Alliance & Leicester / Santander problem receiving BACS payments

AnonymousForObviousReason

DD sort code Switch has actually helped me out

Setting up a savings account and couldn't find all the required evidence, then got letter from council about account change which is perfect for my needs.

Having said that Santander are idiots for mucking up this up and not informing its customers.

jacand

I'm another one whose had nothing but problems since the change over. I have had to fill out 3 direct debit forms and I still don't know if the 3rd one will work yet. To top it all I have been charged late payment fees and failed DD fees from my Credit card provider. I rang Santander and they said to send the copies of the statements and a letter and they will refund the fees. I am now switching accounts and have my letter to send to them. Fingers crossed I get the fees back. I'm so annoyed as we have never had any defaults against us and we are looking to obtain a mortgage soon, If this goes against us I won't be happy. It's not my fault.

JGal

Just spoke to Scottish Power today regarding another failed DD. First thing the advisor asked was whether I was with A&L/Santander as loads of customers are having problems!

Serengloyw

Hi,

I am having problems with this too. My wages were due into my account via BACS payment but it did not show in my account. When I questioned my employer they said that everyone with and A&L account has had problems due to a change in sort code. I had no communication from A&L this was happening and neither did my employer. I am now stuck in a battle with A&L as they say both sort codes work so it doesn't matter which one my employer used. Obviously they DON'T work as everyone in my work with an A&L account has been effected!

One colleague has managed to resolve the problem by escalating it to a supervisor/ manager but unfortunately they are NOT being so helpful to me!

If anyone else is having or had this problem could you let me know how you resolved it as it seem it depends who you talk to.

matthewluck

Serengloyw wrote: »

Hi,

I am having problems with this too. My wages were due into my account via BACS payment but it did not show in my account. When I questioned my employer they said that everyone with and A&L account has had problems due to a change in sort code. I had no communication from A&L this was happening and neither did my employer. I am now stuck in a battle with A&L as they say both sort codes work so it doesn't matter which one my employer used. Obviously they DON'T work as everyone in my work with an A&L account has been effected!

One colleague has managed to resolve the problem by escalating it to a supervisor/ manager but unfortunately they are NOT being so helpful to me!

If anyone else is having or had this problem could you let me know how you resolved it as it seem it depends who you talk to.

Serengloyw I was in that situation. The payment will be returned to your employer. You need to contact the payroll administrator.

I had this with 3 companies that I do subcontracted work for. All the payments were returned to them and I gave them my Lloyds TSB account details... received the money no problem

Hope that helps

selimap

Yes, it's bad. My partner has been with A&L for many years and this month was contacted by her pension payer to say they had the BACS transaction to credit her with her pension refused. When she contacted Santander, she got the 'changed sort code' story but she was never told it had changed, nor, it seems, were the DD originators.

But read this correspondence with Santander. If their reply wasn't so dull, I wouldn't have broadcast it but clearly they don't think or care, and this is borne out by many experiences.

My 'secure message' to Santander:

I have a statement from my Santader Zero Credit card. I thought I would pay from my Santander current account using online bill payments, as instructed on the reverse of the statement.

I was surprised (but not very) to see that your system gives an error and says that it does not recognise 'Santander' as a payee, whether entered with 'credit card' filter or not.

I made the payment setting up the details myself, but surely you should recognise your own credit cards as a bill payment?

I have a screen print if you want to see it.

Their reply:

Thank you for your email.

I would suggest that you visit your local branch.

Many Thanks
Banking Services

This is inane because:

• I am telling them their on-line banking has an embarrassing error and they suggest I go to a branch? What would they do about it
• they bdon't even ask for the screen print to fix the problem
• I don't have a local branch - there are 5 clustered within a short space of one pedestrianised street in central Cardiff, none anywhere in the suburbs or where you might park

[Deleted User]

ah i had some probs with this also with my sort code being 09-01-xx

alanaplin

I have had all the problems mentioned before. Following my complaint I received a letter saying that my new sort code has been on my past 2 bank statements. Now what percentage of the population check their bank statements each month to see if their sort code has changed?!!!
Santander told us that we needn't do anthing regarding change over - oh I wish!!! How is it, that all previous take overs since Girobank have worked fine except for when Santander takes over - I think it says a lot about Santander.
I also had problems with Paypal and when trying to set-up my bank account afresh I kept quoting my old sort code as I was none the wiser. During this process, Paypal (for validation purposes) was able to credit my account with a few credits (unfortunately very low sums) so I gained about 60p. How it can get credited to an account which Paypal then tells me the account is closed I'll never know.
So did Santander tell Paypal re chanjge in sort codes or did paypal ignore the info??

tgon

AnonymousForObviousReason wrote: »

BTW I sorted my sort code issue, moved banks

Worked for me too.

PieInTheSky

Found my way here after I got a letter from my local council advising that I (and many other Santander customers) had apparently cancelled my DD for council tax. Down to the sort code fiasco. Not impressed by Santander on this or shambolic exchanges on setting up my Zero credit card (intended for holiday use - a MSE nugget - but took too long to sort it out). So I too will be going elsewhere - well done Senors for driving out a customer of 30+ years.