Santander paid out cancelled standing order

Ratty1706

I cancelled a standing order. It was cancelled online on a Sunday early in the morning. I have a reciept number for the cancellation. Today I logged on to find that the standing order had gone out anyway, and that it was still active on my account. I have now cancelled it again and recieved a reciept , again. Immediately on cancelling it second time it came off my account. I have contacted the bank regarding the payment going out, and they have said, basically, 'tough, you cancelled it on a weekend and it takes a few days to process, so it's tough'. I have two issues with this. Firstly nowhere during the cancellation proccess did anywhere say it would take a few days to be cancelled. I have made changes to this standing order previously, always on a weekend, and the changes have applied immediately and the payment has gone out as the new amount on the Monday. Secondly it didn't even cancel first time. Despite me getting a reciept, it was still active. Second time of cancelling it, the transaction immediately disappeared from my account, so what happened to this few days it supposedly takes? I have spoken to seval departments, and one lady said 'I'm told that as soon as you get a reciept the transaction was cancelled', but in the next breath said 'It takes a few days to process'. I'm livid, not only because I'm now £71 down, but also had I not logged on this morning, the standing order would have stayed active and kept being paid out. Now Santander are putting this through as 'feedback' but basically saying 'tough you won't get your money back'. Is this right given that a) nowhere does the website or cancellation process state that there will be a few days delay, and b) the transaction wasn't even cancelled anyway. I had to cancel it a second time?

premierfella

Firstly, let me make it clear that I have no view either way on the rights or wrongs.

However, whilst Santander's website does not talk of "a few days delay", the terms and conditions on the website do make it clear (in the small print, obviously: Section B.5.b/page 14) that standing orders can be cancelled "up to the end of the business day preceding the day before it is due to be debited."

You could try complaining on the basis of the sloppy wording in their "Current Accounts User Guide" which refers (page 11) to the "day before" and makes no mention of business day.

Ratty1706

I think what I'm most livid about is that on the second business day following me cancelling the standing order, it was still active. Had I not gone back checked they would have carried on paying itout. Also the lady I spoke to admitted that as soon as a reciept is recieved, the standing order is cancelled. I said evidently this is not true as it took twice to cancel it. I will wait and see what is said when they contact me.