Santander ISA - How backwards

SparciaM

I opened a Flexible ISA on 6th April, but the guy in branch didn't bother to set me up for internet banking. So I rang today to get it set up (as was waiting and waiting) and the guy over the phone told me the only thing I can do online is view a balance and nothing else.
Transfers out, withdrawals and anything to do with the account as to be done over the phone, all I can do online is check the balance - how backwards are they.

I asked if they were going to implement online banking properly and they said no and went on a speel about Tax regulations and ISAs etc even when I said every other bank and building society in the UK allows full online banking, the guy said that Santander would never allow full online banking of ISAs.

I feel like I've been conned (I know I haven't), but all my banking is done online, I never ever call a bank and now if I ever want to transfer money out of my ISA or do anything to it, I will have to ring them up every time. Sadly, I can't close the ISA as I have now already subscribed to it and won't be able to use another ISA again. If I had known that they didn't offer full online banking I would've gone elsewhere.

Oh well, I guess I'll have the joys of actually phoning a bank to actually do stuff

Consumerist

I think you may have been mis-informed.

According to their website, you can access your ISA account as follows :-

Flexible access - access your Flexible ISA online, at a cash machine, by branch or over the phone.

Edit:
If you go to this web page you should be able to register online. Click on the Register now button

Hope this helps.

sulkisu

Once your account has been opened, you can then register for online banking. But they don't set it up for you - you have to do that yourself, which I think is standard practice.

SparciaM

I'm not talking about registering for online banking, I talking about the fact that you can't actually do anything with online banking - as everything has to be done via branch or phone. So in essence you're registering for viewing you balance online and that's it.

It just seemed odd that every bank in the UK allows you to actively withdraw and sort account out online and Santander don't.

No biggy, just felt odd in this day and age.

Consumerist

Again, I think you have been misinformed.

According to this Santander web page :-

Online banking
Access a wide range of services online
check your balance, make transfers, set up
standing orders and more, anywhere, 24/7

As a general rule of thumb, never believe anything a bank employee tells you unless you can confirm it in writing (email, website, Terms & Conditions, etc.). Life will be less stressful this way.

Stompa

SparciaM wrote: »

It just seemed odd that every bank in the UK allows you to actively withdraw and sort account out online and Santander don't.

Well my Flexible ISA will let me withdraw/deposit online, so I would have thought yours should too.

Goodison999

I've never been impressed with the Ex Alliance Leicester (now Santander) online banking. Yes, I can deposit and withdraw through my non-Santander account but it won't let me transfer money between my accounts or to my wife's accounts without withdrawing it first and them putting it back! That takes days and is pretty poor in my book.

Slightly OT but I actioned a withdrawal from my own bank account to a new ISA almost 2 weeks ago and Santander still haven't managed to get it to my ISA.:mad:

Nine_Lives

I thought you have a 14 day opening period where you can change your mind, cancel & invest elsewhere?

torchie

I'm in agreement with Stompa on this one - full online services are available on the ISA account. I also use Santander for business banking and actually find their online offering is quite OK and certainly offers all that I need.

SparciaM

After a month of applying for the ISA, I finally got the online banking and set up and low and behold it won't let me withdraw funds online. I have to ring up, so Santander were correct.

I can do FP into the ISA from my FD account, but when I try and withdraw money (by clicking on withdraw) a page comes up saying "Cannot withdraw funds from this type of account, please contact us".

So I'll say it again, how very backwards of a bank!!

Stompa

SparciaM wrote: »

...but when I try and withdraw money (by clicking on withdraw) a page comes up saying "Cannot withdraw funds from this type of account, please contact us".

That's odd, I don't have 'Withdraw'. On the left-hand menu I click on 'Payments' which brings up a screen asking me to select a destination account and amount. I've never gone any further than that, but assume that it works.