NatWest Collections Department denying me access to my account

[Hepburn-C]

I have exceeded my overdraft limit on my NatWest current account, and it has now been passed to their Collections Department.

 

Collections have cancelled my debit card and asked me to return my card and cheque book, but they are also denying me access to the account via telephone and internet banking. When I log-in to internet banking, the account is no-longer listed. When I use their automated telephone banking service I'm told my account details are not recognised. Any member of staff I speak to tells me that a 'block' has been placed on the account and they cannot discuss any details with me - I have to speak to Collections.

 

Stopping me from making any further transactions is understandable, but I now have no access to the account whatsover. I don't know my balance, I can't order a statement or get details of any transactions or charges.

 

I've written to NatWest explaining my financial circumstances and offered to pay a fixed amount each month. I received a letter from them today informing me that blocking access to the account was done to 'prompt me' to call Collections, and access to the account will only be restored once I've phoned them and agreed a repayment plan. The letter gives a figure for how much they claim I now owe NatWest, a figure which is far higher than when the account was first passed to Collections.

 

I completely accept that the overdraft has to be cleared, and have offered to pay them, but I feel intimidated that they are not allowing me any access to the account at all unless I discuss the matter over the phone. I'm also concerned that I now have no-way of finding out what the status of the account is, and how much I actually owe them.

 

If you have an account with a bank, surely they are required to provide you with statements and details of your transactions and charges?

 

Any advice, please?!

[Hardupnotfedup]

I think you need to make a complaint to the FOS.

How long they will take to respond though is anyone's guess.

Have you been through Nat West internal complaints procedure.

Is your salary being paid into this account, and are you able to access money for priority bills, food etc.

[count orlok]

Open an acount at a different bank, and stop servicing the account. Do not phone natwest, if they phone you tell them only in writing and hang up.

 

don't return your card, destroy it.

 

Write to them telling them what you can afford after you have worke out how much you have left after paying essntials. If on benefits this would only be a token payment becasue by their nature they are the minimum you need to live on. Claim back bank charges.

[Seminole]

Personally, if it were me, I'd go into a branch and make a fuss until they gave you a statement showing you the balance on the account as at the last statement and any transactions since.

 

Alternatively write to them and say that you will only engage them in a discussion when you have an up to date breakdown of the account that you can reconcile back to your previous statement.

 

In the meantime open a new account if you don't have one and rearrange your banking affairs.

 

Don't let them intimidate you which is precisely what they are trying to do. It's extremely unlikely that you will have any meaningful banking relationship with them going forward. They are now a creditor wanting money. You need to make sure that the amount they are claiming is correct and you are in charge of how much they receive. Their actions have weakened their position and you are in the driving seat.

[Hepburn-C]

Alternatively write to them and say that you will only engage them in a discussion when you have an up to date breakdown of the account that you can reconcile back to your previous statement.

 

In the meantime open a new account if you don't have one and rearrange your banking affairs.

 

 

Thanks for all the advice. I've now openened an account with another bank. I wrote to NatWest telling them I was prepared to make regular monthly payments to clear the debt, and asked them to send copies of my bank statements and a break down of interest and charges. The letter was sent at the beginning of this month, and I still haven't received a reply.

 

Should I submit a Subject Access Request? Surely there must be some legsislation that states that if I have an account with a bank they are obliged to provide me with statements in some shape or form?

[unclebulgaria67]

Thanks for all the advice. I've now openened an account with another bank. I wrote to NatWest telling them I was prepared to make regular monthly payments to clear the debt, and asked them to send copies of my bank statements and a break down of interest and charges. The letter was sent at the beginning of this month, and I still haven't received a reply.

 

Should I submit a Subject Access Request? Surely there must be some legsislation that states that if I have an account with a bank they are obliged to provide me with statements in some shape or form?

 

Make a complaint to the collections department and threaten to take this to the FOS about the way the account has been handled. NatWest would get charged a £500 case fee by the FOS if you took it that far.

[harrassed senior]

I think a SAR would be the quickest answer. Obviously you should complain to the FOS, but as said that could take some time. A SAR is £10 but they only have 40 days and have to send you everything they hold on you and your dealings with them.

[Iwonthaveit]

guys I know this is an old thread and I am not trying to hijack but I must be only person on earth allowed to take funds whilst in the collections dept but wait the reason why I was allowed to take funds out of my account was my account was at Branch level something the case handler who claims to be highly trained omitted in her final response letter.

[aspence]

A similar thing happened to me not all that long ago. I tried explaining to the (endless amount of) people I spoke to that I was in a considerable amount of debt, but that I had signed with a debt management company to rectify the situation. They basically didn't care and demanded that I pay off my £2000 overdraft off in ridiculously high monthly installments, which in addition to the payments I was making to my debt management company and those lenders who had refused to be referred, I've been struggling to have any money to live on for the past 12 months and sometimes went over my overdraft limit causing £6 a day charges. I finished paying off my overdraft amount and learned from my debt management company that it all could have been referred through them and I could have paid off a fraction of the amount.

Goes without saying that I intend on leaving Natwest.

[martinfrancais1]

Hi I owe Natwest £600 which is made up completely of charges. Have another account with them into which benefits are paid. They have now denied me access to this account. Can they do this?

[panther12]

Hi I owe Natwest £600 which is made up completely of charges. Have another account with them into which benefits are paid. They have now denied me access to this account. Can they do this?

 

Do a search for “right of appropriation”. Not sure if there’s a letter in the template library but they can’t deny access to your own money needed to cover living expenses. Always best to open a basic account with another bank to have money paid in so they can’t touch it.

 

That's handy, click on the highlighted link takes you to the library.

[t_k]

Open up a basic account with someone like the Co-operative and have any benefits paid into there.

You need to take Natwest out of the picture completely with regards to any benefit payments.