Not upheld: poor service and unfair formal demand for repayment complaint against NATIONAL WESTMINSTER BANK PUBLIC LIMITED COMPANY

Decision detail

Summary

L, a company, complained that NatWest provided poor service when attempting to repay its overdraft and unfairly issued a formal demand for repayment. L's director claimed the bank failed to provide written information about repayment options, used the wrong address, and did not adequately communicate the importance of information deadlines. She also cited her mental health vulnerabilities and the stress caused by the bank's service. The ombudsman found that NatWest was clear about requiring financial information before considering options, the bank's position was reasonable, and L's director was aware of requirements despite address issues. The complaint was not upheld.

The Ombudsman's reasoning

The ombudsman found that NatWest was clear about requiring financial information before considering repayment options. The bank's position was reasonable because it needed to understand the borrower's financial circumstances to determine what options it could offer. Although there was address confusion, L's director was aware of what information was needed. Since the information was not provided by the deadline, NatWest was not in a position to consider further help. The bank also appropriately referred L to support organisations such as Business Debtline and StepChange.

How this compares

Source

Read the original decision on the Financial Ombudsman Service website