Matthew's Journal

My previous rant about Nationwide wasn't the only thing they've cocked up recently.

Nationwide have decided to introduce card readers, to make internet banking "more secure". At the time, I rashly assumed that before I'd need such a card reader, I'd get sent one. No! On the 12th of May, I tried to move some money to one of my other accounts (with a different bank), and was asked to frob a card-reader. Unimpressed, I lodged a complaint. I got a reply on the 16th or so, saying:

Thank you for your enquiry.

I'm sorry to learn you have not yet received your Card Reader. This would have been sent to your registered address around 2 to 3 weeks prior to you being asked to use it on the Internet Bank.

I have arranged for a replacement Card Reader to be sent to your home address, this should arrive within the next 5 to 7 working days.

Indeed, a card reader arrived on the 20th, along with a note saying "here is your replacment card reader. If you require another replacement, we may start charging you for them". I sent another complaint:

Thank you for your response (and for the one card-reader that arrived this morning). I'm afraid it is not entirely satisfactory.

Firstly, let me reiterate: we never received card readers from you. If you sent us a pair, they never arrived, and I suggest you take that up with the Royal Mail. I resent the implication in your message (and even more strongly in the letter that accompanied the card reader that arrived this morning) that this card reader is in some sense a "replacement". It's the first card reader we've ever received from you, not a replacement!

Secondly, I note that you have sent us only one card reader. Given that there are two account-holders for this account, that is unsatisfactory.

I now have another message from them. In amongst a load of meaningless twaddle about how they love to give us a really efficient service etc, etc, there are the following gems:

I think the problem with the Card Reader not arriving is because we have the address below for your address associated with the FlexAccount card: [Old Address]

We have another address below that is registered for the general mailing address: [Current Address]

The Card Reader should have been sent to the mailing address.

In the meantime to request a change of address you will need to complete a 'Change of Address' form which can be accessed once you have signed onto the internet bank [...continues into instructions on how to fill out said form and post it back to them]

In terms of the secondary card holder as your FlexAccount debit card was issued before November 2007 replacement cards are being sent out randomly between now and the end of May 2008 for added security we are adding for our members with access to the Internet Bank. This maybe why your partner did not receive a Card Reader or a new card. That or is could be because of the address issue above. The cards you should be both using with the card reader end [0-9]4 and [0-9]4.

This is just so fucked-up on so many levels:

1. They've managed to not change our address properly, despite my having filled in a change-of-address form, and phoned their change-of-address team


2. We have working mail forwarding, so things sent to old-address should be getting forwarded (indeed, many things have been).


3. They seem unable to convincingly claim whether they've actually sent anything out to us, and if so, when


4. Between now and the end of May 2008 isn't really very much time now, is it?


5. This is the first I've heard of being sent a new card too. Neither of our debit cards ends with the 4-digit sequences they mention.


6. Indeed, I've just checked, and internet banking wants me to put a card I don't possess into the card reader I do now have

Indeed, the card reader they have now provided is useless. Their system must know I'm still using the old card. Fuck only knows if they've posted out new cards and associated readers, and if so, where they are! I'm monumentally pissed off with this.

A cow-orker asserted today that it should be free to use your bank cards in the EU. This link appears to suggest that is the case, yet AFAICT most banks still charge for e.g. using a cash machine with a debit card in Europe. What did I miss?