This topic

NatWest Reward Account. NatWest are blaming BT for a failure of emails

normalblaster — Tue, 28 Nov 2023 19:46:14 GMT

Hello BT community,

I don't want to get into the details of how the NatWest Reward Bank Account works but I've just come off a 1 and a half hour chat with NatWest because I'm not getting emails from NatWest with my reward vouchers.

NatWest have told me to change my email away from a btinternet.com email address. They are saying all account holders with btinternet.com email addresses are having the same issue.

Is anyone else in the same position? Was anyone even aware of this fubar situation? Anyone from BT care to comment?

Thanks for looking.

From the conversation:

17:11, Nov 28
You: Are you telling me every btinternet customer can not redeem rewards?
17:12, Nov 28
Revan: Please be informed that due to btinternet, the redeem haven't processed.

You: I don't have an alternate email address
17:14, Nov 28
Revan: All the btinternet customer is affected.
17:14, Nov 28
You: That is a joke right?
17:14, Nov 28
Revan: This issue from btinternet side.
17:14, Nov 28
You: BT are one of the biggest providers in the UK
17:15, Nov 28
You: Are you blaming the issue on BT ?
17:15, Nov 28
Revan: I can understand your frustration however, I can see there is no issue from
our end.

end of conversation.

Share and Enjoy

Re: NatWest Reward Account. NatWest are blaming BT for a failure of emails

gg30340 — Tue, 28 Nov 2023 19:59:10 GMT

If NatWest are aware that there is an issue with all their emails to BT email users being blocked by BT it is incumbent upon NatWest's email team to contact BT's email team and advise them of the problem and between them try to work out what the problem is.

Do you know if Nat West have done this and if not why not?

Re: NatWest Reward Account. NatWest are blaming BT for a failure of emails

normalblaster — Tue, 28 Nov 2023 22:41:35 GMT

I did ask that question but the answer is vague to say the least:

=======

17:15, Nov 28
Revan: I can understand your frustration however, I can see there is no issue from
our end.

17:15, Nov 28
You: so where is the evidence that BT is the problem?
17:16, Nov 28
Revan: This issue id facing by many customer, who is using btinternet domain.

17:17, Nov 28
You: Have you approached BT ?
17:20, Nov 28
Revan: This is know issue
17:20, Nov 28
You: So do I get ny £25 back?
17:20, Nov 28
Revan: And btinternet also aware of this issue.

=================

To me it looks like the problem is being ignored. I was asked by "Raven" to create a Gmail account so that I can continue to use my NatWest Rewards account:

=================

17:29, Nov 28
Revan: You can open any other different Gmail address for time being.
17:30, Nov 28
Revan: Once you update we can easily ramie the MyRewards escalation form.
17:30, Nov 28
You: Gmail. Is that secure?
17:30, Nov 28
Revan: Yes,

==================

Sad and very out of control. I may need to consider who I'm banking with.

Re: NatWest Reward Account. NatWest are blaming BT for a failure of emails

Anonymous — Tue, 28 Nov 2023 23:02:00 GMT

Creating a Gmail account to test there assertions seems like a sensible step.

Re: NatWest Reward Account. NatWest are blaming BT for a failure of emails

gg30340 — Tue, 28 Nov 2023 23:16:49 GMT

Being told to use a gmail account proves nothing other than a gmail account works. It does not prove where the issue between NatWest and BT lies.

You should make a formal complaint to NatWest, perhaps their CEO, that they know there is a problem for BT email users and that they are apparently doing nothing about it.

BT can not instigate or investigate a problem without knowing the symptoms and that would involve the NatWest

It may be a BT problem but it might just as easily be a NatWest problem hence the reason that NatWest need to contact BT and between them they should be able to resolve it.

Re: NatWest Reward Account. NatWest are blaming BT for a failure of emails

Dippu — Wed, 29 Nov 2023 08:30:33 GMT

@normalblaster This is interesting. I bank with Natwest and having similar problem. I exchanged £75 (£50+£25) Rewards for John Lewis e-gift vouchers last week Friday and didn't get the rewards until Monday this week but only got £50. Still waiting for the £25, I phoned Natwest and they say it can take up o 5 working days. I've never has this delay before, it's always been minutes before getting the the e-gift voucher through.

Re: NatWest Reward Account. NatWest are blaming BT for a failure of emails

Daffodil — Mon, 04 Dec 2023 13:07:05 GMT

Same problem. I redeemed for JL e-vouchers but received no codes on 15 Nov. Rang next day and spoke to Rewards team. I received two lower value codes of £10 each but not the one for £50. Since then have had 4 more frustrating calls where they said there were BT problems and also that the e-codes come on a Friday. Gave an alternative non BT email and waited for a Friday. Nothing. I’m going to escalate to a formal complaint as it’s not acceptable - there must be many of us experiencing this.

Re: NatWest Reward Account. NatWest are blaming BT for a failure of emails

Dippu — Mon, 04 Dec 2023 13:25:32 GMT

@Daffodil I have sent a complaint to Natwest and my case is now under investigation. I was not prepared to use another email address particularly the free ones as advised for banking due to my security concerns.

I don't think it is a BT issue because I received all other Natwest emails and even got the £50 John Lewis Rewards egift.

I told Natwest that I want £25 credited back into the account because the offer I was going to buy has gone.

Re: NatWest Reward Account. NatWest are blaming BT for a failure of emails

Anonymous — Mon, 04 Dec 2023 13:39:57 GMT

@normalblaster

I had a similar problem some years ago, (2017?), with a mailing chat list that I am a member of. The idea was that you sent an email to the chat list's address and it sent it on to all of the other members.

As an ex-employee, I had BT Internet and @btinternet.com email from the very first days when it was dial-up, and the chat list worked very well - until one day I realised that I was no longer receiving messages.

The btinternet.com email address was found to be the issue, (it also affected other list members on BT), so I created a googlemail address, and no problems since.

I changed my primary email to Google in 2020 - it was my lockdown project - and as far as I am aware, I haven't had any security issues?

Re: NatWest Reward Account. NatWest are blaming BT for a failure of emails

Andy_N — Mon, 04 Dec 2023 13:46:12 GMT

@Dippuwrote:
I was not prepared to use another email address particularly the free ones as advised for banking due to my security concerns.

Are you saying that you believe Gmail is insecure and worse than BTinternet email?

You are completely mistaken.

What do you mean "as advised for banking"? You're not sending any bank details by email ...

Re: NatWest Reward Account. NatWest are blaming BT for a failure of emails

Dippu — Mon, 04 Dec 2023 13:59:57 GMT

@Andy_N @Anonymous the thing is I don't know who to go to in case I have problems with free emails these companies are vast.

At least with BT I know whom I'm dealing with.

The Natwest Advisor told me to set up a gmail because he believed the problem to be with BT. I didn't buy that argument because when I exchanged my Rewards I got the £50 but not £25. Also in the past the egift Rewards took minutes, not days. I'm still waiting for my £25 and it's been nearly 2 weeks, although I have now asked them to recredit my account.

Judging by what @Daffodil says the alternative email did not work either.

Re: NatWest Reward Account. NatWest are blaming BT for a failure of emails

Anonymous — Mon, 04 Dec 2023 14:16:08 GMT

@Dippu

"the thing is I don't know who to go to in case I have problems with free emails these companies are vast."

With many of these services, the best support is usually via online Customer-to-Customer Forums - just like these BT Community forums!

There are a lot of very clever people out there who are willing to help - and they are often more knowledgeable than the staff on telephone support etc. 😉

Re: NatWest Reward Account. NatWest are blaming BT for a failure of emails

normalblaster — Tue, 05 Dec 2023 18:47:21 GMT

@Dippu I have raised a formal complaint to NatWest as well. I would expect them to see a trend and act on it but I'm not holding my breath.

I also went on a chat with BT to try and establish if BT know about the issue. Sadly the BT person on the other end was so focused on checking my spam box and any blocking rules that they appeared to keep misunderstand that I was asking a more general question about NatWest to the btinternet domain. In the end the chat dropped and I was left in limbo - no change there then.

At the moment I still have not got the £25 voucher.

I notice that people on this thread have asked for their money back: it was made very clear to me when I phoned NotWest (sic) that this is impossible.

Getting very bored now.

Re: NatWest Reward Account. NatWest are blaming BT for a failure of emails

Dippu — Tue, 05 Dec 2023 19:07:03 GMT

@normalblaster Yes the Natwest guy did the same to me and nothing happened so I made a formal complaint using this form : Complaint form | NatWest

I still waiting for the outcome but I have asked for the missing £25 to be credited back into my Rewards Account.

Good luck.

Re: NatWest Reward Account. NatWest are blaming BT for a failure of emails

Dippu — Wed, 13 Dec 2023 16:29:22 GMT

I have received an update from Natwest Complaints Department. They are aware of the problem where some emails are not going through to BT email addresses and are working closely with BT to resolve the problem. They have kindly reimbursed my account but have advised that to check with the Rewards Team before exchanging future rewards in case the problem has not been fixed.

Hope this helps to all affected by the problem.

Re: NatWest Reward Account. NatWest are blaming BT for a failure of emails

Daffodil — Wed, 13 Dec 2023 17:20:39 GMT

After a further call to the Rewards team on 4 Dec I confirmed an alternative (equally secure) email and 3 days later I had my e-code. The alternative email is just for receipt of the redeemed Rewards and is separate from the email used for other NatWest business. Good luck to others on this thread!

Re: NatWest Reward Account. NatWest are blaming BT for a failure of emails

normalblaster — Mon, 15 Jan 2024 15:08:08 GMT

An update. Since raising a formal complaint with NatWest on 1st Dec 2023 I have heard nothing from anyone other than a robot. This morning I phoned to try and get my voucher [now over a month and a half since I tried to create it] and an update. I also wanted to know what happened to my complaint.

NatWest were a joke this morning. I was transferred to the wrong people and one time connected to a Fax machine by the sound of it. I was also told that my formal complaint had not even been assigned to anyone yet.

Eventually I got though to someone who actually listened and was honest. They admitted that they knew about the btinternet issue because they answered calls from numerous people with the same problem. In the end I have given the reward people a gmail account but I have to wait until Friday before I'll get my voucher.

One word of warning: be very careful creating the gmail account. When I first tried this on my computer something spotted I already had a google account [I have to - I have an android phone] and tried to replace my registered email at google with the new gmail address I was creating. God knows what this would have done to my phone. I got round this by logging out of google *and deleting all cookies*!

Re: NatWest Reward Account. NatWest are blaming BT for a failure of emails

Anonymous — Mon, 15 Jan 2024 15:13:33 GMT

So you solved your problem by finally doing what you were advised to do six weeks ago?

I've created numerous Gmail addresses & never once has Google tried to replace anything or required any cookie dance.

Re: NatWest Reward Account. NatWest are blaming BT for a failure of emails

normalblaster — Mon, 15 Jan 2024 16:11:10 GMT

@Anonymous

No, problem not solved. I still haven't got my voucher. At the best it could be problem got round. Still not a good solution in my view. I would rather not trust my banking emails to google.

When I first tried to create a gmail account I got a warning: because my main google account was not a gmail address the new address I was creating would overwrite my current main google email and this would _affect_ all devices I was currently logged into - i.e. my phone. So I did not do it. I then logged out of google - same message. I then deleted all cookies and then could create an independent gmail address without any warnings. This is useful info if anyone here has a similar setup.

Re: NatWest Reward Account. NatWest are blaming BT for a failure of emails

gg30340 — Mon, 15 Jan 2024 16:16:25 GMT

Log out of google account on your browser then set up as many gmail email addresses as you want. They will have absolutely nothing to do with your "main" email address and will overwrite nothing!

Create a Gmail account - Gmail Help (google.com)