A & L migration to Santander

Cheesedoodles

Mine's still not working. Can't log in at all. It helpfully tells me

"Please try again, or contact our customer services departmen"....

I've given up on phoning them, they are clueless and a waste of time.

I've already asked my employer to pay my salary into a different account I have, I've swapped my direct debits. Now I just need to get access to my account to move the rest of the money out and close the account......

Acremead

sunnyday123 wrote: »

........ After having to redial twice because they passed me round from pillar to post I eventually got through to a charming young man who told me that in order to cancel my application I had to go into a branch. I said that I applied online and he said it didnt matter. I said that I could not believe that I had to go to a branch to do it and I should be able to cancel this over the phone with customer services and he said very aggressively "are you calling me a liar?". I was gob smacked and said "I beg your pardon?" and he repeatedly asked me if I was calling him a liar. Unbelievable! When I worked in customer services there was no way we would ever be allowed to speak to a customer/potential customer like that.

Just had a similar experience as an A&L saver. Tried to open another internet savings a/c with better interest. Encountered problems so rang for advice, to be told incorrectly that I'd have to go in to a branch (Why!?) Went in, to be told I'd have to make an appointment and come back another day. When I said this was not convenient the manageress started to get sarcastic, telling me she couldn't see what was inconvenient about making an appointment & popping back in (This on a high street notorious for bad parking and in the middle of roadworks upheavals). After a nightmare saga the £50k I have with them is now withdrawn and on its way to a smaller provider, where hopefully everyone's working from the same set of instructions, and the motto is 'the customer's always right' rather than 'the company's always right."

buzzby

Sorry if this has been answered already, but is online banking down for all Santander customers? I've been trying to get on there for days now but had no joy.

richard9991

byebyedebt wrote: »

Had the same. But it turned out to be the linked savings account. Its a glitch in the system. Check the reference it will probably be the same as the linked savings account.

i had this they said if you have an internet saver account that is what it is for as they are no longer able to set up standing orders etc between current and saving accounts

j26

I'm having the most awful time with the A&L to Santander merger:mad:. My advice is to stay clear of anything to do with Santander Bank.

Each time I phone I am given different information. To be honest the A&L team seem to be in the dark as to what is happening with Santander and the Santander team are giving me inaccurate and incomplete information. Each time I phone (if I don't get cut off!!) I come away stressed... my blood pressure must be through the roof :eek:



I still haven't any access to my new Santander savings account (which I only opened when all the A&L savings accounts were withdrawn on the anniversary of my previous savings account when the extra interest rate plummeted) for which I have been given conflicting advice about withdrawals. I'm moving the money out as soon as I get my AA savings account activated.

We have been with A & L since 1969 (Girobank) and have had good and convenient service... never anything like this. My son was transferred from Abbey and has had nothing but trouble.

We have spent long periods in Spain and know that Spanish banks have terrible reputations but I had hoped that despite this there would be a smooth transfer in the Uk.

We are looking for a new bank account and I am dreading the prospect of getting everything transferred and set up. Does anyone have recommendations? I am considering
Co-operative, Nat West, Halifax

I am aware that you can bank with Nationwide but it's a building society and I don't know whether it has all the facilities of a bank... DD, SO and quick free transfer between accounts.

dzug1

j26 wrote: »

I am aware that you can bank with Nationwide but it's a building society and I don't know whether it has all the facilities of a bank... DD, SO and quick free transfer between accounts.

DD yes
SO yes
transfer depends what accounts you are talking about. They operate faster payments to other banks
They offer an e-saver for which transfer to/from your current account is quick but I don't think that applies to other savings accounts with them.

Paying in/taking out cash has limitations too.

MoneySavingNovice

j26 wrote: »

...... Does anyone have recommendations? I am considering Co-operative, Nat West, Halifax.....

My suggestions for current accounts would be either, First Direct or Co-operative, (including Smile). Simply due to there good customer service.

First Direct will also give you £100 for transferring your account.

There are also good reports about the Coventry Building Society.

Personally I would avoid the Halifax and LloydsTSB (bad personal experience), I can't comment on NatWest but the reviews here tend to be OK to good

Hope this helps

oxenryd

MoneySavingNovice wrote: »

My suggestions for current accounts would be either, First Direct or Co-operative, (including Smile). Simply due to there good customer service.

First Direct will also give you £100 for transferring your account.

There are also good reports about the Coventry Building Society.

Personally I would avoid the Halifax and LloydsTSB (bad personal experience), I can't comment on NatWest but the reviews here tend to be OK to good

Hope this helps

I would definitely go with FD, am with them now. Breath of fresh air.
Coop seem a little backwards to me and their online banking is so basic, too basic for me

j26

csnann wrote: »

I found out that I had been migrated when I logged on and saw a message onscreen. They didn't contact me before they did it.

I was told a week ago "Good news...all the accounts are fully integrated and you can transfer money between all your accounts"

Tried to do this yesterday.... WRONG 'a glitch' won't be able to do this until 8th August.

As Santander have managed to omit sending me the details to operate my new savings account I am left in limbo:mad::mad:

j26

nearlyheadlessian wrote: »

Yes. I spoke to someone who didn't seem to feel this was an issue. They casually said they would post out a new R85 and I asked them to confirm that this would be with a freepost envelope. If it isn't I shall take issue.

When I opened my new Santander savings account I was never asked whether I wanted my interest paid gross. When I enquired about this a few days ago I was sent an email with a download for the R85 and instructions to send the form to the inland revenue.

It's taken 3 tries to find hopefully the correct address to send it to for Santander and I posted it yesterday. I was told that no way could Santander provide a freepost address or a pre-paid envelope:mad::mad:

Don't know what happens if I close the account before the R85 is registered. Spokesperson at Santander said I could only close the account in 'exceptional circumstances' just makes me more and more angry:mad::mad::mad: