Nationwide Savings Account

I prefer to bank online and so with an attractive rate of interest this account appeared to be suitable. However, if you want to access you money quickly, it is not for you. I have had difficulty accessing my money and unless I had missed something the only way I could find to do it is this:

Steps to access funds over £500:

Transfer funds to Nationwide card account

Print off a cheque order form

Post to Nationwide

Wait for cheque to arrive

Pay in at bank

Await clearance.

TOO LONG FOR WHAT IS ADVERTISED AS AN INTERNET ACCOUNT!

VERY DISAPPOINTED!

Unfortunately for me, I had forgotten my log on details and so have to wait for new ones adding further delay to my request. I did ring Nationwide and was told that I could not access my money at a branch as it is an internet account.

With Santander, the money was in my current account on the same day.

I wish I had understood the time involved to access my funds prior to opening the account.

I am closing our Champion Saver account; neither the branch nor the online customer consultant gave accurate or friendly advice about how to give 60 days notice or what the options were (in branch? by post? by email?) They had me running around uselessly to the branch when I could have written, and then the branch made an error and told me I would have to return at the end of the 60 days. This turned out to be completely false. I have had apologies from NW managers for 4 years, and I am sick of NW staff being high -handed and incompetent, and then one NW down the line sorts that out for another month. I have stacks of apologies but apparently meaningless as atrocious service keeps repeating. Waste of time. Going to go to one of the customer service recommended institutions, considering First Direct, the Cooperative and Saffron Building Society.

Nationwide Savings Account. Generally happy with the service I have received and have encouraged my children to use the same product if only because it is easy to set up and use also the rates are reasonable.

Fast efficient when transferring with Nationwide, not quite so fast if moving money elsewhere.

The limit on the amount one can transfer makes moving larger amounts more difficult than it need be.

I have been with Nationwide for three years and cannot complain. Easy online banking safe transferring of funds to any other bank. They don't charge you for withdrawing cash abroad, I think they're the only bank who does it.

Following the theft / loss of a laptop, the Nationwide building society instigated a change to electronic accounts, meaning that you now have to print off a form, post it to them and await a cheque. Considering that they are reassuring people that there is no danger to accounts following the loss of the laptop, this appears to be overkill, and a massive step backwards in electronic banking. I am taking steps to move my savings account elsewhere; probably ICICI or Icesave.