A & L migration to Santander

Acremead

witzzzend wrote: »

The idiot child in the branch I was forced to visit... explained that this was part of the improvement in customer service following amalgamation. She was unable to explain how replacing a 3 minute walk with a 20 minute drive plus search and payment for car park is an added benefit to me.

I was asked an excessive number of questions considering I only wanted to open a savings account and was already a customer. When I asked why they needed to know who my employer was and how much I earn I was told that they had to do this to comply with the Data Protection Act (!). When I pointed out that the DPA is there to protect my privacy, not to allow them to compromise it, I then got some mumbled formula about 'we like to get to know you as a customer'. Well they don't know me as a customer now, 'cos I closed my account. I really do think they make it up as they go along.

RumPunch_2

We have given up on A & L/Santander and opened a first direct account. However, A & L haven't released DD information to first direct as requested, despite several requests. It would seem that the A & L backlog is building rather than reducing as many customers have opened accounts elsewhere and now they can't keep up with requests from other banks for transfer of information.

Credit where it is due though, they have dealt very promptly and efficiently with a fraud query we had on our account, though I wonder if the transaction that appeared on our account that we are nor responsible for might be another A & L/Santander mistake. Well, it's not beyond the realms of possibility, they have made one or two recently!

tece

Like others I have been with A&L for 30 years since the Girobank days and was very happy with A&L but not so since the switch to Santander.
My first problem was hubby had his wallet stolen so I called to cancel the debit cards and was told "good news madam since the migration to Santander we only have to cancel the one card you will be able to continue using yours." I was delighted at this as we had had our card cloned a couple of years prior and it was a nightmare being without my debit card for a week as A&L policy was to cancel both on joint accounts. The next morning I called for petrol on the way to work and you've guessed it my card was declined they had boo boo'd and cancelled my card also. They did give me £50 compensation though which I happily accepted.
Next up prior to going on holiday I called customer services to arrange to withdraw £500 to puchase my holiday currency to be informed that to do so I had to go into a branch I could no longer do this at a Post Office!! I'm not happy at this change as this means going into town (5 mile drive) and paying to park wheras the Post Office is in the next village and I can park for nothing right outside the door. witzzzend has said in a previous post that the cheque deposit service at the PO is being withdrawn this is another service I value.
I now often cannot access my account on line, it goes through all the log in procedures and I then get a 'VBScript runtime error'. This happens around 50% of the time both at home and work so is not down to my pc.
My last gripe is transferring money between accounts this used to be instant from my savings to current account but now happens overnight which I only discovered this week when I carried out this transaction.
I have yet to discover any other benefits to being with Santander but will let you know if I come across any.
I am seriously considering moving banks and quite possibly will do so but fear the switch for the direct debits and Santander making a mess of this.

pawnbroker_2

Do not worry about Direct Debits. I have recently moved over 12 DD's from my RBS English Branch to an RBS Scottish Branch. All companies will do the change over the phone as soon as you have another nominated account. It took just the month for them all to change. Some were done in days.

I have done this as there is no way I am risking Santander. This time next year I am sure this site will be inundated with posts about the RBS to Santander debacle.

AnonymousForObviousReason

RumPunch wrote: »

We have given up on A & L/Santander and opened a first direct account. However, A & L haven't released DD information to first direct as requested, despite several requests. It would seem that the A & L backlog is building rather than reducing as many customers have opened accounts elsewhere and now they can't keep up with requests from other banks for transfer of information.

I too have started process of moving. You may want to make sure the details you provided are correct. I used the account details from my cheque book or a statement (would have used from online account but was locked at the time). Remember the A&L this has an extra digit at the front (which I remembered), also your sort code may also have changed like mine did.

I don't remember seeing a letter informing me of the change of sort code in the change to santander (but I could have missed it).

pawnbroker wrote: »

This time next year I am sure this site will be inundated with posts about the RBS to Santander debacle.

Not from any of the people I know (and hope not on this forum) - I've already warned 4 people of the issues and will continue to warn all I find.

GustyGardenGalaxy

HAS the sort code changed then? I don't recall.

rb7oaks

Assuming that you can access your account online, you will see that the sort code HAS changed - BUT we were told that nothing would change and, at least at the moment, the 'old' sort code seems to work.... as well as the new one...... at least so far so good...... for me...... but life is so uncertain these days as a Santander 'victim'!

GustyGardenGalaxy

Thanks for that. Good to know that both sort codes work at least. Just think of the problems caused if it had changed and the other had ceased working ....

GustyGardenGalaxy

Just out of interest, if/when the sort code does finally change over to the new one alone, what do customers need to do, if anything?

Do those making payments INTO the account (via interest payments from other account, for example, etc) need to be notified by the customer?

How about when the customer makes a payment FROM the account, via Direct Debits and the like - again, does the customer need to notify all of the payees?

If so, this seems like a LOT of work!

dzug1

witzzzend wrote: »

Discovered yesterday that the cheque deposit service in local sub post offices is being withdrawn. The idiot child in the branch I was forced to visit (one of 3 in view of one another in nearby town) explained that this was part of the improvement in customer service following amalgamation. She was unable to explain how replacing a 3 minute walk with a 20 minute drive plus search and payment for car park is an added benefit to me.

Who told you this? Santander or your Post Office?

I don't believe it's true or if it is it hasn't been announced and hasn't yet happened.

I've used the Post Office envelope system several times in the past few days and it's worked fine.