Abbey Santander and my missing money

pedgepuk

Hi all,

This is slightly long so apologies in advance.

I have had a huge problem with these fools Abbey Santander for the last 8 months. The problem should be resolved by next week but wanted advice on the rights I may have for compensation for the stress, inconvenience and time taken to resolve.

In June 2009 I agreed to open a Super ISA with Abbey at one of their branches which qualified for 5.5% interest for 12mths if I put in the same amount into one of their investment products. Needless to say there were no other ISAs offering a rate like this and my cash was earning a miserable 1%. So, I put the following:

Investment Portfolio - £13k
Super ISA - £13k (transferred from existing ISAs)

I received all the Investment Portfolio paperwork a week after opening it but never received the ISA details. I did some chasing during the month of July and was promised that I'd get it.

One sunny August day before I was flying out on holiday, I received a letter in the post with an ISA transfer form (the original form I filled out at the branch) saying that the new Abbey ISA account number was missing off the form which meant the funds could not be transferred. Now this was the fault of the advisor as he failed to fill out the form correctly. So I called the ISA line and they put me through to the branch where the advisor asked me to bring it in due to the post strikes at the time. I in the end had to visit the branch on the day I was flying out.

In September I still hadn't received anything and I chased the branch. I did the same in October, November and December. Chasing the branch and calling the ISA line. Nobody would help and I'd be passed from one person to another. They eventually sent me something in January but this was for my investment product which I already had paperwork for.

In the end I decided to raise a complaint and they too were passing the buck. I formally wrote to them in full after several calls and eventually finding out that no ISA account existed with my £13k. It was then escalated to a senior complaints officer who took on the case where after a week she found my account. Fantastic or so I thought!

She wrote to me only to give me the investment product details. What a farce! I've called them 4 times this week and also contacted Alliance & Leicester and Barclays where the transfered funds were coming from. They ran a trace and found that it had gone to Abbey but no account number was applied.

Abbey Santander complaints advised me to see the original branch manager as they had to sort this out. I was already furious with the branch for not doing this in the first place but made one last effort. I waited an hour to see the manager on Tuesday but she refused only to say that the earliest would be Friday which I found unacceptable as I needed the funds for a deposit on a home.

After all the too-ing and throwing it seems they have now found the funds and the reason was that the 2 databases they run off were not merged properly.

So after my lengthy story am I able to get compensation from them? They have already offered £100 but that was before the crap I went through in the last 2wks.

I would appreciate any of your thoughts.

TIA

Pete

10_66

Not sure this will help you know, as you say that the problem should be resolved by next week, however, what you could've done was to register a complaint with the FOS. If Abbey/Santander failed to resolve your complaint within 8 weeks' of making the official complaint, the FOS would investigate the claim for you. The FOS would charge Santander £500 for the investigation, regardless of what the outcome is, so companies prefer for it not to get that far if they can help it because of the cost. Hopefully you won't need it for the future, but if you do, HERE's a link to the FOS complaints procedures, and HERE's a link to the FOS re compensation for inconvenience etc.

fairtrade

They are having a laugh.
I had a 6 month dispute with A&L (now Santander) over their failure to open an ISA account. I went to the branch, and recorded my experiences in writing. I wrote to their head office, and kept a copy of each sent letter with details of my interaction with the branch. Unfortunately for the bank, I obtained a written undertaking from the branch "manager" regarding resolution of my complaint. If you can demonstarte your time, effort, trouble, and the complete lack of understanding, buck-passing, and unwillingness of the bank to solve or resolve your problem then you should advise them you are dissatisfied. Ask them how they wish to resolve your complaint and how they wish to compensate you.
Inform them that a person happy with goods or services will tell 3 other people - an unhappy person will tell at least ten and will actively stop or dissuade others from using the goods or services involved.

Chocolate18

This is quite a mouthful but bear with me, i'm still fuming about this:

I arrived at my grandma's yesterday to find her in wuite a state on the phone to Santander. She had rang the number on a statement on behalf of her daughter (my aunty) who has been mute and deaf since birth.

She was having trouble with the call centre chap (non-uk call centre who was INSISTING that she put my Aunt on the phone.

Well, my poor Grandma said of course she couldn'e, myy aunt was deaf, and was this time getting in a bit of a flap so politely said goodbye and hung up.

I then called the same number to speak to someone and sort things out but also complain about the humiliation we had all just endured. I said one sentence to the chap at the other end of the phone and he HUNG UP ON ME when i said i wanted to complain.

Very angry, i dialled once again and this time spoke to a woman, she however would not let me do anything unless i was the main card-holder, which i was obviously not, after explaining the sitaution to her she then preceded to tell me to put my Aunt ON THE PHONE!

I then asked to speak to someone in a UK call centre, she put me on hold for a long while and went and spoke to her supervisor before coming back and telling me there was nothing she could do without me being the cardholder.

However, once i explained actually i wanted to pay some money off (apart from the severe complaint i was going to make) she decided it wasn't so very important i was the cardholder after all! So she let me make the payment but wouldn't help me in any other way, nor put me onto a UK line.

Bearing in mind this phone call had obviously cost a lot of money by now, i then got my boyfriend to do his own research and find me a UK complaints line.

I rang this and explained the situation, and in all fairness, the girl did understand and she did apologise profusely, and also explain there is a textphone service.

However, my question is this, why did it take over half an hour worth of time and £££ to find this out, but above all, how dare my call be leased out to some non-UK centre where my Aunt's problem was treated with such dismissal and misunderstanding.

I am truly shocked and horrified by the way my family were treated yesterday by Santander.

alanq

I was reading that there are problems for deaf would-be customers of various organisations because their websites don't allow big enough fields to type in a phone number with a 18002 prefix so that any contact can be made by typetalk. The EHRC are said to be investigating.
http://community.plus.net/forum/index.php/topic,88175.0.html

Maybe Santander's conduct is also worth the EHRC's attention.

juicyjude

They are appauling almost cleared all my funds out of my internet account with Bradford and Bingley (Santander) now. Hubby wrote a while ago long story but they lost his ID refused him his application for an inernet account as it had time expired (yes because they lost his ID!!) Sent a cheque of apology £30 he wrote saying he wanted them to confirm that his credit rating was not affected before he accepted the cheque, giving them 14 days to reply. Not even an acknowledgement of the letter. Now going to write to Financial Ombudsman and Information Commisioner so disgusted with them! Feel for you chocolate 18 they have treated you like hundreds of other customers with total disregard if you read many threads about them on here. Hope you get things sorted

blackgizzie1

Thank goodness it's not just me that's having problems with this useless bunch of muppets.
I have been with Alliance & Leicester for over 20 years with only a couple of problems in that time. Well Santander have excelled themselves as I have had more problems in the last month than ever before.
The month of September brought the following ***ks up's:
3 standing orders cancelled - reason - we have changed the account number that these payments are being taken from!!!
Lost my wages, which have been paid in weekly for the past 10 years. Last time this happened they were put in another persons account. This time I'm told that it's not their problem and they can only do anything when it arrives into my account. Would I be phoning if this was the case? I DON'T THINK SO.
The sort code to my account has been changed without any notification which means payments to and from the account aren't happening.
And the straw that's broken the camels back - my new cheque book arrived after 6 weeks of trying to obtain this.
I was so excited until I opened the new book to pay a small company I deal with. Low and behold, printed on the front and back of the cheque book "NOT TO BE USED WITH A CHEQUE GUARANTEE CARD"............This can't be happening.
On the phone again to be told that it's correct as they are phasing out cheque books in 2018!!!
When I asked if I could have a cheque book that I could use I was told that they would send me a new debit card....when I asked why, I was told that they are phasing out cheque guarantee cards.
Can someone please tell me where they are getting the these people from and how they are brain washing them to be total idiots and capable of sending mine, and no doubt others blood pressure hit the roof.
I now have them on speed dial along with The Samaritans. At least I know I will get a sensible answer from The Samaritans rather than speak to the the most useless !"!$"£%$£^^%&* bank this country has ever seen.
Thanks for reading my rant and if anyone has any advise on where I can make a formal complaint about them please feel free to let me know.

coconurtaler

Sorry this has got a bit long.

I am so frustrated with Alliance and Leicester Santander. I have been with them for a couple of years with no problems until the last couple of months but am not planning of being with them for much longer.

I have a Direct Online ISA and regularly transfer money online to my linked current account at another high street bank. The transfer has always been done through Faster Payments and appears in my other account instantly. I have never done anothing special to get Faster Payments, it just happens. So some weeks ago my current account is seriously near it's overdraft limit so I logon to A&L, transfer some money and think that is it. However 2 days later a get a letter from high street bank to say I've gone over my limit and will be charged accordingly. So after phoning A&L and high street bank it appears that my ISA no longer does Faster payments - nice of them to tell me.
However I write to complaints and they have sent me a cheque for £55 to cover my bank charges. Well it was their fault.

Now I have to allow 3-4 days for the transfers to happen. Ok, inconvienient but I can live with it.

But then it gets worse.

I somehow manage to lock out my online PIN and my account is locked so phone the helpdesk to find out why and can't through security as I don't have my debit card - I don't remember having one, have never used it, can't find it, IT'S AN ONLINE account that I have always managed ONLINE. GRRRRR. Have a screaming fit to the bloke on the phone then eventually phone back, get another person and pass security... She orders me a new PIN (10 days).
PIN arrives but I find I'm still locked out. Another PIN is ordered and I'm told that if I need to manage the account in the mean time I can telephone.
So 2 nights ago (PIN not yet arrived) I call to transfer money (again) but can not, any way, get through security. They ask for the card which I don't have but then couldn't see my recent transactions to clear security. They tell me I have to take photo ID into the branch to get the account unlocked. Errr I work and can't get to the branch for a few days.
So now I can't even get my own money. So at this point I will be moving my ISA (Halifax looks OK at the moment) and vow never to open a Santander account again.

Have been to the branch this lunchtime. The cashier couldn't see that my account was locked in anyway and she thinks I don't even have a debit card on this account and thinking about it more I agree. I'm pretty sure the only way I'm suppose to remove funds from this account is through my linked high street account so I will have to check this out. Anyway she let me draw cash which I took 200 yards down the road and paid into my current account. Who needs faster payments !!!

May write another complaint letter but do you think I have grounds for any compensation?

DanE

Abbey, Santander - whatever they're called this week, have always been slightly bad. Back in 2004 I left my FT job for PT work - still had mortgage to pay and as a result fell slightly behind. I called the UK call centre and the way the 'lady' spoke to me, it was as if I had asked her to raid her own saving accounts to pay my mortgage. She ripped the sh** out of me - no kidding, and told me that she wasn't there to offer financial advice, I'm almost certain she ended the call and that was that.

I was very fretful and nervous and never called back - several weeks later and several letter later (charged at £35 a pop with interest), I had no choice but to call back as the blood hounds were after me, my payments were falling into arrears, the lady I spoke to was the most helpful, professional person I had spoken to - I told her about my previous phone experience, she apologised and gave me common sense advice on tackling my finances (pay your Countil Tax!!). I told her FT work was just around the corner and she advised any arrears on the mortgage could be paid as a single payment or added to the mortgage (incur interests).

Moral of the story - it really depends on how a person gets out of bed that morning, that's the science.

...and guess what, in the last 2 weeks I have taken 3 new products with Santander - Loyalty Tracker Bonus, Zero current account and the Super Saver account. Fingers, toes, knives and forks and bedsheets are crossed.:rotfl:

gnvqsos

Dear sir
I am extremely concerned about your failure to execute a simple transaction on my behalf. I have written twice to authorise the closure of my account which matured on 31st August, once in letter form, the second time by completing an account closure document. On both occasions I also requested that two Isa accounts were to be closed. As one of these has been closed it seems reasonable to assume that you have received the original document, and by extension an instruction to close the maturing bond account. I have been advised that I should make a formal request that the original documents be returned to me: failing that please return signed copies to demonstrate that you have received them.I should add that at least one valuable cheque has been sent to the wrong address contrary to the written instructions supplied.
I would now like to give notice that I intend to refer the matter to my legal representatives and to the relevant statutory authorities. I also plan to make a formal complaint about conduct at the Sld Fte branch.The manage Ms Ber has made a series of threats about involving the police concerning my son’s intention to petition the branch from without. He has already gained tacit approval from the South ire Police and is concerned that the branch manager is conducting herself in an oppressive manner and is frankly acting ultra vires.Members of staff(Ni Thott) have been observed wearing the ID badges of other colleaguesn Mis).I have reported this to the managers at both Fargate and Telegraph House Sheffield;neither have condemned this behaviour,the latter claiming it was not his business since it involved another branch.

I do hope that you will reply promptly and I would ask that you return the missing documents by Friday 15th October.Please do not ring me in future but please communicate either by letter or by email for reasons of security.I will require a hard copy of all previous communications from yourself as I intend to pass the details onto my associates

Yours faithfully

MF B
Account details; Bond D026382UT, ISAS 510179, 517146

This is arecent letter I sent to the Spanish Imposition

gnvqsos

AND MY CREDIT/STORE CARD
I have just returned from a prolonged business engagement and I am responding to the complaint first raised on August 27th.There is just a week or so before the matter may be referred to arbitration; hopefully you too are keen to achieve an early resolution.
My disappointment was with the manner in which the Santander group and Debenhams connived to make my details available to the CPP group, presumably to earn some form of commission. You must obtain my express consent before releasing my details to a third party(ie CPP).I would therefore ask that you demonstrate without reasonable doubt that you acquired my explicit and express consent; as I intend to refer the issue to the Information Commissioner.
The CPP begin their address” We have been asked by the Santander group to.........”which implies you have directed their conduct, to gain commission. They have an opportunity to offer good advice about card security but choose to focus exclusively upon the insurance product they market. You must bear some legal and moral responsibility for their (Santander) products as you continue to use them to introduce the card. My other bank (Coop) use a key pad system which is quicker and more ethical. I believe the term is vicarious liability.
You mention that I contacted the customer help line on August 18th and was told the card was a store card. I dispute this and would ask that you supply me with a CD copy of that conversation and a written transcript of the same which I need for reasons of admissibility of evidence. I have already launched a Subject Data Access Request so the cost of such a task has been met in advance.

I do not consider the matter resolved and ask that you respond before the deadline of October 27th 2010.I look forward to your reply and ask that you communicate only in writing to remove the prospect of ambiguity
Yours sincerely