Please help. I am terrified.

lolagirl

I am foolish enough to do my personal banking with Santander. I did not realise how shockingly bad they are until today.

I have a personal current account with Santander and a business current account with Barclays. I am self-employed. Late last week I transferred £900 from my small business account at Barclays into my Santander current account, using the Faster Payments service. I transfer various amounts, from as little as £50 to as much as about £1000 from the small business account into the Santander personal current account, every few weeks. Never had any problems.

Yesterday I tried to use my debit card for a £5 transaction in Tesco & it was declined. I had £3000 available balance in my account, so that did not make sense. I phoned Santander who informed me that my personal current account and savings account had been "flagged up" by Fraud Prevention for a suspicious transaction. They were unable to explain more and asked me to call back in the morning. Naturally I could not sleep and called back first thing this morning.

I was told that the £900 transfer I'd made from my Barclays business account into Santander had been flagged up as fraudulent. They wanted me to provide proof that that Barclays business account is mine. I told them OK, fine. They agreed that I'd bring my Barclays statement, cheque book and debit card into the Santander branch as proof of ownership of that account. I took that ID. Waited one and a half hours before a Customer Advisor deigned to see me. Then he said he'd need to fax off my proof to some central unit at Santander. Another half hour went by. Then he said the department could not accept the proof.

I spoke to the Fraud Department who claimed they were still investigating the transaction and that in the meantime I could not withdraw any money at all from my accounts. Unfortunately, all the money I have in the world is in Santander right now. I have £5 in my purse and that is it. I spent from 10AM this morning until 2.40pm this afternoon on the phone to Santander. Finally, a woman in the Fraud Department informed me that the £900 in dispute could not be touched until that situation was resolved but that her supervisor had agreed that I was entitled to access the remaining £2000 in my account. She told me to go back into the branch with my passport and debit card and ask the branch to phone through to authorise the one-off withdrawal. She was very nice and assured me she was making notes on my account to explain what she'd agreed with me.

I got to the branch. Waited another hour. And was told that actually there no notes on my account to suggest I could make any withdrawal at all of any funds. They said it'd take another "three weeks or so" before their investigations were complete and I'd be able to withdraw any of my money. I then asked to see the branch manager who told me this sort of things happen all the time, he's dealt with four people today already whose accounts have been blocked. "The bureaucracy is getting ridiculous" he admitted. But there was nothing he could do, he claimed. He told me not to take too seriously anything I am told on the phone but at the same time he admitted that he has no authority to override what the Fraud Department is saying at any particular time. I asked him if I could at least withdraw £50 from my savings account, which would allow me to eat and pay for my transport to work for the next few days. He said, NO. He said I'd have to borrow from my partner or from family. I do not have a partner and I do not have family.

I am so gutted - and afraid - that I can't stop crying at this point. It's not even like they're saying "you can have access to your money again next week." They're saying "we don't know when we will let you access your own money." I am really alone in the world and I just don't know what to do.

I asked Barclays, who hold my business account, if they'd consider a temporary overdraft just to tide me over and unfortunately they have refused, saying my credit score isn't high enough. I don't have CCJs or defaults or anything like that.

Also, my major household bills, rent payment standing order and Council Tax and utility bills Direct Debit are due to be paid from my Santander account over the next week. Santander informed me none of them will be honoured, despite the fact I have more than enough cleared funds on the account.

I do not get my next payment from work until 15th May.

I just called Santander once again, and I got some man in India this time who just kept saying, "your details don't match, your details don't match."

I know Santander are known for being awful and I will be applying for an account with a proper bank as soon as possible now. But in the meantime, how on earth do I get my money back? I am not a rich person, I live hand to mouth and I just have no idea what I am going to do for money, travel expenses or how I even eat once I've consumed what is in the fridge at present.

cifpower

I would sit in the branch and refuse to move until your cash was handed over. Failing this, I would call the police and demand the bank hand over your money.

bryanb

If you have a Santander cheque book, pay a cheque into your Barclay account.

paulmcerlean

cifpower wrote: »

I would sit in the branch and refuse to move until your cash was handed over. Failing this, I would call the police and demand the bank hand over your money.

Ditto. If they cant tell you what the problem is specifically, then I would not leave until they give you what is yours.

cifpower

bryanb wrote: »

If you have a Santander cheque book, pay a cheque into your Barclay account.

But surely if the account is blocked the cheque would bounce?

lolagirl

cifpower wrote: »

But surely if the account is blocked the cheque would bounce?

I'm presuming so. I don't know whether it is worth a try or not?

lolagirl

paulmcerlean wrote: »

Ditto. If they cant tell you what the problem is specifically, then I would not leave until they give you what is yours.

The most awful part is when the women on the phone at Abbey Customer Services went away and talked to her supervisor and then came back and assured me that I could withdraw £1400 from my account as long as I took my debit card and passport to the branch. When I got into the branch and they accused me of lying and said that there were notes on my account to suggest any such arrangement was made I actually started crying and could not stop. The branch manager sat me down in his cubicle and gave me a glass of water.

I suppose in the long-term I need to look into building something of a support network so that I would never be this vulnerable again and would have a close mate or something who could help me out in an emergency situation like this. The reality is that at this time I have no safety net at all - having a few grand in my account WAS my idea of a safety net.

I am really freaking terrified.

I knew Abbey had a bad reputation but I'd just somehow presumed that people who endlessly complain about them were exaggerating. After today, I realise that the people who complain about Abbey might actually not even be complaining ENOUGH.

Olipro

lolagirl wrote: »

I suppose in the long-term I need to look into building something of a support network so that I would never be this vulnerable again and would have a close mate or something who could help me out in an emergency situation like this. The reality is that at this time I have no safety net at all - having a few grand in my account WAS my idea of a safety net.

Open up a current/cash account at a bank other than Abbey.

Or do the smart thing and dump Santander for someone else.

Soubrette

This isn't much help to you now, but in future it might be worth having a completely separate bank or building society account with a few hundred in so that you don't have to rely on just one source of funding.

I hope you get it sorted soon

Sou

Valli

and make copious and extensive notes of all this, all your phone calls, times, dates (and lengths) of visits into branch, details of who you spoke to and when.
Then send them a FORMAL COMPLAINT letter especially as you have previously paid into Santander from Barclays before without a problem and give them 7 days to refund you all out-of-pocket expenses (lost earnings, costs of calls, letters etc) and if you hear nothing report them to the Banking Ombudsman.

Oh - and switch accounts - personally, given that you already business bank with Barclays I would consider opening a personal account with them, although there are other banks. I don't bank with Barclays BTW...mind you I don't bank with Santander, either.

lolagirl

Valli wrote: »

and make copious and extensive notes of all this, all your phone calls, times, dates (and lengths) of visits into branch, details of who you spoke to and when.
Then send them a FORMAL COMPLAINT letter especially as you have previously paid into Santander from Barclays before without a problem and give them 7 days to refund you all out-of-pocket expenses (lost earnings, costs of calls, letters etc) and if you hear nothing report them to the Banking Ombudsman.

Oh - and switch accounts - personally, given that you already business bank with Barclays I would consider opening a personal account with them, although there are other banks. I don't bank with Barclays BTW...mind you I don't bank with Santander, either.

Good advice here on all counts. Thanks.

I have another question I hope somebody might be able to answer.

What is the legal position?

Can Abbey just keep hold of my funds indefinitely for EVER and never give it back. Even the woman in their customer services (calling it customer services feels blasphemous!) admitted that they would eventually have to return my money to me but I've Googled Abbey today and read about people who've had their accounts frozen for no compelling reason for 6 months and more.

Will I EVENTUALLY be able to get my money back? Perhaps via the Banking Ombudsman?