Nat west incapable of opening community bank account - help!

[MS JH]

On 23rd August 2012, I and the Treasurer of our Residents Association attempted to open a bank account with the Nat West Bank in Twickenham, in order to deposit funding to the tune of £10,000 (with more pledged) for our community garden project.

 

We have waited years and jumped over endless hurdles in order to get this far and thought that opening a bank account would be simple. How wrong we were.

 

Since 23rd, August, every day has been a catalogue of disasters, the form sat on a desk for 2 weeks, then got lost, a copy was faxed, which then turned out to be the wrong form. The Branch Manager had no idea where the form had gone to (although she thought India) and kept telling me that the department in charge of such accounts would not speak to her. Edward Parks, the Area Manager won't reply to messages and every day I am given a different excuse.

 

The correct application form was hand delivered to Twickenham Branch on Monday. It sat there until Thursday before being emailed to Customer Services. The only person in Customer Services who can open the account was on sick leave today.

 

Meanwhile, we have cheques we can't deposit, we have contractors who want paying but no means of paying them and we cannot apply for further funding as we have no bank account to deposit any money into.

 

I feel like it is Groundhog Day. I have never encountered such incompetence and ineptitude by a Bank that I have been a loyal customer of for over 30 years.

 

Who is responsible for these new "systems"? Is it really so complicated now to open a bank account?

 

It is truly pathetic.

 

Can anyone give me the contact details for the Chairman of the Nat West as he really needs to know what is going on at Branch level all the way up.

 

We would give up and go elsewhere but every day, we are led to believe the account will be opened... then some other excuse is given.

 

I have given the Nat West notice that I am expecting £50 per day for every day this account isn't opened. They are racking up rather a lot of money....

 

All sensible suggestions of how we can get this account opened much appreciated.

[Let Them Knock]

Well, I know well what I would do with a God-given promotional opportunity like this:

 

Get your local Newspaper, radio station and TV station involved. This is good community newsworthy stuff.

 

Get maximum mileage out of it for your association and shame NatWest into getting it right.

 

Perhaps you will even get another bank coming along and offering you an account.

 

Good luck.

[LaughingGirl]

Well, I know well what I would do with a God-given promotional opportunity like this:

 

Get your local Newspaper, radio station and TV station involved. This is good community newsworthy stuff.

 

Get maximum mileage out of it for your association and shame NatWest into getting it right.

 

Perhaps you will even get another bank coming along and offering you an account.

 

Good luck.

 

Completely agree - you'll get some good publicity for your project into the bargain! Not to mention the fact that I think the very least that Nat West can do (once they've resolved your problems) is offer a generous donation to your project...

[MS JH]

Thanks for your replies. Well I'm pleased to report that the account was FINALLY opened last week but the cheque I paid in is still not cleared so all work on the garden has halted until it does. Barmy that it still takes five days for Nat West to clear a cheque. Am now awaiting their letter of apology and confirmation of compensatin, which we will spend on our garden. They have also assured me that Staff at the KING STREET, TWICKENHAM BRANCH will undergo training in a) what accounts they have b) how to open the accounts they offer and c) customer service and also find out why Area Manager Edward Parks ignored my numerous attempts to contact him on the number i was given of 07917 520665

 

I wonder how much the Nat West pays out each week / month / year in compensation? Bet it runs into hundreds of thousands......