Not upheld: account opening process clarity and switch incentive eligibility complaint against National Westminster Bank Public Limited Company

Decision detail

Summary

Mrs L complained that NatWest opened a Foundation account without her knowledge when she applied to switch to a Select account, causing her to miss out on a £175 switch incentive. NatWest explained that when applicants do not meet Select account eligibility criteria, a Foundation account is offered instead, and that the switch incentive is only available on Select and Reward accounts. The ombudsman found that the application screen clearly informed Mrs L of the account type change and required her active confirmation, and that NatWest's website adequately disclosed which accounts qualified for the switch incentive. The complaint was not upheld.

The Ombudsman's reasoning

The ombudsman found that the application screen clearly informed Mrs L that a Foundation account was being offered instead of the Select account, and that she was required to actively confirm acceptance by clicking a button. The ombudsman considered it reasonable to expect customers to review account features and benefits before switching, and noted that NatWest's website clearly stated the switch incentive was only available on Select and Reward accounts. The ombudsman concluded Mrs L had sufficient information to make an informed choice and was not misled.

How this compares

Source

Read the original decision on the Financial Ombudsman Service website