Natwest Bank Classic Card

IN MY OPINION STAY AWAY FROM THIS BANK IN LINCOLN LINCS, YOU PUT YOUR MONEY IN THEN THEY SAY THEY HAVE NOT GOT IT. CUSTOMER SERVICE IS THE WORST I HAVE EVER HAD.....

Avoid this one if you choose your credit card for the customer service. You know all those ad's on the TV? They're not true.

When you get the credit card, you have to ring up to "activate" it. But NatWest has outsourced this to CPP Insurance. These have no interest in your security, only in keeping you on the line as long as possible, as a captive audience, while they try and sell you products. I eventually insisted on an end to the sales pitch, and the scumbag on the end put the phone down -- without telling me whether my card had been activated, the sole purpose for which I called. I had to ring again, and wait again, to find out. My first encounter with NatWest was to be treated like meat to be ripped off.

When you get the card, you get pesting letters asking you to register for view-only access to your account through their website. I didn't mind having this, but I did not want to sign up to be able to do things through it. So I registered; and the next time I accessed it, they said my "trial" had expired, and I only had the choice of full sign up or doing without. This was nasty and manipulative.

Anyway, like a fool (and needing to see my transactions) I allowed myself to be bullied into registering for full access, so I could check the transaction I needed to. What harm could it do, after all?

Well, I found out 6 weeks later. I got a letter telling me I had defaulted on a payment! I always pay off my balance as soon as I get the statement, so I didn't see how this could be. I went onto the website -- and it seemed that the last payment had been 6 weeks earlier. So where was my statement?

I rang up. I got told that, when I had registered to look at my transactions online, they had silently turned off paper statements. Of course I knew nothing of that. They may or may not have sent me an email when my statement was due, but like everyone else I get endless spam emails supposedly from banks I don't bank with. I never saw it, anyway. So they had entrapped me into failing to pay a credit card off for the first time ever, in almost 30 years of having a card. And they had fined me as well. That is, they had made money from this nasty little game. And I gained the impression that this happens all the time.

I kicked pretty hard at that point. I was furious. I insisted on paying off the whole balance, including fines etc, right there and then. I then demanded -- and got -- a promise of a refund on the fine and the interest levied. I also asked for compensation, since this must have damaged my credit record. Oh, but that could not be handled by phone -- I must write to such-and-such address. Finally I demanded to close my account. Who but a moron would do any business with a firm trying to trick you like this?

Well I wrote in, as demanded, right then. And ... nothing. Two weeks later I ring in again. They've never received my complaint. I must write again (on paper, naturally). Different postal address this time! On the website there is yet a third postal address. I have written my complaint again to both these addresses, and doubled the amount of compensation I have asked. No reply yet, no acknowledgement. So they're not operating the complaints process correctly, that's for sure.

I expect to have to take this to the FSA.

Thanks NatWest.

I have had this card with Natwest for about 8 years. On the Natwest website the APR is quoted at 16.95%.. and about 20% for balance transfers. I have never missed a payment and have an excellent credit history.

I noticed last month that my monthly interest payment on a balance of £2500 was £62!!! I called to see how this could be & they said my APR was 31%!! I asked why & they didnt know apart from they couldnt change it.. No explanation as to why im being charged nearly twice what everyone else is!

No manager to speak to & nothing they would do.. I will "have to get a better card elsewhere"...! Shocking customer service.

I will never use this card again on principal.

Dont go with Natwest.. you will never know what apr they are actually charging you!

I was banking with Natwest for 5 years. All my wage was paid into account and i used credit card often especially in Europe. However one month I was late with payment and I went over my limit. After arrival to UK I paid half of the balance immediately. Next month i received a letter which said that my balance was reduced from £900 to £350!! I accepted that fact but after 6 months i requested increase of the limit. Surprisingly Natwest refused to do so. My next step was closing both current and credit card account. Moved to Nationwide where for start I was offered £2800credit card and £1000 overdraft on current account.

Although I have not mentioned any bad points this is on my review of using the card as a month by month card. The balance is paid off every month so I do not attract interest, the reason for this review is fruad, my card was cloned and within hours NatWest had contacted me and told me of transactions that were suspicious, they cancelled and reissued a new card the fraudulent transactions showed on my statement but I was informed that would be credited the next statement. This is a stressful issue for thousands of people, Nat West were excellent and I would whole heartedly recommend them.

I have used Natwest credit cards for 22 years. Overall there have been no problems, but it is difficult to see now, why this card should be chosen in preference to any other. A major advantage in the past has been that NatWest has given Air miles for credit card use. It seems now in its wisdom the bank has elected to set up its own loyalty scheme, but more importantly the intention seems to be to charge the majority of customers for using it (£3 for every month in which the card spend is less than £1000). This in my mind seems to be one step down from to imposing an annual fee for credit card use.

If customer service is of paramount importance, then this might be a card worth considering. If value for money is of prime consideration, then there are far better deals elsewhere.