Closing an Alliance & Leicester (Santander) Account

JamesT89_2

Sorry if this has been posted or answered before, but been as Santander are rubbish, I'd quite like to close the account I have with them.
I tried phoning Santander but ended up getting nowhere. Will I be able to just go into my local Santander branch (which isn't really local, it's about 10 miles away), and say "I want to close this account please", or will I have to do something special because it used to be an A&L account?

Also, I'd need to take two forms of ID in with me to the bank, would Driving License and Passport do? Anything else I would need to take?

Thanks for the help

neilp

I closed an old A&L/Santander account this week. They took the instruction over the phone and the account was closed a couple of days later, which was not what I was expecting, having read the website.

hermante

Not sure about A&L specifically but you can easily close a Santander account in branch with just a driving licence, it takes about 10 minutes for the computer to do it. Personally I moved all the money away first to make the balance 0.00. After 10 mins the teller gave me a 2p coin as apparently some interest had been earned on the day that I moved the money out.

jen245

I closed my A&L account over the phone, and got a cheque in the post 10 days later with the closing balance. It was surprisingly easy, I was expecting a fight!

DrSyn

1. I would suggest you should first open up a current account at another bank and transfer all funds, pay, direct debits etc, to your new bank account. When all is running smoothly, only then close the Santander account. I have found this to be the safest way of doing it.

If you do not like or want to do it this way

2. Ask your new bank to switch your Stantander current account to them. They then do the work for you.

If you switch to "First Direct" this way not only do you get First class customer service but they give you £100 for doing so!

If you switch to the Co-op Bank you get good service but not the £100!

3. If you intend to switch this way, I strongly suggest that you first look up the website of which ever bank you chose before you start and aqauint yourself about their swithcing process. Good Luck!

[Deleted User]

jen245 wrote: »

I closed my A&L account over the phone, and got a cheque in the post 10 days later with the closing balance. It was surprisingly easy, I was expecting a fight!

same here
closing account is easier than opening