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abbey national have put my accounts on hold, 2 weeks and I cant get any help.
stolt
Posts: 2,865 Forumite
hi, i know nobody can help me too much but its more to get it off my chest. i will try to keep it short but its now been ongoing for 2 weeks.
Santander security team put my accounts on hold pending a fraud investigation. I cant speak to the fruad team as they do not deal with the public instead i have to speak to customer services who then then speak to the security team which they relay the information back to me.
I took a loan out with nationwide for 14k to buy a car, it was paid into my account by bank transfer on the 19.8 Bank Giro credit ref....... loan advance, my statement shows that exactly as written there (oh and account number).
I phoned santander to say that i wanted to withdraw 14k in cash to purchase a car, first time they told me that local branch doesnt hold that amount of cash and they would need 48hours notice to collect that amount of money and it woudlnt be in the branch i wanted it to be as it wasnt what they called a flagship branch. So I was discussing it with someone at work who said transfer it to me and we will go down to lloyds and pick it up. I transferred the money online on the 23/24th August and went to collect the money with my work colleague from his branch on the 26th.
I found out on the 26th that my pending payment for my credit card was still showing pending payment, i phone santader to be told that I had to go into a local branch and provide some ID, thats all the customer service team knew as that what was on the system at the time. I was buyign the car the 27th so went to my local branch at 8.45 and waited until they opned, took my diriving licence, passport, debit card to be photocopied, they did this and then the cashier said that the security team wanted to see a copy of the loan agreement with nationwide as they think that i could be money laundering and that as it shows nationwide and a account it could be from a personal account. I had no details on me, but they said there was a nationwide branch opposite, so i queued up and asked for them to submit something in writing confirming the loan i had taken out with them. They provided proof and i took that back to the Rayleigh branch only to be told that they need 48hours notice and they will call me back on the tuesday 30th as the monday was a bank holiday. Nobody did call me back and i went online on the thursday to be told that they would not accept that proof from nationwide and that they wanted a loan statement from them. I had that so went down to local branch and provided the loan statement and all my other ID's and the lady photocopied them and sent them off again. I hadnt heard anything until tuesday the 6th September where the local branch phoned to say that the hold would be lifted in 48 hours. last night and today i still cant do anything and phoned the customer services to be told that i need to go to the local branch again as the cashier needs to verify the documents on the phone with the secuirty team why i'm in the branch, i did this the first time when they wanted my something from nationwide. its the fourth time ive been down they and they have held my standing orders, direct debits etc , ive not paid my credit cards, my water bills and now my ironically the personal loan from nationwide has failed. ive tried speaking to the local branch and surprise, surprise the branch manager was with someone so they woudl call me back. I called at 10.45 and still no call back so i'm not a priority and i'm at the end my wits end, i cant seem to get through to anyone with authroity to really like into whats going on, its unfair i have to go into town again with all my id just so the cashier can ring them while i'm there.
they have been beyond worse and made me run around in circles and i cant do anything about it.
i've phoned there complaints team and they put me through to customer services and say sorry security team have put a note on the system to say you need to go to the local branch, even though its my fourth time!!!
I dont know what else to do, its not like i can park in front of the store and pop in its a misson an a half and i dont htink i should have to go there 4 times, spend 4.45 hrs on the phone in 2 weeks trying to sort this out. i have provide ID and my loan agreement, if there was a major problem they should defer it to the police and let them take it up from there but as i have provided everything they have asked for they should release the hold or let the pending direct debits and standing orders be paid.
Santander security team put my accounts on hold pending a fraud investigation. I cant speak to the fruad team as they do not deal with the public instead i have to speak to customer services who then then speak to the security team which they relay the information back to me.
I took a loan out with nationwide for 14k to buy a car, it was paid into my account by bank transfer on the 19.8 Bank Giro credit ref....... loan advance, my statement shows that exactly as written there (oh and account number).
I phoned santander to say that i wanted to withdraw 14k in cash to purchase a car, first time they told me that local branch doesnt hold that amount of cash and they would need 48hours notice to collect that amount of money and it woudlnt be in the branch i wanted it to be as it wasnt what they called a flagship branch. So I was discussing it with someone at work who said transfer it to me and we will go down to lloyds and pick it up. I transferred the money online on the 23/24th August and went to collect the money with my work colleague from his branch on the 26th.
I found out on the 26th that my pending payment for my credit card was still showing pending payment, i phone santader to be told that I had to go into a local branch and provide some ID, thats all the customer service team knew as that what was on the system at the time. I was buyign the car the 27th so went to my local branch at 8.45 and waited until they opned, took my diriving licence, passport, debit card to be photocopied, they did this and then the cashier said that the security team wanted to see a copy of the loan agreement with nationwide as they think that i could be money laundering and that as it shows nationwide and a account it could be from a personal account. I had no details on me, but they said there was a nationwide branch opposite, so i queued up and asked for them to submit something in writing confirming the loan i had taken out with them. They provided proof and i took that back to the Rayleigh branch only to be told that they need 48hours notice and they will call me back on the tuesday 30th as the monday was a bank holiday. Nobody did call me back and i went online on the thursday to be told that they would not accept that proof from nationwide and that they wanted a loan statement from them. I had that so went down to local branch and provided the loan statement and all my other ID's and the lady photocopied them and sent them off again. I hadnt heard anything until tuesday the 6th September where the local branch phoned to say that the hold would be lifted in 48 hours. last night and today i still cant do anything and phoned the customer services to be told that i need to go to the local branch again as the cashier needs to verify the documents on the phone with the secuirty team why i'm in the branch, i did this the first time when they wanted my something from nationwide. its the fourth time ive been down they and they have held my standing orders, direct debits etc , ive not paid my credit cards, my water bills and now my ironically the personal loan from nationwide has failed. ive tried speaking to the local branch and surprise, surprise the branch manager was with someone so they woudl call me back. I called at 10.45 and still no call back so i'm not a priority and i'm at the end my wits end, i cant seem to get through to anyone with authroity to really like into whats going on, its unfair i have to go into town again with all my id just so the cashier can ring them while i'm there.
they have been beyond worse and made me run around in circles and i cant do anything about it.
i've phoned there complaints team and they put me through to customer services and say sorry security team have put a note on the system to say you need to go to the local branch, even though its my fourth time!!!
I dont know what else to do, its not like i can park in front of the store and pop in its a misson an a half and i dont htink i should have to go there 4 times, spend 4.45 hrs on the phone in 2 weeks trying to sort this out. i have provide ID and my loan agreement, if there was a major problem they should defer it to the police and let them take it up from there but as i have provided everything they have asked for they should release the hold or let the pending direct debits and standing orders be paid.
Listen to what people say, but watch what people what people do!!
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Comments
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You need to complain to the FOS who will severely reprimand Shabbey for this illegal treatment. Surely you have read the threads here that say shabbey is shoot lol
Good luck you need the fos to get involved really.0 -
hi yes i read there complaints procedure and they require me to let them try to sort the complaint out first but this could be days yet, i cannot believe that if they seriously thought i was money laundering they dont call the police in and let them investigate it, I phoned the local branch and the manager is still seeing customers so cannot take my call, its so frustrating!!!:mad: i'm half tempted to leave as is and wait just go straight to the FOS. I have access to no money and and so angry and frustrated that they could do this to me, i know it doesnt count for anything nowadays but i have been banking there since i was a child of 14, and have several accounts with them and a mortgage and nearly a personal loan. i'm sure if i was this money launderer then I would be doing it more often and they could look back in statements to check what i was doing.Listen to what people say, but watch what people what people do!!0
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How about contacting Nationwide loans department and telling them that Santander have blocked (stolen?) the funds received from them for over 2 weeks and have accused you of money laundering and will they please get in touch with Santander and put them right. And where is the money now anyway? In your friends Lloyds account or your Santander account? If it was Lloyds wondering why you appear to have given your friend £14,000 I could understand the situation up to a point but Santander must have a way of verifying where the original transfer originated.0
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How about contacting Nationwide loans department and telling them that Santander have blocked (stolen?) the funds received from them for over 2 weeks and have accused you of money laundering and will they please get in touch with Santander and put them right. And where is the money now anyway? In your friends Lloyds account or your Santander account? If it was Lloyds wondering why you appear to have given your friend £14,000 I could understand the situation up to a point but Santander must have a way of verifying where the original transfer originated.
i withdrew the money on the friday and bought a car with it on the saturday. Santander told me that bankers drafts are subject to clearance times and that if i was buying a car i wouldnt be able to collect it the day i paid it in. So thats why i transferred the money over to my work colleague as he said lloyds will give you the money and hold that money in there vaults, santander dont.
Santander called me at 4.45pm this evening to say that i need to go into a branch for the fourth time, take my id and someone will ring the security team why i'm there, i asked why and they wanted to see why i had also applied to santander for a personal loan, i said I was going to go with santander because it was my natural choice as i have banked with them for so long but when they mentioned i had to wait 48hrs for the cash i applied to nationwide as was unhappy with santander as a company.
I actually said to them today I dont know if what they are doing is legal but if they believe i'm doing any wrong doing they should go to the police and let them look into it as i have nothing to hide.
Other than that i dont know what i can do, who i can go to.............Listen to what people say, but watch what people what people do!!0 -
All I can say is keep a record of EVERYTHING.Don't Throw Food Away Challenge January 2012 - £0.17 / £10
Grocery Challenge 16th Jan - 19th Feb 2012 - £254.72/£200 (Ooops very bad start)
Grocery Challenge 20th Feb - 8th March 2012 - £0/£2000 -
yeah thanks, ive already wrote two letters of the complaint to santander, detailing everything. I'm going into santander again tomorrow but i doubt i'll get anything in writing but i will ask them to put something in writing for me there and then, such as the fact that ive been into a branch for the fourth time and i had to provide my details again id etc. I dont know if abbey wil compensate me for my time, i know they cant have a leg to stand on with regards to my credit card fees etc but i bet thats about it, phone calls, parking fees, and just general time and worry to be honest with you.Listen to what people say, but watch what people what people do!!0
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The FOS can't intervene and get them to unfreeze your account. It can only adjudicate on formal complaints.
Unfortunately the banks have been given quite draconian powers to investigate suspected money-laundering, and nobody seems much interested in protesting. And the banks are more scared of the Government that they are of you.
I can't see why the two transactions you mention would have triggered an investigation, but I doubt if the FOS can rule on that. And the FOS probably can't object to the bank freezing your account.
You'll have to submit a formal complaint in writing to the Santander complaints team, focussing on the lousy customer service and the resulting delays. The failings I can see are
(1) instead of telling you when you need to go to a branch asap, they seem to just put a note on your account and wait for you to phone
(2) on your first two visits, they wasted your time by failing to tell you exactly what documentation they needed you to have with you
(3) on the third visit, they wasted your time by not phoning the security team while you were in the branch.
Tell them how much compensation you want. But you probably can't get compensation just for having been the subject of an investigation. Focus on the additional costs as a result of their incompetence.
All your expenses for branch visits after the first, and charge generously for your time and trouble. All the charges for missed payments as a result of excessive delay in clearing up what should have been a very simple query. Add a good chunk for inconvenience and worry and anything else you can think of.
You also want Santander to tell Nationwide that the missed loan payment was their fault not yours, so Nationwide will remove the black mark from your credit report.
They've got 8 weeks to respond to your complaint. If you don't get a satisfactory response, you can then go to the FOS."It will take, five, 10, 15 years to get back to where we need to be. But it's no longer the individual banks that are in the wrong, it's the banking industry as a whole." - Steven Cooper, head of personal and business banking at Barclays, talking to Martin Lewis0 -
The FOS can't intervene and get them to unfreeze your account. It can only adjudicate on formal complaints.
Unfortunately the banks have been given quite draconian powers to investigate suspected money-laundering, and nobody seems much interested in protesting. And the banks are more scared of the Government that they are of you.
I can't see why the two transactions you mention would have triggered an investigation, but I doubt if the FOS can rule on that. And the FOS probably can't object to the bank freezing your account.
You'll have to submit a formal complaint in writing to the Santander complaints team, focussing on the lousy customer service and the resulting delays. The failings I can see are
(1) instead of telling you when you need to go to a branch asap, they seem to just put a note on your account and wait for you to phone
(2) on your first two visits, they wasted your time by failing to tell you exactly what documentation they needed you to have with you
(3) on the third visit, they wasted your time by not phoning the security team while you were in the branch.
Tell them how much compensation you want. But you probably can't get compensation just for having been the subject of an investigation. Focus on the additional costs as a result of their incompetence.
All your expenses for branch visits after the first, and charge generously for your time and trouble. All the charges for missed payments as a result of excessive delay in clearing up what should have been a very simple query. Add a good chunk for inconvenience and worry and anything else you can think of.
You also want Santander to tell Nationwide that the missed loan payment was their fault not yours, so Nationwide will remove the black mark from your credit report.
They've got 8 weeks to respond to your complaint. If you don't get a satisfactory response, you can then go to the FOS.
thanks ever so much for replying, you really helped that way you bullet pointed the issues, actually reading through thinking wow you really understood where i was coming from.
But yes I could they could have easily sorted this out on the first visit to the branch and as you say that should be the focus of my complaint to them. Cant beleive ive been with them this long and its took me all this time to start money laundering.
Listen to what people say, but watch what people what people do!!0 -
They'll try to hide behind their legal obligations to investigate suspected crime. Personally I don't see why they couldn't just ask Nationwide about the source of the payment. But if all they ever needed was for you to take in the loan statement on your first visit, and the cashier to phone the security team while you were there, then all the rest is just incompetence.
I've got a bee in my bonnet about banks expecting customers to just drop into the branch. What's the point?"It will take, five, 10, 15 years to get back to where we need to be. But it's no longer the individual banks that are in the wrong, it's the banking industry as a whole." - Steven Cooper, head of personal and business banking at Barclays, talking to Martin Lewis0 -
What a strange situation, you transferred all that money to another persons account? suppose their account had been overdrawn, your money could have gone down the toilet, I would never dream of putting money into another persons account, let alone borrowed money.........Blackpool_Saver is female, and does not live in Blackpool0
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