• NationWide Building Society

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Overview

NationWide Building Society has a rating of 1.33 stars from 15 reviews, indicating that most customers are generally dissatisfied with their purchases. NationWide Building Society ranks 121st among Banking sites.

  • Service
    5
  • Value
    5
  • Quality
    4
Positive reviews (last 12 months): 0%
Positive
0
Neutral
0
Negative
5
How would you rate NationWide Building Society?
Top Positive Review

“Reliable”

m d.
11/15/21

I have always found nationwide to be reliable... and when i need a new card they get shipped to me within 1-2 days.

Top Critical Review

“Don't Fall for the £200 Switch”

Stephen F.
12/10/23

I applied to the Nationwide twice today. My credit score is excellent. On both occasions I went through the whole online process of having my credit checked and submitting photos of my ID. On both occasions I was sent an email that said 'we weren't able to open your account - please reapply'. I can't imagine who's running the Nationwide, but this is so incompetent and I've seen it as sufficient warning to move onto another bank. +++++++++++++++ MY RATINGS: 5 STARS PLUS! = Exceptional, with an unusually high standard of quality/ workmanship/ service/ communication, and zero problems. Highly recommended. 5 Stars = Great quality/ service/ value for money, with minimal problems. I would recommend. 4 Stars = Very good, and I would use again 3 Stars = Average, with room for improvement 2 Stars = Poor service or goods. I do not recommend. 1 Star = Gross incompetence/ dishonesty/ negligence. Stay away; the worst of the worst.

Reviews (15)

Rating

Timeframe

Other

Thumbnail of user stephenf739
62 reviews
37 helpful votes
December 10th, 2023

I applied to the Nationwide twice today. My credit score is excellent. On both occasions I went through the whole online process of having my credit checked and submitting photos of my ID. On both occasions I was sent an email that said 'we weren't able to open your account - please reapply'. I can't imagine who's running the Nationwide, but this is so incompetent and I've seen it as sufficient warning to move onto another bank.

+++++++++++++++

MY RATINGS:

5 STARS PLUS! = Exceptional, with an unusually high standard of quality/ workmanship/ service/ communication, and zero problems. Highly recommended.

5 Stars = Great quality/ service/ value for money, with minimal problems. I would recommend.
4 Stars = Very good, and I would use again
3 Stars = Average, with room for improvement
2 Stars = Poor service or goods. I do not recommend.
1 Star = Gross incompetence/ dishonesty/ negligence. Stay away; the worst of the worst.

Tip for consumers:
Don't be lured in by the £200 switch promise. They can't even get the application process working.

Products used:
Application online

Thumbnail of user ralphm690
1 review
1 helpful vote
September 7th, 2023

The people are all nice enough. But they cannot give any customer service outside the remit of a robot. The robots can't answer many questions so you have to try really really hard to speak to a person. And the person is only allowed to do what the robot would do anyway. Zero ability to help customers resolve issues. Customer Service people are trapped inside a deeply deeply flawed process machine and all they can do is smile and say "sorry. Can't help"

Tip for consumers:
Just don't do it

Service
Value
Quality
Thumbnail of user jazzk
2 reviews
7 helpful votes
September 24th, 2013

I have been banking with these guys for about 8 years and some 2 years ago the site changed. Now it is terrible, trying to transfer funds is a totally lottery if it works. You then go into the branch and even the cashiers advise you to stay away from the online side! You speak to the tech guys at the website and all they say is try another browser other than google... Google the largest of them all and you want me to use another just for your site... Please

Thumbnail of user pj377
1 review
1 helpful vote
May 28th, 2023

Just been informed I don't qualify for the £100 profit payment.I have been a customer for years,have flex account and use it every day,plus I get my Army pension paid in every month.Thanks Nationwide for nothing,will be closing my account on Tuesday.Hope all you big boys enjoy your massive bonuses off the customers who you are kicking in the teeth.

Thumbnail of user md602
3 reviews
5 helpful votes
November 15th, 2021

I have always found nationwide to be reliable... and when i need a new card they get shipped to me within 1-2 days.

Service
Value
Quality
Thumbnail of user janett1099
2 reviews
7 helpful votes
June 4th, 2023

Two days to clear a cash payment at a branch, defensive handling of complaints made against them, long-term "members" are treated poorly in comparison to new account and credit card holders. Operates like the worst of banks while claiming to be a building society.

Products used:
Credit card and current account

Service
Value
Quality
Thumbnail of user ianb739
1 review
1 helpful vote
June 21st, 2022

Disgustingly immoral bunch of people.
The gave us mortgage approval and all was going well until we had to pull out of our house purchase due to a survey issue. Don't worry the Nationwide said, find another house and we can proceed.
We found another house, instructed solicitors to proceed. It was at that point, the Nationwide declined to issue us with a mortgage as we no longer met their new criteria. Thanks a bunch you good for nothing buch of bar stewards, left us homeless. Luckily, Barclays came to the rescue with absolutely brilliant service and we are no longer homeless. DO Not USE THIS BUNCH! Would be my recommendation.

Products used:
Nine

Service
Value
Quality
Thumbnail of user davidm11052
1 review
0 helpful votes
March 22nd, 2024

After being scammed by a deceitful trading platform and feeling discouraged by the financial setbacks, I discovered SecuresenceGlobal. Their professionalism, expertise, and compassion stood out to me when I contacted them. The SecuresenceGlobal team promptly investigated my situation and developed a tailored plan to help me reclaim my funds, showcasing their extensive understanding of financial fraud and their access to crucial resources. Their knowledge gave me assurance that they were capable of handling challenging circumstances proficiently.

Thumbnail of user markm457
2 reviews
0 helpful votes
February 2nd, 2018

The name is a lie, since it is not really "nation wide... Furthermore, their website is just terrible, and have to be completely redesigned in order to find any information whatsoever. Not recommended at all and by any means, but sometimes it's hard to find a good alternative.

Thumbnail of user christinam1384
1 review
1 helpful vote
June 2nd, 2022

My fiancé and I are purchasing a home in America. When he asked the bank about transferring funds to do so, they started a fraud investigation. Mind you, they started this investigation WITHOUT any of the legal paperwork. We took it upon ourselves to ensure it actually could be investigated wholly by providing the legal documents. Everyday for at least two weeks now, my fiancé has had to spend countless hours on the phone with them. Never do you get to talk to the same person and every single time the story changes. One person will tell you you're all set and good to go. The next day you get a different person ringing you and the horrendous nightmare begins again. We have already missed our closing date on the home and I'm guessing we will miss the next as well.
Do yourself a huge favor, stay away from Nationwide!

Thumbnail of user wnb
13 reviews
10 helpful votes
October 4th, 2021

Nationwide Buiding Society - the name sounds so traditional but don't let that fool you.
This bank are so awful to deal with that I came away with the perception that they must hate their customers!
Firstly their website is not too extensive when it comes to offering information and answers.
When you then try to phone them you are placed on hold - then after an hour you get cut off so have to call again. You go through this process multiple times before you eventually get through to an IQ devoid call taker, who is so unhelpful and incompetent that they struggle to provide the most basic information.
Therein begins a game of "pass the parcel", only with you the customer as the 'parcel' being call transferred to a series of random and bizarrely named departments until you are cut off again and have to start the whole circus merry go round from scratch!
WARNING! Dare to complain about this high incidence of ridiculous and you get a lecture on covid in an attempt to excuse the incompetence!
Eventually I got through to mortgage sales. "Yippee" thought I - until it became apparent wihtin minutes that the IQ devoid mortgage sales advisor knew little to nothing about mortgages and even less about the building society's own mortgage products on offer - you really couldn't make it up!
They did try a little age discrimination to try and sell me a completely inappropriate mortgage product that is 3 times the cost of their standard mortgage!
It then becomes apparent that age discrimination "rules OK" - if you are under 55 you will get a standard mortgage. If you are over 55 you get directed to a product at 3 times the cost interest wise.
AVOID THIS BANK at all costs. They are truly dreadful.
As for their complaints team - what a horrid snooty bunch who treat their customers with total contempt and disdain - proper proper nasty.
Nat West customer services are so much better!
HORRIBLE BANK - AVOID!

Tip for consumers:
AVOID AVOID AVOID - HORRID BANK !

Products used:
I was an existing customer with a mortgage and bank accounts with this company - I transferred to another bank because they were so dreadful and unpleasant.

Thumbnail of user helenp1003
1 review
2 helpful votes
October 23rd, 2022

I have been with Nationwide all my adult life, over 40 years!
The trauma was as a result of the freezing of my accounts due to the large bills i had to pay a builder for building a house for my adult disabled daughter. It was legitimate, i was managing the build which was stressful enough. And, without warning, they said i could be the victim of a scam and had frozen my accounts.
I had selected the builder myself with the architect from three quotations, i knew there was no scam going on.
I was without access to my funds for a month.
The uncertainty of when i would be able to access funds added to the trauma.
I had no other accounts. My Mastercard was stopped because of a 50p fraud on it so I could not even use that to pay for tiles, carpets, paint and all the various contractors involved.
The staff were unsupportive, unhelpful and absent from the phone lines for 90 per cent of the time. I spent 3 hours on each of the 8 visits to the branch to try to resolve the matter, squeezed in around work commitments and at a financial loss. The staff in branch could not access the fraud squad either under 1.5hours. They made a malicious allegation i used an expletive which i did not at any time on the phone or in branch. I admittedly, was extremely stressed due to the Nationwide's actions. I had to clock watch on every visit and phone call due to other commitments, and the lack of a supportive response only added to the wounding.
The fraud squad 'lost' my emails with all the information they requested and which i had sent to them the first day of the freeze.
All my agency was taken away by their actions, I felt totally disempowered.
I had to borrow thousands from family and friends to support every day expenses. I complained only to be told i was unable to visit the branch nor have my accounts any more adding insult to injury. The pittance in compensation offered does not even cover the trauma informed counselling i am receiving. Furthermore, their apology was unconvincing. I DO NOT RECOMMEND THIS BANK/BUILDING SOCIETY TO ANYONE, NOT EVEN MY WORST ENEMY. SUGGEST YOU SWTCH IMMEDIATELY TO ANOTHER BANK. HOWEVER, I DO THINK BANKS GENERALLY HAVE TOO MUCH POWER.
THE LEGISLATION ON MONEY LAUNDERING NEEDS REVISING SO THE SO-CALLED 'VICTIM' IS NOT VICTIMISED, ABUSED AND TRAUMATISED BY THE BANK ACTIONS.

Products used:
none at Nationwide

Service
Value
Thumbnail of user misterp
47 reviews
91 helpful votes
November 23rd, 2017

I for one do not trust call centre staff as I have been lied to by them too many times. The call centre staff that this company employ are no exception. Case in point, yesterday I called using a phone I have never used to call Nationwide before. I was not asked any identifying questions before being put through to someone. This phone is also not registered with them. Yet after ten minutes (approx) the woman slips and tells me my name. I point out approx two minutes later that she had told me my name. She went into denial. You know the kind of denial that call centre staff excel at. That is change the subject, make an excuse such as I dont recall doing that etc... Not only this but she had asked previously whether there were any other questions I had that she could help me with. So of course I started asking questions about their telephone customer service, to which she tried one way after another to not answer any questions. I said to her you have no intention of honouring what you promised. After 26 minutes she put the phone down on myself. This is another thing. Tell them to put the phone down as they are doing nothing but string you along and try all sorts of tricks to wriggle out of doing what is asked, including claiming that they do not have permission. But they all work for the same company and if one can do it they all can do it. Which by-the-way they do on almost every call.

They use voice recognition software, and your training it. Thats what you are doing by answering their remedial 'security' questions.

Never a straight answer is given. They are only interested in hijacking your call to get what they need to keep their job.

Thumbnail of user aa2027
1 review
2 helpful votes
August 14th, 2017

I have been with these jokers for over a decade. You would think that track record means something but it does not. I am a UK citizen living overseas. And I cannot tell you how many times in a month I go to do something, depending on my card, and the card is restricted or blocked. I call up and they said No-trace due to issue with my address (they do not let me use my poBox). Ok I get the card unblocked. Next month card is not working what is it now? OH, we detected fraud and blocked your card. I was buying something from a number one website in South Africa, like the ebay of SA. So they cancelled my card and after 4 attempts I got it. They posted my card to SA using standard post (it never arrived). I said I would send FedEx to collect it--no can do. Can they post it by FedEX-- no can do SA is too dangerous. On and on. Send it to my mates house--still no card. All this time i have NO MONEY.
Next month something else, some new EU regulations. Card blocked. I sent them all the required info by FedEx and still card blocked. No explanation now why still blocked. Everyone I speak to is giving a different story. Apparently they cannot email me, they cannot talk to the fraud blocking department, nothing. So something as important as my money I cannot get access to. And no one knows why. Even within the bank they cannot give me an answer. So another week without my card.

Thumbnail of user mrsv2
1 review
4 helpful votes
April 11th, 2018

Been with Nationwide over 10 years and never had a problem really. Only visited a branch twice, everything else done online, cash transfer takes less than 2 minutes and site easy to navigate. Had an issue with a scammer trying to take unauthorised payments from my debit card, rang Swindon and it was sorted immediately with a refund to my account within the hour.
Better and more honest than the high street banks

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About the business

The world's largest building society, run for the benefit of its members. Helping you with your current account, mortgage, savings and other personal finance needs.

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