NatWest

Advantages: Great online banking service, great Customer Service
Disadvantages: Slightly higher charges than their competitors

*About Natwest* Natwest is a well known High Street bank. Formerly known a National Westminster bank, it recently merged with the Royal Bank of Scotland, to create RBS Natwest. 'In 1968 National Provincial Bank and Westminster Bank merged as National Westminster Bank. Together these banks could trace their history back down the centuries through a lineage of prestigious constituents, dating back to the 1650's. The new bank, with 3,600 branches, ...
...of sale in 1988'. Natwest offer a wide range of banking and financial services to Personal, Business and Commercial Customers. I have been a Natwest Bank customer for just over 8 years. I first joined when I left School in June 1997 and got my first job. The job required that my wages be paid direct into a bank account. *Why Natwest?* My mum and dad had been with Natwest for as long as I could remember. It seemed a natural choice for me to bank ... Read review

Advantages: Good customer service, branch facilities, Internet Banking, Lots of branches, longer opening hours
Disadvantages: High charges and fines, Some bad press, Tries to sell you stuff all the time

...There are plenty of NatWest branches dotted around the country, some of them (unnecessarily close together for some reason) so they are convenient for most whom need to regularly visit a branch to pay in money. Most the branches I've visited have a cheerful atmosphere with fairly bright lighting. They all have tables or shelves(?) for you to organise your money and fill out forms on. Pens are chained to pen holders in those areas. 'Quick Deposit' ...
...check my balance outside a NatWest branch in Langley two days before the first suspicious transaction and the O2 transactions were labelled Slough (Langley is in or right near Slough), which I think is a bit too much of a coincidence, so I suspect it was a dodgy ATM machine that let someone 'skim' (copy) my card. Don't know how they got my PIN or whether a PIN was required at all (there are some shops which I find still ask me to sign for credit ... Read review

Advantages: Until you have a problem, they're great. Very quick to spot potentially fraudulent activity on your account
Disadvantages: Absolutely dire at sorting out any problems you have have - expect long delays with no explanation

Having banked with NatWest essentially all my life (well, since I set up my very first bank account with them over 7 years ago), I have never had a problem with them. In fact, if asked, at one point I would have quite happily heartily recommended them to anyone. The service I used to receive in my ex-local branch was second to none. Friendly and helpful Customer Service people. Excellent range of accounts to suit everyones needs. Rates that were ...
...problem. This is where NatWest seem to fall at every hurdle. Let me explain.... Back in January my parents received a strange phone call for me during the course of the day. (Having since moved out of their house but not changed my address with my bank - they took the phone call for me). It was from a guy claiming to be from "the bank" but on questioning he was unwilling to divulge which bank he was from. Now as I only have ever banked with NatWest ... Read review

Advantages: not many but they can be usefull when they get their fingers out theur >>>>
Disadvantages: a lot when they do this

...In my eyes Natwest are definitely the Natworst of the banks available to you and one of the worst that I have ever had to deal with. I will probably keep updating this as things progress to let you know if they get their thumbs out of their ?? and sort things out or not. p.s nearly forgot to tell you that the reason I mentioned the phone was because the fools were still paying for insurance etc for my phone that I had asked to be cancelled ages ago. ...
...so they could not put the blame for their error onto this. What idiots. UPDATE well well after a bit more time spent on the phone to the customer service centre they finally agreed to repay all the charges that they made to my account. The person who handled my call today was polite and pleasent to deal with which leaves me to wonder why they do not train all their staff like this. Especially at my local branch who screwed everything up in the first ... Read review

Advantages: Excellent individual Service
Disadvantages: A little pushy on the loan front as a youngster

I have been with Nat West since I was 16 years old and got my first job after leaving school. At the time I did not have a bank account and the company I went to work for offered a service where they opened an account for you if you did not have one. It was with Nat West as that was where they held their salaries account and at 16 I had no opinions on bank accounts to offer any resistance. I am glad I didn't to be honest and 18 years down the line ...
...another joint account and a business account. As a teenager I was a total idiot when it came to money, and as a result I have managed to have experience with credit zones, over drafts, consolidation loans, credit cards, bank charges and lots and lots of customer service. Most of my experience has turned out positive in the end but I have wasted an awful lot of money in the process. I am slightly more cautious with my money now (although I wouldn't ... Read review