Nationwide FlexPlus current account - travel insurance policy change

[Crackle]

...... and they are increasing the fee for this account from £10 to £13 per month

Benefits for that which are quite useful, are covering offspring off on their own and 2 mobile phone claims a year to 4. That will recoup the extra cost in our house by several times.

 

[toffee]

...... and they are increasing the fee for this account from £10 to £13 per month

The Flex account doesn't cost anything

 

[sbird]

My intention of making my original post was to highlight my position and my disagreement with the change that Nationwide are going to introduce in the hope that others who were in the same position and had the same objection would do as I suggested in order to bring some collective pressure on Nationwide to change their minds. I still hope to do that.

Yes I've contacted Nationwide, checked the change of condition, made a complaint and await a response.

Yes I've considered my choices. I can switch bank account to a similar one but
1. Has anyone had a hassle-free experience of switching bank accounts.
2. Similar accounts cost much more (even after the proposed increase to £13/month)

So I'd rather attempt to change their minds whilst I can. A friend is also applying similar pressures and between us we're finding stuff out.

UK Insurance Ltd is the underwriter for the policy. Contact with them indicates that Nationwide made the condition change only in the last week or so. So it's recent. As I said ealier UK Insurance Ltd also underwrite the travel insurance for the NatWest travel insurance. In my conversation with UK Insurance it became clear the "client" (bank/building society) imposes the conditions not UK Insurance Ltd. So the motivation is definitely coming from Nationwide. We now need to dig a little further to understand why. I have my suspicions but they will have to wait.

My position is that I am a Nationwide FlexPlus (that's a FlexPlus not a Flex account) customer who received this recently :-

which has this change of wording about Cycling :-

and if you disagree with the requirement to wear a helmet when cycling then please complain to Nationwide.

Thanks

 

[toffee]

My intention of making my original post was to highlight my position and my disagreement with the change that Nationwide are going to introduce in the hope that others who were in the same position and had the same objection would do as I suggested in order to bring some collective pressure on Nationwide to change their minds. I still hope to do that.

Yes I've contacted Nationwide, checked the change of condition, made a complaint and await a response.

Yes I've considered my choices. I can switch bank account to a similar one but
1. Has anyone had a hassle-free experience of switching bank accounts.
2. Similar accounts cost much more (even after the proposed increase to £13/month)

So I'd rather attempt to change their minds whilst I can. A friend is also applying similar pressures and between us we're finding stuff out.

UK Insurance Ltd is the underwriter for the policy. Contact with them indicates that Nationwide made the condition change only in the last week or so. So it's recent. As I said ealier UK Insurance Ltd also underwrite the travel insurance for the NatWest travel insurance. In my conversation with UK Insurance it became clear the "client" (bank/building society) imposes the conditions not UK Insurance Ltd. So the motivation is definitely coming from Nationwide. We now need to dig a little further to understand why. I have my suspicions but they will have to wait.

My position is that I am a Nationwide FlexPlus (that's a FlexPlus not a Flex account) customer who received this recently :-

View attachment 363076

which has this change of wording about Cycling :-

View attachment 363078

and if you disagree with the requirement to wear a helmet when cycling then please complain to Nationwide.

Thanks

Interesting as that's not what the policy wording currently on their website says which I posted above.

 

[Viking]

The Flex account doesn't cost anything

We're talking Flex Plus not Flex account here.

..... and in addition to increasing the fee they have withdrawn some features e.g. the identity theft stuff and the extended warranty cover. These changes apply from the end of September

 

[briantrumpet]

We're talking Flex Plus not Flex account here.

..... and in addition to increasing the fee they have withdrawn some features e.g. the identity theft stuff and the extended warranty cover. These changes apply from the end of September

Still decent value, IMHO, as it includes car breakdown insurance/recovery throughout Europe and at home, mobile phone insurance, travel insurance, and has a better interest rate on your balance. They even covered a travel claim of mine which strictly speaking they didn't have to, and were happy to settle the claim without me sending all the documentation I'd collected.

 

[toffee]

We're talking Flex Plus not Flex account here.

..... and in addition to increasing the fee they have withdrawn some features e.g. the identity theft stuff and the extended warranty cover. These changes apply from the end of September

I know but you get the basics for nothing

 

[Viking]

I know but you get the basics for nothing

I also know that and I also know that it is completely irrelevant to the discussion which is about FlexPlus and its associated insurance.

 

[sbird]

If you are a Twitter user and want to add your voice to the twittering in my attempt to get Nationwide to change their mind then do something good with this

View: https://twitter.com/simonbird/status/887925727856922624

or this

View: https://twitter.com/carltonreid/status/887950055080112128

 

[Crackle]

Complaint duly made.

 

[Crackle]

I got a reply

Thank you for your message.

I can appreciate your comments in regards to this, I'm unable to tell you why we require you to wear a helmet however you may wish to talk to our FlexPlus helpline who'll be able to walk you through the new ruling for the insurance.

You can reach them on 0800 051 01 64, they are available:

Monday to Friday: 8am - 9pm
Saturday: 9am - 5pm
Sunday: 10am - 5pm


I've also passed your feedback onto the development team so that they can consider your feedback and see about amending this.


Please be aware that you won't receive updates on this feedback but we do take all feedback into consideration.


I hope I've been able to help you today

If there's anything else I can help with please reply to this message or call us on 0800 30 20 11, if abroad please call us on +44 1793 656 789.

All the best,

Becca Simpkins

Customer Consultant,
Digital Service

I wasn't really expecting anything else but if enough people complain, they might find that being unable to justify the change doesn't really stand up.

 

[Crackle]

So Nationwide are claiming there's an increased risk of head injury if cycling without a helmet. Perhaps they can produce the evidence for this.

http://road.cc/content/news/226428-...ade-cycle-helmets-compulsory-under-its-travel

 

[srw]

So Nationwide are claiming there's an increased risk of head injury if cycling without a helmet. Perhaps they can produce the evidence for this.

http://road.cc/content/news/226428-...ade-cycle-helmets-compulsory-under-its-travel

If reported accurately they claim to be an insurer in that article. The last time I looked they weren't. They're a Building Society with authorisation as an insurance intermediary. Someone in this thread has said that the insurer is UKI, which is the legal entity behind the Direct Line group.

I'm not a compliance expert, but unfortunately unless a claim is turned down unreasonably I can't see grounds for a formal complaint.

 

[PhilDawson8270]

You could all go to the AGM and raise these concerns also?

You do get involved with Nationwide and how they don business right? Or just moan?

 

[sbird]

Just missed the AGM on 20th July and would have been too late to put in a resolution but I have booked to go to a member talkback forum in October in London where I will raise it again with a director.