I’ve just had an epic phone battle with Nationwide. I have been trying to make a £400 payment online, via my Flexaccount Visa card.
My card was declined.
The account balance is healthy, so I tried again.
The card was declined again.
I tried for a ‘third time lucky’ approach, taking extra care to ensure that every single keyboard depression was the correct one, except it was third time unlucky, as my card card was declined again.
I called Nationwide and had the most surreal Marx Brothers-esque, round-the-houses conversation with an offshore customer services operative.
Apparently Nationwide had put a total block on my card. Nice of them to tell me in advance, wasn’t it? They have my number.
Would it be too much to ask, do you think, for someone at Nationwide to think (!); ‘We’re going to block this guy’s card. Let’s, you know, give him a ring and give him this piece of news. Just so he isn’t embarrassed, the next time he tries to use it’.
Well obviously it is too much to ask.
The customer service operator at Nationwide said that they had blocked my card because they believe it had become compromised.
As my card has been hyperactive this week – international travel, overseas accommodation and foreign currency transactions all taking place amongst a slew of other payments – I asked what I felt was a reasonable question.
‘What transactions have occurred that leads Nationwide to believe my card has become compromised?’
‘The card department will not tell you that’.
What the actual fuck?
I asked what the next step was and heard words I was dreading:
‘I will get a new card issued which will take three-to-five working days to arrive’.
So my fully-working card will arrive, at my home address, to replace the blocked card, whilst the blocked card and I are in Texas.
I explained that I am flying out to the US in a couple of days and asked if there was *anything* that Nationwide could do, to allow me to have access to my account and cash, while I’m abroad.
For example, Amex will overnight express a replacement card to a customer.
Short answer: No, Nationwide will make a card and pop it in the post.
Which leaves me 7,000 miles away from my working card.
Awesome.
The customer services operative was (I guess) working from a script.
She/it was rigidly inflexible with regard to actually helping me.
Guess what Nationwide’s strapline is, according to their website?
…. we’re here to help!
Yeah, right.
Here to help, except if you need reasonable information about precisely why your card is being blocked.
Here to help, except if you need reasonable access to your cash whilst overseas.
Fucktards.
First Direct are the answer Bren.
Cheers, Perp. I shall look in to it. Shame is I’ve been with Nationwide for something like 15-20 years and this is the first real bollock they’ve dropped. But it’s a stunning bollock.
I’m with Perp. Been a FD customer for over 20 years now and cannot recommend them highly enough.
If you need some dosh to tide you over till you get Nationwide sorted, I’d be glad to help. You have my number.
Thanks Masher, for the offer and the advice. I’m good for both folding cash and e-cash because I have other cards. But I just don’t think I should have to use a backup, I think Nationwide should provide a service, not be offish with a ‘take it or leave it’ attitude. How ironic that their advertising and marketing campaigns run ‘we’re better than others’ themes.
This new trend of making decisions on your behalf is becoming more prevalent by all the banks. I trust the terms and conditions of the account you signed allow them to do it. If not they are in breach of the Banking and Finance Act, something most banks seem to have never heard of these days. More and more they seem to think the money you have on deposit is theirs to do what they want with.
I used to have an account with Nationwide. The manager would quake, literally, when I came in because he knew I knew what I was talking about, and one of the girls in the office used to ring me to check stuff she was doing so she knew it was right.
Wow! I bow to your superior knowledge and skillz.
I totally agree with Perpetual & Masher. First Direct have brilliant customer service. They even pay you to join! When you call them you get a proper ring tone. No waiting for 15 minutes to be put through whilst listening to shit musak. And you speak to an actual person who seems to care, and isn’t reading from a script. Such a refreshing change. I can’t praise them enough.
Thanks Sally. I’ll give them a call when I get back.
I wish First Direct would have me! But fiscally as a freelancer with a very random income history I suspect they wouldn’t. But I’ve heard they rock. I tried once ages ago, they declined sweetly and said try again in another 6 months. Only bank or institution to ever turn me down for anything!!
Your experience, viz Nationwide, that’s so pants and completely avoidable. I am with Barclays and have got to say when it comes to this kind of thing, card blocking, their system is brilliant. And I’d always rather they err on the side of caution for my own sake.
I’ve had mine blocked several times but you get an automated call, they then LIST all the possibly dodgy transactions, you then get a chance to respond to them, they then either lift the block on the card or if you need help, put you through to someone asap to help you.
All logical, all common sense really?
Shame Nationwide aren’t customer led enough to do the same to avoid giving you the headache : (
I have found Barclays to be rubbish, I’m afraid. I have been trying to get them to send me a replacement Connect card for about a month without success. I’ll be closing my account with them as soon as I am able to get to a branch and have time to wait in a queue for 30 mins to be seen by someone who can do the necessary.
Ah. As a freelancer I might have issues with FD. But I’ll call them when I get back to the UK. Thanks for your thoughts.