Guess who???? Yep, SANTANDER!!!!

staggered

I opened a fixed rate bond savings account with Alliance and Leicester two years ago.

I'm not a taxpayer so I completed an R85 form. They sent me a certificate confirming that I'd receive gross interest.

Fast forward two years ... The account matures, but the balance is a lot less than I thought it should be.

So, I rang Santander customer services who, after about half an hour of teeth-pulling, told me that tax was taken off the interest when the account matured. It was a mistake at their end. The R85 instruction was "lost" when Alliance and Leicester's system was merged with Santander's.

I was hoping they'd pay me the money back. But apparently they can't do that. I asked what I'd have to do. "Contact your Tax Office" they told me. What exactly will I have to do? "Contact your Tax Office". But I don't even know how much tax you've deducted? "Contact your Tax Office".

By my reckoning, they've taken about £900 tax off me. You'd think they'd be apologetic and do anything they could to help. But they really couldn't care less.

I've put in a complaint, demanding them to tell me how much tax they've deducted from my interest (they won't even tell me that!) and compensate me for the time and cost of getting the tax back from the Tax Office.

They haven't even acknowledged my complaint.

I'll give it 8 weeks and take it to the Financial Ombudsman.

mynameisdave

Working out how much tax they have taken should be fairly eay as it should be deducted at 20%. Whatever your interest figure is they are likely to have taken 25% of that.

IE:
4500 gross - 20% = 3600 net interest.

Tea_Pea_Dee

Exactly the same thing happened to me, but with the Principality BS. I had a two year fixed bond, from which tax was deducted, even though I had completed an R85. You need to ask Santander for a Certificate of Deduction of Income Tax for the tax years involved, then complete an R40 and send it to your Tax Office. Takes about 3 weeks for the tax to be credited to you, either via BACS or a cheque. I didn't contact the Financial Ombudsman.

staggered

Thanks, TPD.

Santander have twice promised to send a tax certificate but I'm still waiting for it. It's been over a month now since they first promised to send it.

When I get the certificate, I'll fill in the R40. It shouldn't be too onerous.

I think it's Santander's attitude that annoys me more than the actual mistake. Would it have killed them to tell me what you've just told me?

If I go to the Ombudsman, it'll be to make Santander pay for their appalling attitude.

drussellh

All of Santander's overseas call centres are being brought back to the UK. Once it is done, it will become very efficient and all problems will be sorted.

Pollycat

drussellh wrote: »

All of Santander's overseas call centres are being brought back to the UK. Once it is done, it will become very efficient and all problems will be sorted.

I doubt very much that it was one of Santander's overseas call centres that 'lost' the OP's R85. :cool:

staggered

drussellh wrote: »

All of Santander's overseas call centres are being brought back to the UK. Once it is done, it will become very efficient and all problems will be sorted.

Is this a serious comment :undecided

I've never spoken to an overseas call centre. Everyone I've spoken to has been in Liverpool (judging by the accent).

exel1966

drussellh wrote: »

All of Santander's overseas call centres are being brought back to the UK. Once it is done, it will become very efficient and all problems will be sorted.

What planet are you on ? :rotfl::rotfl:

jc808

Its racist Drusselh trolling again

Toe-Jam

drussellh wrote: »

All of Santander's overseas call centres are being brought back to the UK. Once it is done, it will become very efficient and all problems will be sorted.

You are either very naive or very deluded. The past 3 mistakes i've had in a row have came from the Liverpool contact centre. Simply because they are all ex Alliance and Leicester staff and haven't a clue about how Santander works.

Lady_strange

Or ex Abbey staff as their call centre was in liverpool.