A technical glitch at Nationwide Building Society left customers in a flap, with online access to an important account suddenly vanishing. Online users raised the alarm, with one perturbed customer contacting the group over social media.
They said: “My mortgage account has disappeared from my online banking and banking app. It was there about an hour ago. Went to check something again and it’s now gone. No trace of it. Is there a glitch or is Nationwide doing some kind of update?”
Another user commented that they were also unable to see their mortgage account after issues arose on the morning of January 15. Nationwide’s online guidance states you can use its ‘Mortgage Manager’ tool, which allows you to make changes online.
You need to be signed up to Internet Bank or the group’s app to use the function. Customers are advised: “When making any changes, make sure you are comfortable with any changes you make yourself.
“If you need advice on making any changes, please call us to speak to one of our mortgage advisers.” Replying to the worried customers a few hours later, Nationwide said: “Thank you for your message. Accounts were temporarily not visible online, however this has now been resolved.”
The relieved clients said they could now see their accounts, with one quipping: “Had hoped they’d maybe just written it off.” A representative from Nationwide provided a statement: “Some customers were unable to view their mortgage accounts on the Internet Bank and Banking app for a very short period of time earlier this morning.
“No other accounts were affected. This has now been resolved, and we apologise for any inconvenience caused.” In a separate incident, a baffled customer got in touch after branch staff declined to deposit under £100 of Christmas cash for their disabled adult child.
The frustrated customer shared that the staff had said their son “has to present his card in person” due to anti-money laundering rules. Nationwide replied to explain its deposits policy: “We will only be able to accept cash deposit from the account holder themselves.
“If your son needs assistance managing their accounts, you can look at setting up a power of attorney via your local branch.” The customer went on to ask the reason for this policy. Nationwide said: “I can confirm that the branch were correct, and that this will be due to money laundering regulations.”
A firm warning against money laundering is posted on the society’s website: “We monitor payments and transactions, and where necessary we will stop payments, close accounts and relationships where activity is suspicious or cannot be appropriately explained.
“Potential relationships will be declined, and existing relationships terminated (where lawful to do so), where the level of economic crime risk is outside of our risk appetite.”
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