'Which is the worst customer service bank?' poll discussion

likkleangelhj

Santander, and all those it has taken over, are horrific. They have absolutely no heart whatsoever. They are cold and calculating, just like a spider. They lure you in then trap you in the 'charges cycle' until they have sucked you dry and even then they keep on squeezing. Their answer to my financial difficulties - a £15,000 loan! Nice work Santander. Then Alliance and Leicester - their answer to my financial difficulties - to force closure on my account and work out a repayment scheme on the overdraft! Now, excuse me if Im wrong, but I thought the least they would do is actually discuss ways in which to help me get back on my feet - WRONG. Not interested - only in trapping you then either forcing the closure of your account or palming a big loan onto you to force you to repay them even more money. How ethical is that?? They were fully aware of my difficulties and I spoke to them on numerous occasions just to be told that there was nothing they could do for me but they wanted their overdraft money back. Well stuff them!
With Barclays now and what a breath of fresh air that is!
My advice - you know how swine flu, MRSA, bird flu and the plague are things that any sane human would try to avoid catching, well treat SANTANDER like one of these viruses - keep away to have a healthy bank balance!

likkleangelhj

....... they also have a free internet email service if you want to submit a question etc to them whilst internet banking - guess what? It never works forcing the customer then to have to phone and be placed in lengthy queues after a hundred different options are fired at you ...... Hmmmmmm, I wonder just how much money Santander receives from each of those 'lengthy' calls and I wonder why the free email service NEVER works! Don't have to be Einstein to work that one out!

Doc_N

likkleangelhj wrote: »

....... they also have a free internet email service if you want to submit a question etc to them whilst internet banking - guess what? It never works forcing the customer then to have to phone and be placed in lengthy queues after a hundred different options are fired at you ...... Hmmmmmm, I wonder just how much money Santander receives from each of those 'lengthy' calls and I wonder why the free email service NEVER works! Don't have to be Einstein to work that one out!

Have you tried this: http://www.saynoto0870.com/ ?

Apologies to all those who already use it, but it's save me a fortune, and not just with Santander.

ness3765

I've been waiting 9 weeks for my new debit card from Santander. as my last one ran out.
I have call the call centre, one week later I went into my local bank who promised me a new card, 3 weeks after that another visit to my bank and spoke to the manager who promised me things would be sorted with a phone call from one of her cusomer service assistant, who did call that evening with again another promise to call me the following day, now 3 weeks on -no phone call
When I need money I am having to take in ID, a bank statement & my old debit card....then queue to see a bank advisor to explain my situation then I'm allowed to access MY money. !!
I move my money to another bank account on line, but that takes 4 working days to transfer over !!!
I am so stressed out with this I am now in the process of moving to Barclays, who sent me a debit card in 3 working days and I have no money in the account with them yet.
I have banked with what was Abbey for several years and am appauled by the lack of compassion by the staff and the bank. :mad:

I_luv_cats

Well one minute "Santander" says they have just changed my account title with everything else staying the same and confirmed in writing BUT

now after checking my online account I have 2 accounts!!!!

What the heck is going on???

gezzs

lindsay2610 wrote: »

A year ago I changed from A&L to First Direct and would never change again regardless of incentives.

Experience with A&L: On Current Account the online banking system shows money arriving today as credited to your account and in your 'available balance', but transfer it out and the next day, it shows your balance as going overdrawn yesterday, then credited subsequently. Infuriating. They change savings rates such as ISAs without advising you. I asked their customer services for an explanation - they responded that the rates are listed on the website (yes, with much searching). I asked if I was seriously expected to check these every day to see if they had slashed my savings rates. They said yes! Numerous issues with website and money transfers.

Experience with First Direct: Call them and get connected directly to a person, no number selection required. MBNA took a direct debit when I had already paid the balance off the credit card, FD immediately re-credited it back to my account and recalled the DD from MBNA, 2 minute phone call, no further action from me required. Customer service is fantastic. I can never quite believe they're part of HSBC!

I did the same after getting sick of A&Ls stupid methods. I too moved to First Direct - although planned to jump after six months to get the £100 'leaving gift' - but stayed with them! FD are 100% better than A&L!

MothballsWallet

angel_islington wrote: »

Speak to the Information Commissioners Office, ask their advice. They are responsible for making sure that our personal data is dealt with in a responsible and legal way. Sending your information to your old address, if you have informed them you've moved, is a breach of the Data Protection Act.

Sorry to go off-topic, but the Information Commissioners Office isn't that great, I don't think they have done many prosecutions or issued many fines since they started.

Mr. Cameron, if you are reading this, first of all: hello. Secondly, give me the Information Commissioner's job please. As my acquaintance Linkara would say, you'll thank me later.

And now I return you to your regularly scheduled topic

Grangewood

Historically it has been considered a serious situation when a bank has been unable to refund on a closure of account request. If it is now considered reasonable banking service the investing public needs to be told. When I complained to Santander that they had not refunded my money I got a letter of apology but still no refund until the Financial Ombudsman contacted them on my behalf. Later when I asked the FO to get compensation for the delayed payment and a refund of the charge for the account being under funded during the run-up to closure the FO said the bank had acted fairly and done nothing wrong.