Not upheld: statement accuracy and accessibility complaint against National Westminster Bank Public Limited Company (NatWest)

Decision detail

Summary

Mrs G complained that large print statements provided by NatWest due to her sight problems were voluminous, difficult to follow, and contained incorrect balances and missing information. She also complained about a delay in receiving normal size statements after requesting the change. NatWest confirmed the statements were accurate but acknowledged the enlarged font and layout could make them appear difficult to read. The ombudsman reviewed the statements and found no errors, explaining that Mrs G's specific concerns related to DWP payment timing and refunds that included postage costs. The complaint was not upheld as no errors were identified in the actual statements.

The Ombudsman's reasoning

The ombudsman reviewed all available evidence including phone calls and statements. While acknowledging Mrs G's meticulous record-keeping and sympathising with her feeling disbelieved by customer service staff, the ombudsman found no actual errors in the statements themselves. The specific items Mrs G queried were explained: the pension payment appeared on 31 December (a DWP matter, not NatWest's responsibility) and the retailer refunds differed because postage costs were included. The 10-day turnaround for changing from large print to normal size was considered reasonable for paper statements. Since no errors were found, the complaint could not be upheld.

How this compares

Source

Read the original decision on the Financial Ombudsman Service website