Nationwide BS FlexAccount

I have had a flex account with the nationwide for about 20 years,

I live in spain i kept my account open because i was told that i could use my account in spain to withdraw money,

3 years ago they stopped me using my account, i tried to close the account but was told in order to close the account i had to go into my local branch in great yarmouth.so the account was left open with money in it.

just recently i thought i could use my direct debit card to pay for shopping,as i was told i could by the nationwide, i went shopping tried to pay for my goods,guess what card declined,this happened several times, i asked the nationwide why my card was declined every time i used it,i was told it was a problem with the shop.

trying to sort out my problem and get access to my money a long string of emails on the nationwide internet banking,only to find out out that The Nationwide had cut off my card (still in date to 11/16) they hadnt told me,and further more in order to access my account i needed not only a different card, but a card reader as well,my account was cut of last year, i still have no access to my account, no new card, i have got 2 card readers,so now i have finally had enough i have today posted a form to the financial ombudsman.

My wife was allowed to close a Joint e-Bond early

So enabling them to close before maturity of our e-Bond without my permission or knowledge . To transfer my investment of £15,000 into my wife’s secret account by staff member which seemed expectable in their opinion.

I believed it unlawful to close an account without 2 signatures on agreement to close before maturity.

But it was transferred into My Flex account as it has always done over the 9 years since I opened it. It was confirmed after enquiring on Secure messaging, indeed the savings was transferred into My Flex account by mistake.

I always had this account to reinvest as usual to help on the interest to increase our income.

On realising their mistake on the same day an employee criminally entered My personal Flexaccount and My e-Savings accounts removing my money and leaving me with no money in my Flex account and taking £ 1041.13 from My E-savings account without any legal permission to do so.

All these transactions were without my knowledge unauthorised and illegal .

As a pensioner with below poverty income pension and don’t expect my pension for another 2 weeks. I requested return in full the amounts stolen from my accounts immediately And the response was no

Had a FlexAccount for about a year - until today felt fairly neutral about it, just generally mediocre.

Today I needed to transfer £10 to an account I have with another institution - my account had ample to cover this. Went through all the website rigmarole of "setting up an arrangement", got to the final step and the screen says "you need to use your card reader to complete this transaction". Which would have been tolerable except that they have never sent me a card reader.

Raised a complaint through their online messaging - nine hours later got a call from a "customer services" employee who spouted a heap of corporate drivel and refused to pass me to someone who would take positive action to resolve the issue. Basically offering soft-spoken rudeness and a refusal to accept that I had been inconvenienced by Nationwide's incompetence.

Bottom line - they lost my FlexAccount custom and they also made me decide to move my other account (Cash ISA) elsewhere.

I have banked with Nationwide BS and had their FlexAccount for 20+ years. In my time I have also had their Credit Card, various mortgages and several Personal Loans. For the most part their products and services are very good. But in the last 2 years, I have been overdrawn on a fairly frequent basis. In 2008 they reduced my OD from £5k to £2k giving me 3 weeks notice to find £3k leaving me in a perilous financial position. My pleas and 20+ years loyaly/business counted for nothing. Then in 2009 they allowed my OD gradually increase to £5k again. Then in November 2009 they did it again, forcing me to find £3k within 3 weeks of Xmas. I am now seeking to move my accounts elsewhere.