Hopeless Santander again

foreversummer

Well, I've got online banking with Alliance & Leicester as I have my last year's ISA there. No new ISA showing there (I thought they were all one and the same now). I don't remember having any difficulty in getting this set up last year.

However, this morning I've received some information from Santander saying 'welcome to online banking'. Here are you log-in details etc. Assume this means that my ISA has been opened.

I've just filled in the contact online form to tell them to cancel it. I've had enough.

Psychaley

foreversummer wrote: »

I've just filled in the contact online form to tell them to cancel it. I've had enough.

I may have to do the same thing, they said they would contact me within 24 hours to sort the issue but they haven't. I ideally wanted the ISA set up before I got my next wage (and I applied in plenty of time to make this possible) but as I get paid on Monday I don't think it's going to happen.

Wish I'd checked the forums before I applied


19:20

E-mailed Santander to tell them to stop processing my application (if they ever started!) and decided to try the HBOS ISA, took 2 minutes to apply and I was given an account number etc within 2 minutes to transfer the minimum £1 in. Then I was given a link to download the ISA transfer forms. Seems simple and a whole lot more efficient but we shall see. :T

tonyg_2

tonyg wrote: »

Yes I completed application form / id etc. Phoned up the branch and so far they say they don't know what is going on but "it should" have been opened by now! Hopeless.

Received a phone call from Ware branch to say there had been a backlog - code, I think, for them having forgotten my application on a pile of paperwork. Anyway they opened it then and there and it is now up and going. I've contacted them online asking to backdate my interest, only a few pounds but that's not the point we'll see..

bcl999

I wanted the Loyalty version so I couldn't even apply on-line. It tells you to visit a branch which I did yesterday. They refused to open the account as I didn't have my ID with me. I thought the whole point of the ID was to meet the Money Laundering Regs? I'm already a customer and have previously provided the necessary ID.

I'm beginning to think "Santander" is the Spanish word for ar*eholes! Habla Espanol, anyone??

ses6jwg

bcl999 wrote: »

I wanted the Loyalty version so I couldn't even apply on-line. It tells you to visit a branch which I did yesterday. They refused to open the account as I didn't have my ID with me. I thought the whole point of the ID was to meet the Money Laundering Regs? I'm already a customer and have previously provided the necessary ID.

I'm beginning to think "Santander" is the Spanish word for ar*eholes! Habla Espanol, anyone??

every application requires ID whether your an existing customer or not its your own fault for not taking it im afraid

bcl999

Thanks so much for your post. Have you had a tough day?

Perhaps you would be a little more constructive and explain to me why Santander insist on this from customers who have previously provided the ID.

Yorkshire Building Society didn't require any ID when I opened one with them a couple of years ago. They called up the details of my existing Regular Saver account and that was proof enough for their purposes. If the ID is indeed a legal requirement (re the Money Laundering Regulations), one would expect all institutions to follow the same criteria.

How am I supposed to know which one does and which one doesn't require ID from an existing customer? At the very least, Santander could advise this requirement on the same webpage as they tell "existing customers" to call into a branch to open the account.

ses6jwg

bcl999 wrote: »

Thanks so much for your post. Have you had a tough day?

Perhaps you would be a little more constructive and explain to me why Santander insist on this from customers who have previously provided the ID.

Yorkshire Building Society didn't require any ID when I opened one with them a couple of years ago. They called up the details of my existing Regular Saver account and that was proof enough for their purposes. If the ID is indeed a legal requirement (re the Money Laundering Regulations), one would expect all institutions to follow the same criteria.

How am I supposed to know which one does and which one doesn't require ID from an existing customer? At the very least, Santander could advise this requirement on the same webpage as they tell "existing customers" to call into a branch to open the account.

It depends how you open the account.

All account openings require something called an Impersonation Check, to check that the person who is applying is who they say they are. This is commonly done using a Visa Debit or Credit card signature check but official photo ID can also be used.

When you open an account, you do not know whether the customer will be required to provide ID (to verify they "exist") or not, you only find out halfway through the application.

If you applied via a paper app over the counter, most branches will usually insist you provide the ID there and then as they do not know at that point whether ID will be required.

It makes no difference whether you are an existing customer or not as each time you open an account the Impersonation Check must be completed. There is no guarantee you will automatically be verified unless you have opened a new account since the migration of Abbey, B&B and A&L accounts to the new system from Jan 2010 onwards.

bcl999

Many thanks for your fuller explanation.

I presented at the counter and said I had been on their website which told me, as an exisiting customer, I had to actually visit a branch to open a Loyalty Flexible Cash ISA. She asked if I had brought my passport and we got no further. I had my Santander debit card with me and all sort of other cards I have in my wallet. (Also, as it happens, I have opened a Santander Current Account since January 2010.)

Still don't understand how one place requires it and another doens't, if it is to meet government legoslation.

You seem to be knowledgeable about Santander. May I ask you an (off-topic) question whilst I am here? Again, it seems to me to be a case of Santander doing their own thing rather than meeeting legislation and that is, why don't they provide Faster Payments with their on-line banking service? I thought this was something forced on banks by the govt to make them deal with transfers more efficiently and not "lose" the money in cyberspace for days between accounts. I do understand the limits of the Faster Payment service as I use it on various other on-line accounts I have but Santander do not seem to offer it at all. I did ask in a branch at one time and I was told "We don't do Faster Payments" which I knew and didn't answer my question which was "Why don't you do...?"

ses6jwg

bcl999 wrote: »

Many thanks for your fuller explanation.

I presented at the counter and said I had been on their website which told me, as an exisiting customer, I had to actually visit a branch to open a Loyalty Flexible Cash ISA. She asked if I had brought my passport and we got no further. I had my Santander debit card with me and all sort of other cards I have in my wallet. (Also, as it happens, I have opened a Santander Current Account since January 2010.)

Still don't understand how one place requires it and another doens't, if it is to meet government legoslation.

You seem to be knowledgeable about Santander. May I ask you an (off-topic) question whilst I am here? Again, it seems to me to be a case of Santander doing their own thing rather than meeeting legislation and that is, why don't they provide Faster Payments with their on-line banking service? I thought this was something forced on banks by the govt to make them deal with transfers more efficiently and not "lose" the money in cyberspace for days between accounts. I do understand the limits of the Faster Payment service as I use it on various other on-line accounts I have but Santander do not seem to offer it at all. I did ask in a branch at one time and I was told "We don't do Faster Payments" which I knew and didn't answer my question which was "Why don't you do...?"

Nobody at branch level knows the answer to that question I'm sorry. It is as frustrating for us as it is for you. As far as I am aware fps has to be implemented by the end of this year, why it hasn't been done sooner I couldn't tell you.

As for the id, the fsa set a out a minimal requirement around which banks build their own risk and control methods. Before santander came along abbey got a huge fine in relation to know your customer, so santande do tend to go over and above. There are however areas where they are better, for example if you are opening a new account and have a passport, you are not required to present proof of address I'd in addition as with most other banks.

This time of year is especially busy for branches, and santander branches tend to operate with lower staffing levels than other banks. Because of the problems in relation to customer service last year with isas, the branches are somewhat discouraged from taking paper applications as their processing can become delayed due to time constaints causing complaints. Whee they are taken I'd will often be insisted on their and then to avoid causing delays with processing.

bcl999

Many thanks for your latest reply.