridiculous policies the bank implements.
When you withdraw a large sum of money (apparently for Natwest 3000 is large) you have to tell the bank what you are going to use it for! What? and how is it your business at all? You would not even have this money if I did not decide to place it into my natwest account! Naughty and potentially discriminating! I wonder if they apply the policy in Westminster or Notting Hill with their thick pocket clients?

Beata's avatarBeata
(0)
18th February 2020

A nightmare to deal with them after a bereavement

I was living overseas, and both my wife and I had Natwest accounts. Natwest first demanded I provide information while refusing to say why but with the threat hey would close my account if I didn't give it to them. They refused to tell me where to...

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I was living overseas, and both my wife and I had Natwest accounts. Natwest first demanded I provide information while refusing to say why but with the threat hey would close my account if I didn't give it to them. They refused to tell me where to send it saying it would be in an email that they didn't send, and when I rang the second time and they started again I hung up.

My complaints on the way the calls had gone only focused of course on the fact that I hung up, it ignored that I was practically begging them to tell me over the phone where to send what they wanted.

Natwest have a habit of that, listening and reading only as much as they want, with an attitude 'if you don't like it go to the ombudsman'.

They closed my account anyway, and made clear, they were under no obligation to say why!

My wife they just wrote and said they were closing her account, very sorry etc., but they also wouldn't say why. It was an account I was putting money into pay for her cancer treatment, I asked them not to, they ignored me completely and they did of course close it, and put the funds into some dormant account. She couldn't do anything with the cheque they sent because she had no other sterling account.

She passed away from the cancer, and since then it has been a battle with natwest all the way. First writing to advise them she died, which they simply acknowledged. Ringing them up, the person on the phone refused to tell me what to send to get the money that was in the dormant account back, but I could write to Bereavement Services (BS).

The BS department ignored every part of my letter and just sent me the same response I already had.

I rang them up about this, complained no one read my extensive letter, and I was then promised a cheque would be sent out.

I also at the same time complained.

When nothing arrived, I got back onto them yet again, only to be told now, I needed to get a Grant of Probate, in order to protect the customers funds. Err, that is the dead customer, whose funds were put into the account by me, from my own natwest account?!

I finally received an email telling me I needed to get a grant of probate.

Someone also rang me to discuss this, but by now, with natwest lying to me, refusing to tell me what was needed, lying to me again, when the person on the phone started with the usual garbage about recording the call for 'training and quality', I lost it, and hung up.

I emailed them asking for details of the money that was in the dormant account so I could get it back, but that was ignored.

I received then a letter that ignored most of my complaint, said they had no idea what happened, but I needed to get a grant of probate. They failed to tell me anything usefull that would be necessary to get that grant of probate.

I emailed again, and was ignored.

I made another complaint, which was in December, and I've only received the response now 8 weeks later 18 February, telling me I hung up them so it was my fault I didn't receive information.

However, finally, after 4 months of constantly contacting this bank, I finally have the information I need to do what the bank demands I must do in order to get my own money back!

Oh, they also said, where I complained about their response to the first complaint, they 'think it was fair'.

Yeah, I'm sure they do.

There are so many reviews of how this bank behaves towards customers, this approach that I have dealt with seems now deliberate policy.

I would hope the ombudsman does something, and yes I have made a complaint, but I don't hold my hopes too high that this arrogant bank will be brought to heal.

If you have an account, I really recommend moving to somewhere else.

John Smith's avatarJohn Smith
(0)
8th February 2020

Lacks presence in main shopping centres

Like other banks the smaller shops have been closed. It’s disappointing that a place like Meadowhall doesn’t even have a NatWest cash machine let along a bank with people to actually speak to

Balacath 's avatarBalacath
(0)

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