Treated like !!!! by Santander: what's my best revenge?

cashferret

In the course of trying to register a power of attorney for my mother with Santander, I've met with every conceivable form of incompetence and have just been told on the phone that they have lost the copies of my ID that I took in four weeks ago. They wanted me to go back into a branch with it all again! This is only the latest thing. I gave the guy on the phone (the acting manager, kept telling me he wasn't a proper manager) a real bollocking but I'm sure they get it all the time and don't feel a thing.

I told him I'd write to the FSA but is that the most effective thing to do? I want Santander to feel some pain! The attitude of every single person that I have deal with has been that I should work hard to fix their mistakes and that they should just trundle along with their usual procedures, just starting all over again with the same timetable when it goes wrong.

What can hurt these awful banks, to make them treat people better?

[ooh! I see the rudey word I had in my title has been replaced by exclamation marks! sorry, MSE forums! it was my temper talking! :eek:]

Lokolo

FSA won't do anything.

The FOS will do once you have been through the banks internal complaints procedure.

http://www.santander.co.uk/csgs/Satellite?appID=abbey.internet.Abbeycom&c=Page&canal=CABBEYCOM&cid=1210607032841&leng=en_GB&pagename=Abbeycom%2FPage%2FWC_ACOM_TemplateA2

You then have to wait 8 weeks. If you are still not satisfied then you can raise a dispute with the FOS.

Reaper

Sunday papers such as the Sunday Times run columns for readers stuggling with banks. You could try writing in to the paper because if they take up your case:
a) it embarrases the bank very publicly
b) they often spring into action when in the spotlight

magpiecottage

Lokolo is right.

Think about the outcome you want - is it to get Santander into trouble or to deal with your mother's affairs.

Focus on that. The complaint will further it. Publicly humiliating Santander won't.

cloud_dog

The Wail on Sunday (sorry not a big fan or their 'journalism' -ahem), have been running articles, perhaps you could follow the link below and add to peoples experiences / complaints...(This is obviously in addition to the more formal action suggested above)...

http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/savings-and-banking/article.html?in_article_id=509725&in_page_id=7

cashferret

Lokolo - I don't want to go through Santander's complaints system - as I told the manager, if it's anything like as incompetent as their actual banking system it will be worthless. I expect the problem to be sorted by the end of the week (famous last words) - I want them punished for what they've already done. The delay and incompetence has cost me in stress and time and it has cost my mother in lost interest. Her money is earning no interest in its Santander account and I need to switch it out of there asap.

I mentioned to Lloyds' local branch manager (also registering my POA there) what trouble I was having with Santander and asked who I should threaten them with - she said the FSA, because that's who banks are frightened of. Was she wrong? Won't the FSA do anything at all?

I'd be tempted to go to a newspaper but I don't want my name up in lights - my mum is a very private person and she'd be embarrassed if it was plastered all over some newspaper that she's not able to manage her own financial affairs.

It's not so much help with the ongoing problem - which I really am hoping should be quickly sorted - it's that I want them punished. I think these days that banks do awful things and don't give a damn about people complaining. I want to raise it with someone with the power to hurt them back.

Lokolo

The FSA won't do anything. They don't handle customer complaints! They regulate the banks on the level above customers. They do things like, compensation limits.

The woman in Lloyds most probably meant the FOS. The Financial Ombudsman Service are the people who deal with customer complaints.

If you don't want to complain to Santander then you can ask FOS if they will consider it. But they may just ignore you and tell you to use the Santander's complaint procedure first.

http://www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk/consumer/complaints.htm

phone our consumer helpline on 0300 123 9 123
(8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday)
We'll be happy to phone you back, if you're worried about the cost of calling us.

---

As for getting to shame the bank, you should have come here first and asked how good Santander were, then we would have told you not to touch with a bargepole.

Onawingandaprayer

I love reading this lady, every Saturday in the Telegraph

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/personalfinance/consumertips/jessicainvestigates/7908441/Reader-paid-1570-after-Jessicas-help.html

She doesn't use people's full names (ie it's usually something like GB of Kirkcaldy - small weak joke there) but 1. appears very successful and 2. takes delight if hounding large organisations. (She locked horns with Abbey on a regular basis, so I guess Santander will have taken their place.)

Give her a try.

cashferret

Lokolo wrote: »

The FSA won't do anything. They don't handle customer complaints! They regulate the banks on the level above customers. They do things like, compensation limits.

The woman in Lloyds most probably meant the FOS. The Financial Ombudsman Service are the people who deal with customer complaints.

If you don't want to complain to Santander then you can ask FOS if they will consider it. But they may just ignore you and tell you to use the Santander's complaint procedure first.

http://www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk/consumer/complaints.htm

---

As for getting to shame the bank, you should have come here first and asked how good Santander were, then we would have told you not to touch with a bargepole.

If I could have avoided touching them with a bargepole, I most certainly would have! Their reputation is awful. I am taking over my mum's finances and she had existing accounts with them. I'm registering the power of attorney so I can get her money out of there as fast as I possibly can.

FOS! I shall call them! Thanks!

steveksullivan

From experience with ShAbbey /Santander/Dalliance and Leicester the only way to 'punish' the banks is to get some financial compensation from them for your trouble, time and loss of interest.........

To do this you will have to follow their complaints procedure - but be firm....... make sure you have all your facts in place and tell them firmly that you want compensation or that you will take things further.

Two years ago I got far more in compensation from Abbey/Santander for the atrocious way they handled an ISA transfer than I actually made in interest for the whole year .....

I have also recently posted a thread concerning transferring my current a/c to them to get the £100.

I KNEW it would go wrong because it was Santander - and it did.

I was advised in branch that I was eligible for the £100 even though I already had Abbey accounts - and the account was opened in branch - Guess what? - they then changed their minds about my eligibility after I pointed out to THEM that I wasn't eligible because I already had current accounts with them - cancelled the switch.

Next thing I get is confirmation of direct debit changes from some of the companies I deal with - Santander had failed to cancel the switch even though I had phoned twice to confirm that it HAD been cancelled .....COMPLAINT !!

.....I now have a letter from them stating they will pay the £100 after all............

cashferret

Thanks all - I just phoned the Financial Ombudsman Service and have registered a complaint. I explained that the wheels were already turning and it wasn't so much that I felt I needed help as that I wanted Santander not to get away with it. The guy said that all complaints are registered and numbers totted up so at least my complaint is on some big ledger somewhere! And the FOS have taken it up. They're already going to write to Santander and are sending me a form.

Steve - well done for getting some money off them! But how typical that you have all that hassle still around even paying it in and it's such a small amount for them that they wouldn't feel anything. I feel that banks ought to pay a fine to the customer and then a thousand times that fine to charity. Unless it's an amount that is huge, they simply won't feel anything.

Thanks, Onawing - a more anonymous troubleshooter in the papers is a thought.

How has our banking system come to this?!!