Santander, worst bank in the world

xdaisychainx

I think you're all being disgusting and rude to the OP. She did NOT post that obviously upsetting reminder of her ordeal to give you all a chance to make yourselves feel big and clever by being judgemental and downright POINTLESS.

If you have nothing useful or relevant to say - go find someone else to bully. Over the internet. Because you're so special and never make a mistake. Ever.

OP, back to the subject, what a totally horrible thing to have happen. I can totally appreciate that you'd go away knowing/thinking funds were going to clear. I did that just this year! I'm always expecting things to go pear shaped but fortunately I was okay. I'm not with Santander though!!

I cannot understand why companies think bad customer service is acceptable? Is it just not worth bothering any more? One word. Disgusting. I hope you feel better about it soon and it's resolved quickly. I've started telling managers of anyone I come across with good/excellent customer service skills. Nurses, call centres... anywhere. I think it's important they know so the FEW that try and are good at their jobs are recognised!!

Thanks for sharing. Ignore the bullies on here.

I'll go wait for someone really intelligent to make a wonderfully witty comment about how my comment did not meet their requirements...:j

mummyoftwomonkeys

I have an account with them but I only pay bits in here and there like if I win any money on the p.bonds or if I get any money for my birthday and I stick it away and forget about it and I have found them to be pretty !!!!. every time I go in there when someone asks them something they either don't know the answer or they fob them off, I changed my address as we had just moved and one woman said i just needed to take the change of address forms for me and my husband and a form of i.d and when my husband did it for us she said we both had to go in, when I got round to doing it in my lunch hour it took her half an hour!

fluffnutter

My favourite story about Santander...

Man dies. Wife visits branch to try to close their joint account (after probate's sorted - this isn't a story about probate). Santander customer agent says that the account can't be closed without written confirmation/signature from husband. Wife explains that husband is dead. Santander stick to their 'policy'. Wife asks to speak to manager of branch. Manager reiterates that husband's signature is required. Wife again explains that husband is dead. Ad infinitum.

!!!!!!?

shaymenRup

Stephy please ignore the judgemental t0$$er$ who frequent these forums to troll.

I think your message is worthwhile and a good warning. Make sure you pursue your complaint because the amount of complaints are monitored. If its not dealt with to your satisfaction make sure you pursue it to the financial ombudsman. It would be worthwhile reading the small print about complaints in the Santander literature to ensure timescales are being met with regard to replies etc.

On a personal level First Direct have the best customer services and offer similar financial incentives for current accounts. I've been with them for 15 years and even managed to increase the size of my mortgage whilst abroad via fax.(with the relevant security checks)

aloise

I don't take a large amount on holiday, i relie on my cards. On holiday in canada i was refused money at the cash machine, if i had had only the one card i would have been in trouble. Tried to sort it out with the bank (not santander ) but got nowhere. said i would have to wait 5 days. Luckily i had another company's card so was OK. So all you judgemental people just give over and realise it could happen to anybody, i,m 73 and not naive or stupid, done a lot of travelling and still came a cropper.
I would change banks Stephy as soon as i could.

oldone_2

Am I alone in thinking the lack of paragraphs makes the original post unreadable.
Having said that, I am sure the O.P is right what ever he/she/ it is ranting on about.:D

Millie_Millsters

fluffnutter wrote: »

My favourite story about Santander...

Man dies. Wife visits branch to try to close their joint account (after probate's sorted - this isn't a story about probate). Santander customer agent says that the account can't be closed without written confirmation/signature from husband. Wife explains that husband is dead. Santander stick to their 'policy'. Wife asks to speak to manager of branch. Manager reiterates that husband's signature is required. Wife again explains that husband is dead. Ad infinitum.

!!!!!!?

The same sort of thing happened to me.

After I lost my husband last year Santander refused to change the DD (on our joint mortgage) from his account to mine without his signature. I can't believe how difficult they made if for ME to pay THEM money.

After a few phone calls and visits to branch, I remember getting very distraught and asking them if they expected me to f******g dig him up and bring him in with me!!

I will NEVER use Santander again under ANY circumstances...

fluffnutter

Millie_Millsters wrote: »

The same sort of thing happened to me.

After I lost my husband last year Santander refused to change the DD (on our joint mortgage) from his account to mine without his signature. I can't believe how difficult they made if for ME to pay THEM money.

After a few phone calls and visits to branch, I remember getting very distraught and asking them if they expected me to f******g dig him up and bring him in with me!!

I will NEVER use Santander again under ANY circumstances...

Shocking, isn't it. And at such a distressing time anyway.

What gets me about it.. we all die. Most of us will have an open bank account when we do. All banks must have a tried and tested set of actions to invoke in the event of the death of one of their customers... and obtaining signatures from said dead customer can NOT be part of those actions, surely? The complete lack of common sense from some dinny person when you go in branch is bad enough; that that common sense seems to be written into policy makes everything even more crazy.

It's not like death is some weird occurrence that happens to one in a million of us. There's no excuse for it, there really isn't.

pink_pirlie

Bar the part being on holiday I had exactly the same issue with Santander (or Abbey as it was at the time). They gave me very little notice of the withdrawal of my overdraft but still being at uni I went into the branch to discuss. They advised me I needed to call up as they couldn't deal with student accounts in branch. So I called the helpline, they said they can't do anything over the phone as they can't see the proof of my education. Trip back to the branch, told to call again... this went on for ages. Eventually I was assured the situation was resolved. I had the correct over draft, it wouldn't be removed etc. Surprise surprise, overdraft was removed. As I hadn't reduced the amount I was overdrawn this put me over my overdraft limit, leading to charges for this. I then went through the same rigmarole again with the people in the branch unable to sort it out nor the people on the phone.

I ended up opening another account with Alliance and Leicester which offered a year's free overdraft so I transferred it from one bank to another. Last year I decided it was pointless having two accounts with overdrafts (and by now the A&L one was charging £5 a month interest) and by now had worked enough to be able to pay most of one off and as A&L and Santander were now the same all I wanted to do was transfer the remaining overdraft from one account into the other. I went into the branch and an hour and half after my appointment time I got to speak to someone. They basically said they didn't know how to do this so tried to open another student account to replace the one that had got messed up (but was still active with a lower limit). I questioned this as I know you're not allowed two student accounts - well surprises it was declined!!

In the end I just decided it wasn't worth my time for the £5 a month it was costing me. I was wasting hours and hours on the phone and in branch and getting no where. I got a 2nd job and saved madly for a couple of months and was so happy when I sent back both cards, cut up, to Santander requesting my accounts to be closed!!!

It's a very frustrating situation to be in and Santander's customer service both in branch and over the phone is appalling!!

fluffnutter

Vote with your feet, people. You don't need to bank with Santander.