NatWest won’t give me a new account after 50 years of loyalty
I TRIED to open an executor’s account with NatWest after my mother died earlier this year, but I have faced one complication after another.
At one stage, branch staff demanded to see the original death certificate even though I had a copy certified by the Probate Registry.
They then said I’d failed a credit rating even though I’ve been with the bank for 50 years and have several accounts with them.
Mr G. S., Berkshire.
MY HUSBAND died six months ago and he dealt with all our finances. On February 13, I applied to open a current account with NatWest. I had £40,000 in savings with the bank earning 0.01 pc interest, yet it declined saying I had a low credit score.
After a tearful day and many calls to the Ombudsman and Experian, I gave up and went to Barclays where I easily opened an account.
Today, I asked to move £20,000 into a NatWest Isa paying 1 pc and was declined again. What is going on?
Mrs J. G., Peterborough.
You are not the only one who would like to know what is going on. I received your letters within a week of each other. Both of you are recently bereaved and have been rejected by NatWest, supposedly because of a low credit score.
If someone is rejected from taking a loan because of a credit score I could understand it. But to be prevented from opening an executor account or a cash Isa, especially when you have considerable savings with the bank, suggests something is very amiss.
I’m still trying to get to the bottom of this because the explanations I have received make no sense.
NatWest has told me that when somebody opens an executor’s account, a flag is put on that customer which prevents them from opening another account until probate has been obtained. If that’s really the case, then executors beware! But this still doesn’t explain why you were rejected from opening an executor’s account.
My suspicion is that in both cases staff had been poorly trained. When difficulties arose, the easy option was to blame credit scoring.
NatWest clearly needs to take a long, hard look at the way it treats bereaved customers and examine the level of training given to staff who deal with complex and emotional issues.
In both cases, NatWest made customers’ lives more stressful and difficult instead of seeking to support and help them.
It paid £250 compensation to Mr S and the executor’s account is up and running — though I understand there are still ongoing issues. Mrs G has been allowed to move her money into the higherpaying Isa and NatWest has added £100 compensation.
It also provided a gift box after her failed attempt to open a current account.
MY WIFE and I had a Direct Access Savings account with Standard Life that was transferred to Barclays in May
2012. We recently decided to claim the balance of £80.54 plus any interest, but were advised the account had been archived.
We were told to go to a branch with ID. However, the teller could not trace the account and said we must have withdrawn the money. They then said to contact the British Bankers’ Association — but it was also unable to trace the account.
B. L., Midlothian.
BarclaYS has given you the runaround — and completely unnecessarily. It seems that your money did not go missing at all. You transferred it to a Bank of Scotland account in 2013. Why someone couldn’t have just told you this instead of asking you to go into the branch and fill in all those forms is beyond me. The mylostaccount. org. uk service is free and very useful. You can also phone 020 7216 8909 for lost bank accounts, 020 7520 5900 for building society accounts and 08085 007 007 for NS&I.
I BOUGHT a Chevrolet Spark from a dealer in Aberdeenshire. It closed down and the business was transferred to a dealer in Aberdeen, which, a few months later, also shut and told me the nearest agent was in Dundee.
I am 86, have health issues and drive only to local shops and the doctor’s surgery.
I have now received a product recall. A Vauxhall dealership nearby arranged for my car to be collected, believing it to be a Vauxhall. Now it has informed me it can’t do the work.
I was asked if a family member could drive the car to Dundee — not possible — then it suggested asking my insurance company or the AA to help.
The RAC told me it would cost £205. Can you help?
G. K., Aberdeenshire.
I’M afraId aberdeenshire is a little far from my home, otherwise I’d be happy to drive your car.
car manufacturers have a legal obligation to undertake product recalls, but that doesn’t necessarily extend to getting the car to and from the garage.
However, I contacted Vauxhall, which is mainly owned by General Motors, the owner of chevrolet, and it responded quickly.
The dealer in aberdeen is not an authorised repairer of chevrolet products, but arrangements have been made to carry out the recall on this occasion.
The necessary parts will be delivered to aberdeen from the chevrolet-authorised repairer in Perth. The dealer has also arranged to collect and return the car to you.