I have several accounts with the Nationwide, and for the second time in six months it has blocked access to all of them because my bank statement was returned by the Post Office.
I live in a village where all the houses have names, and it’s quite common for delivery drivers or new postmen to fail to find houses. It would appear this postman merely returned the letter to sender, even though the house is clearly named – if not numbered – on a main road.
When any letter is returned, Nationwide immediately blocks access to my account and requires me to phone to restore the service. I have asked Nationwide if it would be possible to contact me first and only block my account if there is no confirmation, within an agreed timescale, but all I get is the mindlessly repeated mantra that “security is our number one priority”.
There must be a way to prevent this sort of debacle happening again. AT, Banbury
Given how many people live in unnumbered houses, you can’t be the only one affected. It’s good to know Nationwide has strict security measures in place, but these could, as you say, be harmlessly adapted when you’ve flagged up a problem.
A spokesperson says it acted with the “best of intentions” but apologises for the inconvenience. “A temporary block is normal practice when items are returned saying ‘no trace’, but we are reviewing our process around no trace mail to ensure inconvenience is kept to a minimum”.
Someone from the building society has now contacted you to discuss options. If the problem persists you could, of course, opt to go paperless and view statements online.
If you need help email Anna Tims at your.problems@observer.co.uk or write to Your Problems, The Observer, Kings Place, 90 York Way, London N1 9GU. Include an address and phone number.
