Whiskas v Nationwide

[whiskas]

It seems they are closing accounts and not closing accounts...what's the latest?

[petewill19]

Hi Whiskas

The general trend, I believe, is to NOT close accounts now (unless you are pursuing a second or multiple claims). I think i am right in saying that all of us who have had a settlement/part settlement in the last few weeks have had a letter detailing the refunds and saying basically that they (NWide) cannot offer a 'free' bank account and suggest that if we are not prepared to abide by their Terms & Conditions in the future, we should bank elsewhere. I believe several subscribers to this forum were in the process of filing complaints for retaliatory account closures against NWide, through the Financial Ombudsman Service, after Alliance & Leicester were fined for the same action. Hope this answers your query and if anyone else can confirm this....or even correct me....then please do!!

[Nick SPX]

It all seems a bit haphazard to me. Sometimes they close, sometimes they don't. Depends on the vindicitiveness on the day.....

 

After Alliance and Leicester were fined, it does bode better for us though...

[whiskas]

Thanks so much for the replies. Yes it seems they aren't closing accounts but then will for the odd claim. Just shows how they aren't handling this influx of claims if they have no set rule on the closure of accounts. I am gonna put a "we have been with you for umpteen years and have generally been happy and don't see the need for account closure" greasey statement at the bottom of my preliminary letter! I am going to open a parachute account in case but just don't want to have to move accounts as I have an overdraft, stacks of direct debits etc etc.

 

I wonder if it depends on the amount of your claim or whether it's who refunds your money on the day or what mood they are in! Pathetic!

[Nick SPX]

I wouldn't raise it at all unless they do.........

[indebtstudent]

I second that, I work in a branch and I don't know the position on account closure. We're kept in the dark generally about the actual process.

[whiskas]

Thanks guys.

[whiskas]

Hi there, I sent my preliminary letter asking for re-inbursement of the charges applied 12 days ago, they have two more days to reply. Am I right in thinking that I should sent my letter before action whether they have replied or not? I gave them two weeks and so far nothing!

[Varangian3]

yes whiskas - go for it

:D

 

Follow the guidance on the website and don't let them distract you. This is a standard tactic.

[whiskas]

Thanks for the reply, I get cracking!

Just a quick question, I have sent both my request for statements and the preliminary letter to the Data Protection Team in Northampton. Do I use the same address for LBA? There is different advice on this website so a bit confuzzled!

[whiskas]

Hi, just wondered which address to send LBA to? Have so far sent statement request and preliminary letter to the Data Protection Team, does it go to the same address? Thanks in advance

[julien35]

Hi Whiskas

 

I sent my lba to:

 

Nationwide Building Society

Branch Service Centre

Electra House

Farnsby Street

Swindon

SN38 9NQ

 

This was the address on the reply letter I got for my prelim

[ladybird17]

Contact Details For Banks(

[Varangian3]

correct

 

I'm just ahead of you whiskas, so my thread will be one for you to follow.

[whiskas]

Thank you!! Can't believe they haven't even responded to my preliminary letter! Just drafting out my LBA now which will be posted on Thursday if I haven't heard from them by then.

Claiming for £1138.82........should just about pay for a nice holiday in the sun eh!!

[Varangian3]

Think yourself lucky

 

The standard reply just says bog off. They don't owe you any money and if you can't abide by their open and transparent charges regime, then you'd be better off banking with someone else

 

Just get the brochures out. Don't give them an inch of room, a day of extra time, or a penny of your money

[whiskas]

Just done my LBA, the thing is I sent my request for statements and my preliminary letter to the Northampton Data Protection Team address.

 

I know the LBA should go to the Swindon address but will they know anything about me if I have corresponded so far with Northampton?

 

Knowing Nationwide the left hand won't know what the right hand is doing!

 

What would you do?

Sorry to be a pain in the rear!

[paul9803]

Hi Whiskas , Snap , my LBA goes out on thursday with a copy of the spreadsheet .Seeya at the finish line .lol

[whiskas]

Hee-Hee! Yes see you at the finish line, good luck!!!!

[whiskas]

Hi there, I sent my preliminary letter a couple of weeks back and was suprised not to hear anything. Sent my LBA two days ago and am now just waiting. I know the next stage is MCOL but just starting to feel nervous...I am claiming £1137 in total but have a £1300 overdraft, just worried now about having that taken off me or my account closed. Am in the process of opening a parachute account but can't get an overdraft to match as yet. Dunno what advice I want really, just feeling despondent as they haven't replied and wondering if this is really gonna work!

Sorry to moan!

[poetsofthefall]

Nationwide will eventually pay up but I cant guaranteed they wont close you account. I am still waiting to see if they are closing mine, from what I've read they are closing most accounts, I guess the more important you are to them from a financial point of view the less likely they are to close your account.

[kelly101]

Nationwide will eventually pay up but I cant guaranteed they wont close you account. I am still waiting to see if they are closing mine, from what I've read they are closing most accounts, I guess the more important you are to them from a financial point of view the less likely they are to close your account.

I settled at the end of March and NW gave me a second chance to abide by their T&Cs. I know someone else who settled at the same time got the same response so don't worry too much about it. Stick with it Whiskas, the odds are stacked against Nationwide unless they can win a case without justifying the charges, which I very much doubt.

 

K.

[whiskas]

Hi there, well today I have finally received a reply to my preliminary letter...a week late and in the meantime have posted my LBA! The reply basically states that "feedback from our members is absolutely invaluableand we are naturally disappointed that we haven't met your expectations on this occasion"...and "if you are having difficulty managing your accout we may be able to agree to provide you with an overdraft factility"........so basically a standard letter! I already have a blinking overdraft facility for god's sake too, it's a bit of an insult that it's so obviously a standard letter and they couldn't just tap up my details and see I have an overdraft which I am having to reduce at sixty quid a month at their request! Grrr... Anyway they have till a week on saturday then I am proceeding with MCOL. Nationwide Sucks!

[inthedark]

The main reason I decided to claim back my charges was the total lack of response from either my local branch or from 'Head office'.

Nationwide had just slapped on a huge load of charges which has really stuffed me and when I appealed to them, nothing. So I decided to claim.

 

I would recommend claiming now and not waiting, as I feel it will be in vain.

[MattyH]

Nationwide are going to get "punished" by me very shortly. I asked them to credit around £120 of charges to get my account back to £0, and then I was going to close it... They refused (obviously) so now I'm going to take them for six years worth, over £1000 in charges.

 

Gee Nationwide... Do the maths on that one!

 

Matt