Santander, delayed debit card money machine busted

dmliverpool

Dear all current account users, please switch from Santander I don't like them.

I have noticed that when you spent some money on your debit card via a current account with them the actual amount isn't taken off your balance for days on end. I have checked my statements and over the last 18 months and it's ever since they bought A&L who were like any other bank.... Honest.

Now I know what your thinking.... Well it should be my responsibility to know how much I am spending and what my running balance should be..

Yes and I do thankfully with a mountain of receipt that I hoard. Now this seems a silly affair. If I am in the middle of a shop I see an impulse buy and think right I can afford that I want to buy it, the first thing I do is pull out my bill list on my phone do some quick totting which many people don't, get to a cash machine and make my decision.

Now here is where the bank charge money machine comes in. If I spend many larger amounts say over 50 pounds it seems to slow down there system and after checking my statements I noticed transactions coming out 5-6 days after purchases all of which were just before pay day and just before a majority of my direct debits were due to come out. I may as well of used a credit card as it's more reliable than this farse. There has been the odd occasion where I don't actually know what my balance is because of this delay. It's a joke!:cool:

I then got 5-10 bank charges for going over by pennies. It's a shame 5-6 days for debit card purchases to come off both account balance and available balance is not right. Yes I do know what they both mean.

Anyone else experienced this rip off?

SingleSue

I am with Santander and my purchases come off my available balance immediately 99.9% of times. I always go by the available balance rather than the account balance and mentally tot up whenever I use my card and take into account pending direct debits (there are advantages to being obsessed with numbers), so I generally know within a few pence how much should be available to spend.

Mind you, I also plan what to spend and tend not to impulse buy so it makes it easier.

dmliverpool

I no but it's a right that everyone has to do what they want with there money. I will make a complaint to see if they have a problem before going elsewhere as a long standing customer.

Its just unacceptable to be waiting do long as it's a debit card which takes cash out of an account in theory so there should be no delay. Unless my money hasn't fully cleared which at all tines it has.

Is it just me then?

myteeduck

It may be just you -
Any money i take out the machine is instant on the online account - same as money paid in at the PO.
Purchases - come straight off my avaliable balance and just takes 1-3 days to show in the statement and on account balance. i use the avaliable balance as my limit and check it all matches daily with what i spent the day previous as the difference between the too.

myteeduck

then again - im still showing as an alliance & leicester customer - not been switched to the new site - still go to alliances website and also carry and alliance card, so maybe thats why im ok!

dmliverpool

I too am obsessive and I can see thy are slow which making it hard to account as the available balance isn't always correct within a 1-3 day window Which is acceptable. There is a definatle difference between Santander and alliance which is what I am getting at which in my case is rather negative. If it doesn't work for another three to six months I'm switching as I bank my money with them for them to serve me not the other way around which is how bank used to be an should be with their customers.

dmliverpool

Sorry phone is churning out silly words, but you get the gist.

dzug1

It's possible that the problem is at the retailer's end

GlynD

They seem to be really annoying people. The Londonderry branch seems to be the worst - look what the customers did there

coolesticeking

It sounds like you have the Offline Debit Card which does not always check your account has available funds before authorisation is given.

Ask Santander for a Full-Authorisation Visa Debit Card instead and this will take the money for any transactions immediately.

Always go on the Available Funds also not the balance - The 'Balance' is the Statement View for when transactions have been processed by the bank.

SingleSue

myteeduck wrote: »

then again - im still showing as an alliance & leicester customer - not been switched to the new site - still go to alliances website and also carry and alliance card, so maybe thats why im ok!

I'm an ex Abbey customer...no idea if that has any bearing as to why it works ok for me.