Is it time to end "Santander Bashing"?

Cmdr_Bond

someone wrote: »

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It does seem that the majority of issues stem from the A+L merger which didn't go so smoothly. Obviously transferring accounts between different bank systems is going to be right pain for them and it didn't go too well.

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I would just like to point out that I have been a Loyal Abbey (now Santander) customer for nearly 30 years and up until recently I had not had any issue with them (well ones that were not my own fault, whether the charges were unfair is for another discussion). Then I had a major issue with them (see sig).

I requested to see a branch manager, and I'm not entirely sure they actually have one. At every step she (the manager is supposedly female) was unavailable, not once did I see her in the branch AND I was told that the advisors had more access to the systems than the manager :huh:.

Then there was the problem that although I (me, myself, moi) instigated the complaint, initially the compliant department would not talk to me about it, and failed my brother on security.

They then did not call back within two hours and the following day cut him off after leaving him on hold for 8 minutes.

I wish anyone the best of luck with them, but they have lost my business and respect.

I agree they have some of the best products on the market, but I want some semblance of CS behind the product, not just "the computer says no".

mattcodes

No. The time to stop bashing Santander will come naturally when aren't absolutely crap, at the moment they are a turd. Do you think people bash for no reason?

The other week Verified by Visa stopped working for me. It tooks 20 minutes and bounced from customer service to security and back and bounced again before it got finally sorted. Frustrating given I was calling from out the country too. They are jokers in all respects

Superbiatch

After explaining to customer services in my local Sanrander branch in December I was embarking on a DMP (debt management plan) and I needed a new account as I banked elsewhere, I was SOLD the premium bank account at £10.50 per month.

I specifically stated I didnt want any of my previous direct debits switching as I would sort this out myself. Lo and behold they contacted my previous bank and re-instated all my old direct debits (luckily i found this out before any money had been paid!). Anyhows after cancelling all the direct debits with Santander and reminding them I'd specifically asked for these not to be re-instated in the first place I was informed I would receive a switching fee of £100. Nice i thought, will pay a car related bill when it arrives such as MOT or tax etc.

Forgot about this for a while and it suddenly dawned on me 3 months down the line I'd not received this credit. Contacted Santander and was informed that because I'd reduced the obligatory overdraft from £400 to £0 I had affected the terms and conditions and was no longer entitled to it. I explained this was part of the terms and conditions of going onto a DMP with help of the CAB (not to take out further credit), they were having none of it.

At the start I was never informed i was entitled to this fee, then when I found out about it the customer services rep who reduced my overdraft did not make me aware by reducing my overdraft I'd be breaking the contract, and of course Santander do not care about this. So I'm sorry but Santander customer services are the pits :mad:

I'd have expected them to know this and inform their customers which they didn't and as a consequence I'm £100 poorer than I would have been.

northernstar5

POPPYOSCAR wrote: »

We had not had any problems until very recently.

We transferred our old isas with them to ones with a better interest rate
but it could not be done until two days later when it had been in for the full year.the branch said they would write to confirm it had been done.Two weeks later no letter, go into branch, guy who dealt with it is on holiday told no one else can deal with it, assured he will ring on his return
(last saturday) still waiting for him to ring. Now have to go into branch again to sort it out.

They also insist on proof of identity every time you open a new account unlike others who if you are an existing customer do not.

It is a case of getting good rates but also getting bad service I am afraid,
or getting lower rates somewhere else but better service and less inconvenience.

I didn't need to provide proof of identity when I opened a new account.

northernstar5

Pitlanepiglet wrote: »

Whilst I was in there paying in a chq for her, the cashier greeted the lady ahead of me with "hello Mrs X" before she got to the counter - it's a small market town where most people know each other - Mrs X carried out a transaction using a card and then wanted to transfer some money out of an account that she hadn't brought the card with her - the cashier said she was very sorry but she couldn't transfer the money without Mrs X bringing in ID!
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re ID That's not just Santander. I've banked with my local Nationwide for over 30 years and needed ID recently, despite having 1 Nationwide card with me.

Biggles

mattcodes wrote: »

The other week Verified by Visa stopped working for me. It tooks 20 minutes and bounced from customer service to security and back and bounced again before it got finally sorted. Frustrating given I was calling from out the country too. They are jokers in all respects

Verified by Visa is a joke all to itself.

When registering with VbV for the first time with two other banks during the last few years, on both occasions its software told me I didn't know my own personal details (repeatedly). It took over a year before it would accept me with the first bank and the bank staff couldn't help, and several days with he second one, which was only last month.

POPPYOSCAR

northernstar5 wrote: »

I didn't need to provide proof of identity when I opened a new account.

Well we did.

We originally were with B&B with ISAs and savings bonds.We transferred these last year to Santander and took out new ISAs etc and had to give identity then. We also took out new ISAs last tax year and a new savings bond, and transferred our old ISAs to a higher paying one(still waiting confirmation of this as posted earlier) had to give identity again despite having seen the same person when we originally opened the ISAs and savings bonds( and he remembered us).

I also had two old accounts with B&B and had to take in identity before they would let me do anything with them i.e. take any money out of them or close them,despite having all these other accounts with Santander. Surely the signature in the passbook should be enough?

Took out a monthly savings plan last week with Saffron and Walden who I have an existing account with and they just issued me with the new account, no identity needed.

ChiefGrasscutter

Re ID
Most banks etc will use "recently" provided ID on other accounts as sufficient for opening/transacting on other accounts held by the user.
However if the ID is "old" and dates from some time previously or before the current ID requirements came into force then they are required to re-certify ID.
Exactly how old is "old" and how recent is "recent" is up to the individual bank - though they could require (according to the regs) ID for evey new account opened.

I got stuffed by this one from an old investment dating back years when I wanted to withdraw some money and suddenly I was required to provide ID, despite having transacted on the investment many times before - but some considerable years ago.

So in the above case I'm not surprised that extra ID over and above a signature in a pass book was required - the days of accepting signatures only as proof are gone - thank those who forge other signatures for that one not the banks!

So in this case I'd say Santander were correct.

pmduk

Biggles wrote: »

Verified by Visa is a joke all to itself.

When registering with VbV for the first time with two other banks during the last few years, on both occasions its software told me I didn't know my own personal details (repeatedly). It took over a year before it would accept me with the first bank and the bank staff couldn't help, and several days with he second one, which was only last month.

To be fair to Visa, when that happened to me, it turned out that Barclays had keyed the wrong date of birth into their card records, they claim these records are separate from the main customer records hence the problem.

ffacoffipawb

diable wrote: »

I will give you £200 for your soul and £300 for your first born.............

Too late, he has sold his soul to Santander!