Hello Caggers,

Hope I am posting in the right area

- I would appreciate some advice please on text messages I am receiving from NatWest regarding 'getting their mobile App'.

We are at a slatemate as I perceive them to be marketing texts,

which I am opted out of,

but NatWest are insistent that these are service texts

and is a communication which can be relevant to the maintenance of my account.

I would like some advice as to whether I should be persuing this further and if so, how.

I'll give you the back story, apologies if this is lengthy:

In November 2016,

after finally having had enough of the numerous text messages I was receiving from NatWest,

I made a formal complaint and asked for the messages to stop.

In December 2016,

NatWest sent their response saying that they did not uphold my complaint as I had been opted out of marketing information on all platforms since 2011 and that these messages were service texts which I agreed to receive as per their terms and conditions.

Whilst I was prepared to concede that messages informing me of how much I could put into my ISA account would be "relevant to the operation and maintenance of my account",

I did not feel that text messages asking me to sign up to a Rewards account for a monthly fee,

engaging in Twitter discussions and messages encouraging me to download their App (complete with web link)

were relevant and sought assistance from the Financial Ombudsman.

In February 2017,

the Financial Ombudsman upheld my complaint,

stating that some of the messages would be deemed marketing texts,

albeit they did not specify which messages they were or how many.

NatWest agreed and I was offered a small amount of compensation.

Though I was not entirely happy that they could not guarantee I would not receive any more text messages,

I accepted the findings and offered that my mobile number should be removed from their databases should I not be happy going forwards.

This resolution was agreed by all parties.

Since then,

I have had monthly text messages from NatWest relating to new/improved features on their mobile App,

all ending in "Get yours today at natwest.com/gettheapp".

I am quite 'old school' and don't need the App in order to do my banking and felt that these would still come under marketing texts.

Last month,

I sent a letter to NatWest's complaint department,

asking them to invoke the agreement to remove my mobile number from their databases, explaining why.

Today,

I have received a final response from NatWest.

They have agreed to remove my mobile number from their databases,

but do not uphold my overall complaint as

"the texts to which you refer to are service texts in that they are advising you of a service we provide that you could benefit from."

This statement, to me,

is contradictory as the whole point of marketing information is to advise people of a service that they could benefit from. Service information should be updates or changes to services they already use.

The clause in the terms and conditions that NatWest refer to is as follows:

1.9 Communications about your account

1.9.1 We will contact you with information relevant to the operation and maintenance of your

account by a variety of means including via online banking, mobile banking, email, text

message, post and/or telephone. If at any point in the future you change your contact

details you should tell us promptly about those changes.

I see nothing in the above about what would be deemed as "relevant to the operation and maintenance to my account."

By NatWest's own admission when the case went to the FOS that some of the text messages I was being sent would be deemed marketing, it would appear that there is a fine line between what is deemed marketing and what is deemed a service text.

I would love to take this up further,

even if it was just to get some clarification as to whether this was an acceptable type of service text,

but would like some thoughts as to whether I would have a case and how to go about it.

It seems such a shame that I have to put myself at risk of fraud as NatWest will no longer be able to reach me promptly, but this appears to be the only way I can stop the text messages.

Look forward to hearing from some of you in due course,

GS.

well block the text number then simples!

IMO it is a Service Alert message for an App for Direct Banking by phone etc. You don't have to download the App and can delete/ignore any message received, like any 'junk mail'.

Nat West is part of RBS, who are also informing their customers of the same app.

My phone won't let me block numbers dx, would have done it ages ago if I could.

I get the whole delete/ignore thing, but it all seems so ambigious as to what is a service text and what is a marketing text. I get details of changes to the service via post, which I know I am obliged to receive and have no problems with.

I hate dealing with my phone at the best of times (have suffered from anxiety attacks in the not-so-distant past) and seeing a text message pop up from 'NatWest' can get me in a fluster and it actually gets me really worked-up to find out it is nothing important. NatWest are aware of my anxiety attacks for what it's worth.

Well, obviously, now they can't send me any more texts as they've deleted my number, but as I said, shame that I have had to resort to this in order for a quiet life

All phones can

Which phone is it?

It's a 7-year-old Palm Pixi (yeah, I know!)

I've decided to look into changing the bank I use, as I think this is I would have to do as a long-term solution. Not going to rush into it though, I can pick up some literature from my local banks over the coming days/weeks and read through it and take it from there. In the meantime, I will let this issue lie.

It is good though to have a 'neutral' perspective on things and have someone who is not close to the issue cast an eye over it, so thank you to you and Mariner51 for your input and for letting me use the forum to have a mini-rant.

Until next time ,

GS