Nationwide Building Society > Reviews (46)

Before you read this review let me just say one thing;

If you're thinking of opening an account with NATIONWIDE then go to the ALLIANCE AND LEICESTER instead - it's a move you won't live to regret. Superior accounts, superior branch staff and much much superior customer service.

Update 18.10.05

This is a good one. When Nationwide decided I wasn't worthy to have my name on the same card as theirs, they told me that I could ask for an upgrade to my card in 6 months. HEY PEOPLE!!! GUESS WHAT!!! THEY DON'T EVEN MAKE THAT EASY!!! SURPRISED??? Read on....
If you ask for an upgrade to your existing card, you would think it would be a simple case of replacing the card you already have and giving you the new one (obviously you have to give them your right arm and a few pints of sweat and blood to get to this stage). It doesn't work that way at all....you have to open a new account to get a new card. Huh??? Really??? Yes really... I know it sounds stupid but to get a new card you have to go through all the hassle of getting new PIN numbers, re-advise your employer of your Bank (and I use the expression "Bank" loosely) details, alter your Direct Debits and Standing Orders... blah, blah, blah.... Sheeeshh... what kind of outfit is this anyway?

They're still going on about how it wouldn't be fair to other customers to look at accounts individually - what they're saying is expect to be treated like a clone - we'll pigeon-hole you and there you'll stay forever and a day or until we decide you're fit to be transferred to the pigeon hole above your current status where once again you'll just be a cloned number and please don't expect us to treat you as an individual just because you've paid in blood because "the computer says no" and there aren't any staff at Nationwide capable of creative thought and they'll use the pre-generated script as set out in the Branch Manual, Section 8, Para 1 - 2 "Stock replies for dealing with customer complaints". Any breach of these procedures will result in the said member of staff being transferred to a real bank... errrr... Sorry... the expression "real bank" does not compute!!! ****Nationwide computer system explodes and staff have to adopt a new system - it's called "thinking"****

Just avoid this crowd. I would too but it has become kind of fun to keep on at them and read their inane answers. Almost 9 months down the road from my original complaint and I swear that the latest letter is a photocopy of the first one I ever received. Oh - incidentally - almost 2 weeks and I'm still waiting for a reply to the message I left on my internet banking site and, to date, the bosses are still passing my letters to the robotic flunkeys to reply to.

Update again next month.

Interim Update 24.09.05

Has anyone tried the message system on the Nationwide Internet Banking site? The idea is that you login, leave a secure message, and they reply within 2 working days. My advice? Don't hold your breath.

*****PERIODICAL UPDATE 11.09.05*****

Seven months down the road and things haven't improved at Nationwide.

I was told that the position would be reviewed after six months of my account being opened but so far I've heard nothing about this.

Again I have to mention their motto "Proud to be different" because in this case it certainly is true, they're WORSE than any of the other high street financial institutions. At least with the likes of HSBC you know that they're profit -driven. This lot like to hide behind the screen of "it's all for the good of the members". From the sullen individuals who inhabit their branches, to the robotic "customer service" staff who pour out their scripted replies, and ending with the men at the top who don't have the courtesey to answer your complaints themselves and just pass them to a flunkey. This really would be a bad move if you're considering switching accounts. They just don't seem to have the ability to see the potential in a new customer. Instead they'll dig out your records from years ago and god forbid that you had the temerity to go through a bad patch - they'll punish you for it forever and a day.

I know people will ask "why just not move your account?". Well, I have all my standing order payments set up, my credit card and mobile phone accounts are paid here too. To be honest I really don't have time for the hassle right now. Anyway - I've already been given full banking facilities elsewhere instead of the piggy bank account that Nationwide seem to think will suffice. Also, I refuse to be beaten by these faceless morons and will continue to report back here periodically to let the public know the score.

The furthest thing from my mind is to constantly criticize and, if it's ever warranted, I'll give them some praise too. Let's just say that I'm not exactly optomistic of that happening in the near future given my experiences to date.

*****FURTHER UPDATE*****

I've decided to put this update at the start of my review because I've found a Nationwide BS rip-off that is relevant to my original complaint and I feel that people should be made aware of it.

If, like they have done with me, Nationwide decides you're an idiot and you'll "go mad" (their words - not mine) if they give you a Debit Card, any cheques you pay into your account will take five working days to clear. However, if you happen to be one of the cherished few who manage to get proper banking facilities from this crowd, you're honoured with having any cheques you pay in cleared in 3 working days. In effect, these shysters first of all deny you reasonable access to your own money then, to add insult to injury, they then have use of YOUR money for an extra two days while you just have to sit there and accept it. Why this should be I really don't know since I assume the cheques go through the same banking procedures whatever type of account you have. It just seems like a piece of sharp practice to coin in a few extra £££ in the hope that the Debit Card disenfranchised like myself won't kick up too much of a fuss in the forlorn hope that Nationwide will eventually find a human that is capable of making sensible decisions regarding customer accounts.

Fat chance of that from what I've experienced so far.

Oh - further update to my original complaint which you can read below..... Nothing, nada, zilch, zero - yes, you've guessed it, they couldn't resolve my complaint by just issuing me with a Debit Card so they're just going to continue ignoring me until they think I'll just go away. Here's a message for them.... I WON'T!!

Back to the original review -

I was won over by the Nationwide TV adverts that like to show them as being a bit different from the other high street banks. After years of putting up with dismal service, I decided to switch my accounts.

First, I mandated my salary to my new account then set up my direct debits and standing orders using the internet banking service, and thought I was all good to go. First hurdle was that, despite previously having a Switch card with my old bank, managing to support a hungry credit card, mortgage and mobilephone contract, living at the same address for 30 years, and having a resonable salary to play with, Nationwide Piggy Bank....sorry...., Nationwide Building Society decided they couldn't trust me with a debit card.

I made enquiries at my local branch and I was told by their customer service person that I couldn't have a debit card because I might go mad with it. Thankfully I wasn't trying to open an account with "just £1" or I could have found myself at the high court for sentencing. I did complain about this but the branch says that no-one has any recollection of such a conversation. Well duh!!! Like they would admit to it when someone complains.

Next hurdle was while online at my internet banking service. I decided to open an InvestDirect account to put my spare cash out of the way. I filled out the online application and waited....and waited...and waited.... About a month later I finally received a card and sent back the receipt to get my PIN. Meanwhile, I thought I had nothing better to do that go online and make a transfer from my FlexAccount to my InvestDirect account. The money came off my FlexAccount but my InvestDirect account was nowhere to be seen. So where had it gone?

I called the customer help line (0845 number - so you have to pay to sort out their mess) and I though I was going to be successful with the first call - the operator advised me that she thought my savings account had been set up under a different customer number from my current account. We got cut off.

Call number 2 and the operator insisted that I couldn't possibly have transferred money online to an InvestDirect account because you can only do that by post. I was also told that since all transactions on this type of account were carried out by post, I couldn't get a Cash Card either. I pointed out that I had the card in my hand - I know I can be a bit slow if I'm tired but it definately had "InvestDirect" and my name printed on it. "Nope - impossible", I was advised by the MENSA candidate on the other end of the phone. I gave up.

Call number 3 and at least this time the operator acknowleged my little gold InvestDirect card did indeed exist.

She would put me through to the internet banking section to get it sorted out. After 15 minutes of listening to some jazz type music which can only be described as sounding like a blues band being thrown down a flight of stairs, I again gave up.

While all this was going on, I sent a secure message via my internet baking facility and, after 2 days, I got a reply to tell me that they had no record of me applying for an InvestDirect account. My poor little card was having it's very existance threatened again!!! Here it was in my hot little hand but, in true Little Britain fashion "the computer says no".

It's ironic that they can't trust me with a debit card in case I "go mad" but I'm supposed to trust them when they made my savings disappear into a black hole.

Eventually my savings account appeared on my internet banking where it should have been a month earlier. Hip Hip Hoorah - I wasn't imagining that I had the card after all.

During all this, I complained to the Chief Executive who passed me to a chap who apparently is a "specialist in this area". He may be a specialist at receiving complaints but has so far failed to make this new customer any happier.

Nationwide in my experience isn't really any different from any of the other high street banks. Expect the same dismal service and possibly even more hassle than you got from your previous bank. In the past two months I've had to spend more time trying to sort things out with Nationwide than I've spent doing similar with my previous bank over the last 20 years.

Will I be keeping my accounts with this piggy bank? For the moment - yes. I have a business trip to Asia coming up and I physically don't have the time to get embroiled in any more hassle. Once I get that out of the way then I'll probably leave my spare cash there to get reasonable interest, but move my REAL banking elsewhere - possibly even back to where I started. Better the Devil you know.

I would advise anyone else that watches the Nationwide ads to be very wary before, like me, they decide to switch their accounts. Remember - the ads are product of a company being paid to make Nationwide look good. In reality, the truth is somewhat different. You have been warned.

UPDATE!!!!

I thought it was only fair to let the Nationwide Customer Services "specialist" see my review. Here is his reply in its entirety - unedited apart from the name.

"Thank you for this.

It was certainly interesting reading the reviews, the wide ranging
opinions on offer and to see where we benchmark.

Regards

Rxxxx Hxxxxx"

So there you are - they show about as much concern over a bad review as they do over an unhappy customer. I'll leave it to the savvy consumer to decide whether to bank with Nationwide or not but I think the attitude of the reply speaks for itself. The interest rates might be good but you have to ask yourself if it's worth the hassle when there are several banks out there who have just as good or better rates.

FURTHER UPDATE!!!!

I wrote (again) to the Chief Executive, Mr Philip Williamson, who had previously forwarded my letters to their Customer Services "Specialist" and I included a link to this review in my letter.

I'll take the lack of a reply as an indicator that he has the same "couldn't care less" attitude to unhappy customers as their "specialist" employees.

I do seem to be having an effect on how Nationwide deals with their customer complaints though - now they're just ignoring me completely instead of sending me the usual robotic "we have set procedures....." and "the computer says no and we can't intervene..." type replies.

Maybe I should make a complaint to the Advertising Standards people. The current ads for Nationwide portray them as being somewhat different from the other High Street Banking outlets whereas in reality they're just the same as, if not worse than, the rest.