Royal Bank of Wankers

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Capetonian

Re: Royal Bank of Wankers

#121 Post by Capetonian » Fri Nov 16, 2018 11:28 am

That was in the days when banks were 'joined up', cared about customers, and had telephone numbers that went through to the branch where you could to someone who knew you.

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Re: Royal Bank of Wankers

#122 Post by G-CPTN » Fri Nov 16, 2018 3:50 pm

When we moved overseas in 1981, we transferred our finances from NW Bedford to NW Jersey then back again when we returned to the UK.
When I got a new job in Bristol I shared a guest house with an NW manager so transferred my account to his branch in Keynsham (yes, that K E Y N S H A M), then when I moved to Nottingham the new company wanted to pay me through Barclays.
For fiduciary reasons, my company expenses were paid through Nationwide - they paid interest on the deposits which sat for a month until the credit card bills needed payment.
My history with NW stretched back to my first uni grant cheque - I walked out of college and into the first bank - which happened to be NW.
When I retired I went into the local NW branch but they refused my business as there had been no activity for several years - money laundering rules etc etc.
Nationwide have been pleased for my pension business over the last decade!

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Re: Royal Bank of Wankers

#123 Post by llondel » Fri Nov 16, 2018 3:55 pm

I used to go to school in Keynsham. As for banks, mine seems OK with me having an overseas address, although their credit card side decided I could no longer have one of their cards because I didn't have a UK address. I sort of like having a current account that doesn't pay interest (but has no fees), simplifies the US tax return and that's worth way more than the pitiful amount of interest I'd get at current rates.

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Re: Royal Bank of Wankers

#124 Post by G-CPTN » Fri Nov 16, 2018 4:02 pm

We considered housing (and schools) in Keynsham.
There was a (had been) grammar school and a (had been) secondary modern school separated by the river Chew with house prices according to the catchment areas.
The (had been) sec-modern school didn't have a sixth form - pupils were sent into Bristol 'sixth form college' IIRC.

Anyway, we ended up in Chew Valley (as they offered sailing).

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Re: Royal Bank of Wankers

#125 Post by FD2 » Fri Nov 16, 2018 5:29 pm

Thanks Ian - will check that.

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Re: Royal Bank of Wankers

#126 Post by ian16th » Fri Nov 16, 2018 8:45 pm

llondel wrote:
Fri Nov 16, 2018 3:55 pm
I used to go to school in Keynsham. As for banks, mine seems OK with me having an overseas address, although their credit card side decided I could no longer have one of their cards because I didn't have a UK address. I sort of like having a current account that doesn't pay interest (but has no fees), simplifies the US tax return and that's worth way more than the pitiful amount of interest I'd get at current rates.
I had my BarclayCard for about 20 years after we moved overseas, and they simply sent me a letter stopping it!

P*ssed off I was.

When I complained, I was informed that I could 're-apply'. I told the 'agent' that this was impossible as I'd never applied in the 1st place. In those days we had managers who sent them out to customers of good standing.

I was talking to a brick wall.
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Re: Royal Bank of Wankers

#127 Post by G-CPTN » Fri Nov 16, 2018 8:57 pm

Soon after Barclaycard was introduced they started charging an annual fee for it - at which stage I returned mine.
I have an original 'Access' card (now Mastercard) and a Visa credit card.

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Re: Royal Bank of Wankers

#128 Post by ExSp33db1rd » Fri Nov 16, 2018 11:21 pm

Barclays in Jersey served me well from the time I left the UK in the early 80's until recently, but I have severed contact and closed that a/c due to circumstances not relevant here. My small UK Barclay a/c goes back to the days of Mrs ExS Mk 1's behaviour pre separation, as a "maybe", in fact never added to it since those days, so I'm surprised that they put up with me, but in view of the difficulty of opening accounts in any country in which one is not resident, ie. can't "just pop around to your nearest branch" I'm reluctant to severe all contact, tho' it is a PITA at times. Each to his own.

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Re: Royal Bank of Wankers

#129 Post by llondel » Mon Nov 19, 2018 3:44 pm

I've had a Barclaycard on three occasions. The first one was as a student, had it for quite a few years and closed the account when they announced they were going to start charging a fee. The second time, I could see an impending cashflow crisis and I managed to take advantage of one of their offers of (I can't remember which) a really low interest rate or a zero interest rate on balance transfers for a year, so I did that because it was cheaper than a loan. I checked the Ts and Cs carefully, and it allowed me to just leave the card untouched for the year and pay off part of the balance. I notice that later offers required use of the card (and so attracting interest on other transactions) but they slipped up that first time. Once it was all settled, they wanted to charge an annual fee so I closed the account. I don't remember why I got the most recent one, but now they've closed it and it's gone.

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Re: Royal Bank of Wankers

#130 Post by Capetonian » Wed Nov 21, 2018 11:14 am

I thought I was going to have to pay credit card interest for the first time in my life, due to my own stupidity.

I have two UK credit cards. One with NatWest International which I have had for years, and one with Nationwide Building Society which is new. They both have different 'payment due' dates. I had diarised 'Pay NWCC' which of course is ambiguous and I paid the wrong card on that date. Luckily I realised the error in time to get the other payment in on the due date.

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Re: Royal Bank of Wankers

#131 Post by Hydromet » Wed Nov 21, 2018 10:19 pm

I also paid my first credit card charge - made a cash withdrawal on the wrong card. Paid it back the next day, but it cost me 7 cents. We've never had to pay interest, touch wood.

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Re: Royal Bank of Wankers

#132 Post by Capetonian » Thu Nov 29, 2018 9:26 pm

viewtopic.php?p=144385#p144385

Further to my post above and complaints about NatWest card division poor handling of replacing my credit card, I got a new card some time in August.

Last week the branch with which I've been dealing, who have been unfailingly pleasant and helpful, rang me to say they have another card for me. It has the identical number, expiry, and CVV as the one I've been using since August. The lady in the branch said that is 'impossible' and that using the first one should automatically invalidate the second one. So I put it in the ATM and it worked!

Here's the really funny bit. When I asked if I could have another card on the same account for my wife they said 'computer says no' emphatically, but their own cock-up has enabled this to happen. The problem is that I am afraid that if we use the cards in different places at roughly the same time, it may trigger a fraud alert, and then I will end up going through the same weary process as before. This time though I can tell them where to put their card and account as I am now fully 'banked' elsewhere.

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Re: Royal Bank of Wankers

#133 Post by Ex-Ascot » Fri Nov 30, 2018 6:41 am

Cape:
The problem is that I am afraid that if we use the cards in different places at roughly the same time, it may trigger a fraud alert....
Hopefully yes. I have said before that apart from 2 incidents in 45 years I have never had anything but an excellent an service from the RBS. Mainly due to a personal service from my bank managers in Altrincham. First incident cost them 12,000 GBP thanks to the ombudsman. Second case many years later was sorted out rapidly in a very none standard way, by head office Manchester, probably due to the first case. The big problem is our branch closes in April. My current bank manager tells me that he is leaving banking to pursue a different career.

A few years ago my card was compromised at JNB. No ZAR so paid by plastic for two soft drinks. The result was debits of about 30,000 GBP from all around the world. The bank were onto it like a shot and phoned me in Greece. I was unaware as I only check my account once a month for pension payments. All monies were credited. On a couple of occasions, whilst still flying, I had phone calls to check that debits from one side of the globe one day and other side the next day were correct. They were.

The 'system does p.ss me off though. Just paid for our airline tickets back to Greece next year. They charged me 178 GBP for the privilege plus a crap exchange rate. Transferred some dosh to Mrs Ex-Ascot recently, same branch, on a Friday. Took the money off me instantly but didn't credit 'er indoors until the Monday because it was a weekend. Why,in both cases, it is all automatic? Rhetorical question. It is the only way the bank can get money out of us as we are always in credit. Mind you, they are making a profit on that.
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Re: Royal Bank of Wankers

#134 Post by cockney steve » Fri Nov 30, 2018 4:14 pm

They can transfer accounts......when it suits them! Banked with Naff Wets as it was my father's bank....some years later, bought a business financed by Co-op bank.....then the headquarters manager stepped down and it went downhill...back to N.W. They offered a loan on another business...except that the interest was usurious and they wanted the house and so-on ,as additional security over the freehold business.
Told them I was working for ME, ,not paying to work for them! went to the old-fashioned , ethical, moral RBS....all was fine for about 18 months....then they bought N.W and adopted all it's greedy thieving policies.
Sold up, retired, branch closed....transferred 4 miles away....now have a trip of 8 miles .....After attempts to whitewash their murky past by changing the name to Williams and Glyns, they gave up on that and closed that branch...now transferred to .....Naff Wets in the same town.....but,, I still retain the original sort-code and account numbers!

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Re: Royal Bank of Wankers

#135 Post by ExSp33db1rd » Fri Nov 30, 2018 11:39 pm

I've had a Barclaycard on three occasions.
Have had a Barclaycard Credit card since their invention, ( mid '60's ? ) - until now. One of my mates worked for Barclays and sent me one of the first, even tho' I wasn't a Barclay customer. Recently got a letter from Barclaycard saying - Sod off - or words to that effect, 'cos I can't give them a UK address now. Card cancelled, cut it up they said, I might frame it as a souvenir ? ( only joking ) All part of Dubbya's FATCA ( Fat Cats) money laundering paranoia ?

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Re: Royal Bank of Wankers

#136 Post by llondel » Mon Dec 03, 2018 5:59 pm

ExSp33db1rd wrote:
Fri Nov 30, 2018 11:39 pm
I've had a Barclaycard on three occasions.
Have had a Barclaycard Credit card since their invention, ( mid '60's ? ) - until now. One of my mates worked for Barclays and sent me one of the first, even tho' I wasn't a Barclay customer. Recently got a letter from Barclaycard saying - Sod off - or words to that effect, 'cos I can't give them a UK address now. Card cancelled, cut it up they said, I might frame it as a souvenir ? ( only joking ) All part of Dubbya's FATCA ( Fat Cats) money laundering paranoia ?
I got that from them too, once you've been out of the UK for long enough they ditch you. I guess they waited a few years in my case, unless it was a new recent policy that decided to dump anything with an overseas address.

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Re: Royal Bank of Wankers

#137 Post by Undried Plum » Mon Dec 03, 2018 6:13 pm

The worst, the very worst, is if they smell that you might possibly, just possibly, might have a smell of Americanness about you. Then they put you through the wringer and then mangle you and then pass you on and on and upwards and then rinse and repeat.

That's not only a RBSwanker thing, BTW.

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Re: Royal Bank of Wankers

#138 Post by CharlieOneSix » Mon Dec 03, 2018 6:16 pm

With the title of the thread in mind I’m tempted to put the rest of this sentence in a small font to emphasise I’m saying this quietly but for 25 years Mrs C16 worked for RBS. She didn’t use her RBS credit card for about a year as another one gave her rewards. RBS withdrew the card and a few months later offered to reinstate it. You can imagine her retort about treatment of a retired staff manager when she told them to stuff it!
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Re: Royal Bank of Wankers

#139 Post by ian16th » Mon Dec 03, 2018 7:57 pm

llondel wrote:
Mon Dec 03, 2018 5:59 pm
ExSp33db1rd wrote:
Fri Nov 30, 2018 11:39 pm
I've had a Barclaycard on three occasions.
Have had a Barclaycard Credit card since their invention, ( mid '60's ? ) - until now. One of my mates worked for Barclays and sent me one of the first, even tho' I wasn't a Barclay customer. Recently got a letter from Barclaycard saying - Sod off - or words to that effect, 'cos I can't give them a UK address now. Card cancelled, cut it up they said, I might frame it as a souvenir ? ( only joking ) All part of Dubbya's FATCA ( Fat Cats) money laundering paranoia ?
I got that from them too, once you've been out of the UK for long enough they ditch you. I guess they waited a few years in my case, unless it was a new recent policy that decided to dump anything with an overseas address.
I'd been ex-pat about 25 years or more when they suddenly stopped mine.
I still haven't had a proper explanation of why. I think it is simply a new(ish) policy, and the poor plebs that have to face the customers aren't any the wiser.
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Re: Royal Bank of Wankers

#140 Post by ExSp33db1rd » Mon Dec 03, 2018 9:41 pm

unless it was a new recent policy that decided to dump anything with an overseas address.
Correct - I guess. It all goes back to Dubbya, and his FATCA legislation ( Fat Cats ? ) about alleged money laundering, only affects the likes of us of course, the Bad Boys can carry on regardless.

Just had a letter about shares that I hold in a UK company, that I inherited following my Mother's death many years ago, so "we" have held them for ever, it seems, they now refuse to sell them because I don't have a UK address. So what are they going to do, just steal them ? ( Yes, I do know what to do, but then I have to act like the crooks that they are trying, and failing, to corrall )
...might have a smell of Americanness about you.

Don't even start me. Mrs. ExS is American, let me tell you what she does all day ..... on second thoughts don't bother, you wouldn't believe me.

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