Nationwide refuses to give me my own money, help needed please.

[Captain Wesker]

I am on Carers allowance, and was expecting a payemnt Thursday, which didn't happen. I went into the branch, as I needed the £7 in the account to get home and buy milk/bread, to be told I could not have it. They stated the terms on the account(which I have had for 10+ years as a parachute account) state that counter withdrawals can not be made for under £100, which came into force at the end of July. After arguing the point for nearly 10 minutes, very loudly, and being told that I should go to the post office to get it(WTF) and pointing out many time how many times they could have given me my money by now to the two staff that were involved, I saw a mate walking past who was able to lend me the £3 so i could make a deposit and withdraw from the machine.

 

This has to be illegal? I get under £100 each week, and I need every penny.

 

I posted this in the Nationewide section, but have had no response, and need one for monday, when I get my next payment.

 

Thanks

[Rhia]

Nationwide has really lost the plot. It's not that they won't give you your money is it? It's that they refuse to pay you over the counter. I suspect they are getting a lot of complaints over this policy. Is it illegal? I wouldn't think so as it's their T&Cs although it could be deemed to be an unfair practice. What with this and the charging to withdraw money abraod I suspect they are trying to close down accounts that are modest (like yours) or deter those who just use them for holiday cash.

 

I am sure they have other bright ideas up their sleeves. They really should stop pretending to be a mutual and admit they are a bank in all but name.

 

All I would suggest is get your carers allowance paid into a Post Office account and you can get it directly over the counter there (that's assuming it's convenient). The only other thing you can do is make an official complaint to them and/or close your account.

[caledfwlch]

Complain with your feet and move to another bank.

 

A post office card account will only be suitable for you, if you don't use your debit/ATM card to pay in shops and withdraw money from ATM's. A PO Card will only allow you to withdraw from a post office branch whilst they are open, you cannot have direct debits, use the card to make payments, or do anything, other than go into a PO during opening hours and withdraw cash

[Captain Wesker]

If I had a debit card I could make withdrawals over the counter. Its a cash card account with no cheque or debit facilities(I prefer it that way) and as such the only way to make withdrawals that are not amounts of £10 is via the counter.

 

As such it is a refusal to give me my money, as there is no possible way to get to it otherwise.

[caledfwlch]

If I had a debit card I could make withdrawals over the counter. Its a cash card account with no cheque or debit facilities(I prefer it that way) and as such the only way to make withdrawals that are not amounts of £10 is via the counter.

 

As such it is a refusal to give me my money, as there is no possible way to get to it otherwise.

 

I have a Natwest Step account. There are no credit facilities, no cheques, nothing, just a bog standard Visa debit card, which means that if I buy stuff by my debit card I now have protections. A debit card can only be used if there is money in the account - it was a Solo, but Natwest are busy upgrading solo debit cards to visa for those added protections.

[Captain Wesker]

Yeah, I dont want any facilities at all. Thats why im trying to open another account with Lloyds TSB. No facilities whatsoever and I can make counter withdrawals.