Not upheld: alleged discrimination and misleading product naming complaint against National Westminster Bank Plc (trading as NatWest Boxed)

Decision detail

Summary

Mr W complained that NatWest Boxed's Saga Easy Access Savings Account discriminates against older people by requiring online and smartphone access only, and that the 'easy access' name is misleading. The ombudsman found that determining whether indirect age discrimination occurred is a matter for courts, not the FOS. The ombudsman concluded the bank treated Mr W fairly by clearly explaining the account and apologising it was unsuitable, and that the account name was not misleading as 'easy access' refers to withdrawal conditions, not operational method. The complaint was not upheld.

The Ombudsman's reasoning

The ombudsman noted that financial service providers have discretion to decide what products to offer and their features. While acknowledging Mr W's argument about indirect age discrimination, the ombudsman stated this is a matter for courts, not the FOS. The ombudsman found the bank treated Mr W fairly by explaining the account clearly and apologising it was unsuitable. The ombudsman rejected the misleading naming argument, defining 'easy access' as relating to withdrawal restrictions, not operational method, and noting Mr W was not actually misled.

How this compares

Source

Read the original decision on the Financial Ombudsman Service website