Abbey/Santander Rant

Welshwoofs

I've been with Abbey for 20 years and never had any problems up till the takeover by Santander. But recent screw-ups have been so bad that I've really had enough :mad:

The Saga:

With a week to go before moving house I popped into my nearest Abbey (10 miles away) with ID and submited a change of address form. The next day I received a Santander branded debit card out of the blue; my existing card had 6 months until expiry but they wanted to get rid of 'Abbey' branded cards.

The first problem struck the next day when popping out to fill up with petrol. I was armed with the new debit card...which was declined. I didn't have enough cash on me to pay and the garage owner was threatening to phone the police - luckily someone I knew came in and lent me the cash!!

Back at home I called Santander to report that the new debit card didn't work. When phoning I had to give my card number, account number and date of birth as security to the automated system....then waited 15 minutes on hold before finally getting through to someone in India who asked me all the same security information again. He claimed that my card was declined because I was "giving the wrong expiry date" and didn't seem to understand my explanations that you don't input a card expiry when paying via a PIN machine in a shop. Finally he agreed that the card must be dud and said he'd cancel it and I could continue using my old 'Abbey' debit card as it hadn't expired.

A few days later I found myself at the head of a big queue in Sainsburys with my old 'Abbey' debit card hearing "Sorry, but your card has been declined." I had to leave without my shopping go home and phone Santander...again. Another long wait, another Indian who didn't seem to understand my point and after 20 minutes of frustration I get told that both cards were cancelled. To make matters worse, the first person I'd spoken to had not ordered a replacement.

It was now the day before my house move and I had no working debit card so to say I was not amused would be an understatement. The rep said he'd order a new card and it'd arrive in 5-7 working days to XXXX Road....the address I was moving out of the next day. At this point I find out that the branch I'd been to hadn't performed the change of address. I was then transferred to another department to change the address on line and again had to give security - my debit card details. I rattled off my Abbey card details to be told those were incorrect, they needed the details for the Santander card which had never worked and was cut up on their request. Upshot, they couldn't change my address and I'd have to go back to the branch 10 miles away (because I didn't have enough to do on moving day) and find out what happened to the form.

At this point I went ballistic and pointed out that I now had no debit cards, a change of address not performed and no cash left and it was all because of their screw-ups. I asked to be put through to the complaints department and was given another phone number instead. I phoned it and got an automated message stating it was the complaints department. Ten minutes later an Indian voice came online and asked how I could help. "I have a complaint" I said. "This is general enquiries" he replied. "Then why does the automated greeting say it's the complaints department?", "This is general enquiries madam." Gritting teeth I asked to be transferred to complaints and got told I could only contact them by post and they'd send me a response letter with a reference number and a phone number to contact them. I pointed out I was moving the next day and a letter going to an address on their system I was not going to be living at (because they'd failed to update it) was not a lot of use and I needed to speak to someone now. He refused. I asked to speak to his supervisor...and got put on hold for 20....yes 20 minutes before the line went dead :mad::mad::mad:

I've never experienced such diabolical customer care from a bank. At no point did I receive an apology, nor any real help. I had to give the same tedious security details to automted systems then reps and then reps again when transferring between departments. I probably spent a good 1 1/2hrs on the phone all told...fruitlessly...and to top it all off it appears to be impossible to complain about the treatment!

Well I've now moved and I'm in the act of moving my bank account to First Direct. Santander have lost a customer of 20 years standing but somehow I doubt they give a damn :mad:

williham

First direct should be better

jennieshrew

I am absolutely moving my alliance and leicester bank account after reading this. I've had it with Santander today after various problems with a cahoot account I have. A&L are likely to be just as bad as Abbey so i'm not even going to wait for the problems to surface.

Norma_Desmond

A few months ago I rang Abbey / Santander just to ask for a new cheque book - the Indian woman I spoke to didn't even understand what I meant.
After 15 minutes or so of going totally around the houses, I hung up on HER.

Now, I very rarely use cheques but wanted a new book just in case I ever needed to - haven't received one to this day.

Hope you're happy in your new house Welshwoofs!

pimento

First Direct are the dog's doodahs. You'll have no cause to complain about them.

Welshwoofs

jennieshrew wrote: »

I am absolutely moving my alliance and leicester bank account after reading this. I've had it with Santander today after various problems with a cahoot account I have. A&L are likely to be just as bad as Abbey so i'm not even going to wait for the problems to surface.

My Father pulled all his money out of A&L a month back and warned me to get out of Santander (wish I'd listened to him!). In his case he had a savings product and happened to notice that the interest paid was considerably lower than advertised when he took on the product. He complained and said they didn't give a monkeys...he's now taken it to the ombudsman and is waiting to hear.

It's such as shame that erstwhile solid institutions have been taken over by this giant and the result seems to be a second rate service.

kingfisherblue

I'm also thinking of moving from Santander - all three accounts.

I have a current account for Direct Payments. My son is disabled and I have to have a separate account to pay the person that I employ to look after him for a couple of hours a week. The council put the money into the account and I write a cheque each week to my employee. Santander no longer send out cheque books automatically - you have to ring them up or go into the branch to request one. Even then, they want to know why I don't just use my card. I don't have a card for this account. I have to use cheques because that is what the council (who provide the money) say I have to do. It is part of the agreement for Direct Payments. Incidentally, I didn't get a letter telling me about having to order the cheque books - they just stopped sending them.

In the branch, I was told to queue at the front of the building to order a new cheque book. After queuing, I was told to use the phone in the branch to order it (I would have done this straight away if the cashier had said so). It kept cutting me off and each time I rang back, I had a different person answer. A lot of hassle to order a new cheque book!

My new card for my own current account (not the DP account) does work, but is no longer a cheque guarantee card. When I asked about this at the branch, the staff didn't even know that Santander are not including a cheque guarantee on the new cards.

My ISA doesn't have much in - just under £400, but I still expected to get a little more than 36p interest for twelve months.

When I went in to pay my credit card, the balance was £100.35. I handed over £105 and said that I wanted to pay off the balance. The cashier paid the full £105 off the card. When I asked for my change, she told me that I had wanted to pay £105. I asked her why would I want to pay more than I owe? She couldn't answer and hadd to get a supervisor to sort it out, making me late for an appointment. This was on a different occasion to the cheque book saga.

So I'm now looking for a decent bank that will accept somebody on benefits and give me a debit card. The Halifax won't give me a card because I don't earn a wage, just benefits (I'm a carer for my disabled child). I just haven't had time to look into it yet, but any recommendations gratefully received!

Peter999_2

I've got current accounts with A&L, Abbey, First Direct, Barclays and Halifax.

The only one I have never had a problem with is First Direct. Also, everytime I phone First Direct I get to speak to someone who actually understands what I am asking (unlike A&L and Abbey).

Abbey did a similar thing to me as the OP. My debit card expired, never recieved a new one. Had to phone, told it had been sent out (total lie and they knew it, there was a big scandal at the time as loads of people's cards expired and they hadn't sent out new ones). They cancelled the one that "hadn't" arrived, unfortunately with Abbey's online banking you use the debit card number as your user ID. When they cancelled the card, it stopped the internet working as well therefore I had no money, and no internet banking to pay any bills. They couldn't care less.

This was when I realised its wise to have at least 2 current accounts and 2 credits cards so you don't get left up the creek!

FairlieRoads

Completely agree and sympathise with OP.

Had two accounts with Abbey for 20-odd years, no problems, very pleased with the bank. Then about four years ago we moved house and decided to switch banks as there wasn't an Abbey/Santander in the town where we had moved to.

Basically to cut a long story short, Abbey mucked up the transfer, failed to cancel two standing orders which caused the old account to go overdrawn. They then wouldn't close the account while overdrawn. Went into the branch to sort it our, told us we had to do it all over the phone, got caught up in the never ending cycle of call centres who were worse than useless, etc, etc, etc. Dragged on for well over a year. Meanwhile still overdrawn, interest being added, threatening letters. Complete frustrating nightmare.

I now HATE Santander and would not trust them with my money if they were the only bank left in the world.

Actually, in a completely petty and childish act of "revenge" I do still have an account with them. It has six pence in it. I take a strange delight every month when I get the statement from them, thinking about how it has cost them to print and post it out to me. Bad for the environment etc I know but on this occasion I simply don't care. Sorry.

TurkishDelight

I've got a few products with the group.

Only had a problem with a asda branded credit card.
It didn't turn up, so I went to phone the number they provided for card not recieved.
It was a automated system, which wouldn't let me proceed until I'd entered the card number.:wall:

So I wandered off and found a number for A&L.
Spoke to a very nice but confused man who passed me through to another department, which obviously had to be the wrong one.
Rinse and repeat a few times until 20 minutes later when I got through to someone who was eating a bag of crisps (or something rustling) who then cut me off without ever speaking a word after a few minutes of me shouting to try and catch their attention.

Start again.
Eventually get through to a Indian man who can't understand me, and I can't understand him.

But we work out between us that the card is just missing, no activity on my account, and that he'll send out a new one.
Hasn't arrived yet- that was 6 months ago.

This is all, of course, on my phonebill to add insult to injury.

aloise

You'll e ok with first direct. been with them for 20 years, brilliant company