Santander's Customer Service - Nightmare Continues

bobwilson

Ifts wrote: »

On the phone they tell yo to go in to the branch, in the branch they tell you you have to call them up. Just a thought - Maybe see the branch manager, and if you have to call them, do it from there and then if they tell you to go in to the branch on the phone, pass the phone over to the manager so they realise what they are asking of you.

I already tried that, the boy in the branch said they won't let me speak to them directly from the branch to resolve it, I have to *wait* for a call from them on my mobile.

bobwilson

Update: I went in to the branch again on friday, and saw a manager and her colleages.

Every time I've been into the branch, a boy offers me a credit card. I keep telling him no, I just wanted access to my accounts, but doesn't seem motivated. It's as if he isn't bothered with helping me, and gets commission. Incredibly, after 2 hours in branch on friday, he turned to me again and said "I'm so sorry about all of this hassle sir, I appreciate what you've been through, so as an apology, I'd like to offer you something special."

I replied: "Is it a credit card??"

He looked sheepish and said: "um.. yes"

Me: [laughed] "You've offered me that 3 or 4 times already, my answer is still the same: No Thank You. What I would like, is for my accounts to be unblocked."

He looked down at the floor, and hid behind his manager. 5 minutes later, he said "So apart from all of this, how is life, Sir?"

I replied: "My life has only been about this for quite some time, I can't sleep."

Him: "Well we will get is sorted for you today, sir."

Me: "I don't mean to sound rude, but that's what you said last time, and the time before that, but you always send me away saying there's nothing you can do. If I was buying a house, I could have lost it by now. I've also lost out on bonds I wanted with other banks, lost time, earnings, and Santander has misplaced some of my cash."

After a few hours, the manager said "Ok Sir, I do apologise for the hassle, it's all been sorted now. Your accounts are unblocked."

Me: "Are you sure?"

Her: "Yes, sir."

Me: "Please can you double-check for me. I was just recently told there are 3 blocks on the account."

Her: "Let me see.... OH... wait... there's another one here."

Me: "Please unblock it."

Her: "Okay, let me see what I can do.... OH.. hang on... I can't unblock that one. It has to be done over the phone."

Me: "Well call them then!"

... 15 mins later, I'm talking to a woman on the phone...

Woman on phone: "... thank you sir, I've now unblocked your account for you. It's all free to use. Is there anything else?"

Me: "Please can you double-check that it's completely unblocked. Are there any other blocks?"

Her: "it's all unblocked, sir."

Me: "Are you sure?"

Her: "Yes, sir."

Me: "Please double check."

Her: "OH.... wait... oh yes I see there is another block here. I can't do that one, sir. I'm sorry.

Me: "Well who can?"

Her: "Um... well I can't. I'll have to make a phone call to get that one lifted."

Me: "So... please do it."

Her: "Oh. Okay sir, please hold the line."

Manager in branch interrupts: "OH! don't worry, I can lift that block here for you."

[It felt like I was having to direct them at one point.]

It took the manager and her colleagues hours, eventually she told me that the blocks on my account will be lifted in 24 hours. Only time will tell if it actually happens.

Manager: "Is there anything else I can do for you, Sir?"

Me: "Yes, please close all my accounts!"

It took them another hour to organise a transfer of my cash and close my accounts. The manager said she's going to organise compensation for all of my hassle and have the missing interest paid to me as well.

As the manager walked away, the guy at the cashier admitted to me unofficially: "If you're expecting any more money to go into your closed accounts, I advise you to stop it immediately, otherwise it can get lost in Santander holdings. I don't want to lie to you."

They were unable to track the missing money that I paid into the savings account (I have proof of around £1000 from Natwest, I'm searching for more statements at the moment). I'm going to have to contact Natwest to put a trace on that.

I had a lot of cash in high interest savings accounts with Santander, so I'm sad to be leaving, but relieved. It feels like I've got out by the skin of my teeth. If I've only lost £1000 in all of this, I will be happy. Now I need to go and cancel all my standing orders into these accounts, and see to my failing business, as I haven't had time to do a full day's work in weeks. My business relies on reputation. I have a lot of apologies and refunds to send out to angry customers right now. I will update later to let you all know what happens with Santander.

IanManc

I've read this thread with horror.

I know it makes me sound like a Luddite, but it is because of experiences like the ones on this thread that I still like to have passbooks for my savings accounts, except for one which has a cheque book and monthly statements instead, but which I can pay into and withdraw from at a building society branch. Even my new Virgin Easy Access account is a passbook one, opened by the very efficient staff at the Northern Rock branch in Manchester on Friday. Having to go to a branch with a book is a lot less stressful than having money completely disappear in the hands of organisations like Santander, which I'd never save with again after the dire experience of them taking over my old Bradford and Bingley account.

happygolucky64

bobwilson you sound like a broken man!!! You say if you only lose 1000 you will be happy? Please don't let Santander do this to you, you should not lose anything, you should be paid compensation for what you have been through. I know it will mean spending more time and you sound as if you have got to the stage where you just want to walk away, but you need to ask Santander how they intend to compensate you for this. Contacting the FOS will be a doddle compared to what you have already been through. The one good thing to come out of this thread is that it has put some people off investing with Santander.

bobwilson

Hi everyone, just an update:

As a result of my time spent on sorting out Santander, I have had to hand out over 20 apologies to my customers from the past few weeks, and over £200 in refunds. I have also lost over £300 in potential sales as I couldn't reply to them in time. Although it doesn't sound like much, it can lead to a bad rep, so I need to focus on repairing my business right now.

I just received a call from the manager at the Santander branch:
Her: "Sir, your interest has been paid into your account, and I've paid in a £50 compensation for the hassle." She sounded proud that she was offering £50 compensation.

Considering that I've spent well over 30 hours to get this resolved, £50 compensation works out at £0.60p per hour. Once you factor in my company's financial losses, the missing £1000, and the interest lost from the bond I now can't get as well, it works out well in the negative. I suspect fighting this compensation, would only waste more of my time that I need to be spending repairing my business.

Natwest can't put a trace on the £1000 missing cash in branch, so I'll call Natwest right now, to get that trace happening. Considering the problems so far, I find it hard to believe it's a Natwest problem. I suspect it's lost in Santander's holdings, as the cashier said. I'll update once I get more info.

EDIT: Natwest just told me they can't go back as far as 9 months which is when the £1000 transfer took place, so they need to see what they can do and call me back. Looks like the Santander saga just won't end! The whole reason for this is because Santander refused to give me a statement until now!

atush

File a formal complaint. Ask for all money owed, compensation for your time and your refunds.

If you don't get joy, this is a case I can really see the times or the telegraph taking up as it is a doozy lol/

bobwilson

Update: I'm still trying to trace the £1000. A girl at Natwest left me a voicemail to call them back with a case reference number. I just called them back and gave the case ref, but woman said it's the wrong case ref, and the girl hadn't left any notes on the system. So, I've explained it all again, how I'm trying to trace that £1000. She said someone will call me back today.

I contacted HSBC to get a copy of my statement for April last year, to make sure I haven't lost anything else in transfer to Santander. The woman on the phone said I have to go in branch for it. So, I did, but the lady in branch said she can't find it, and there's nothing more she can do. She told me to call them up again.

What is wrong with these banks?!

Here's hoping the saga will end soon.

atush

Do you do online banking with HSBC? I can go back years online???

jftho

this is the WORST service EVER!
I too am 'locked out' from my OWN money - because THEY made a mistake and my details are incorrect!

THEY will not accept responsibility! I held my phone for 45, yes 45 minutes while they 'put me through to the fraud department'! The fraud department happened to pick up when I was on a mobile call! HEY HO - i thought I would give them a taste of their own medicine and asked them to politely hold the line as i was in the middle of an important call! they agreed - and of course, you can guess the rest - I finished my call on my mobile, went back to the home phone, and of course - as you would expect from a company with such a reputation for DREADFUL service - they had put the phone down!

It is 10.07pm - I have now been holding again for 20 mins - they close at 11pm!! I wonder if they will pick up?! I doubt it very much - after all they have a 'reputation' to maintain!!:mad:

jftho

EUREEKA! I have my money! The account is now closed and i WHOLEHEARTEDLY recommend that NO ONE in their right mind opens an account with this totally incompetent organisation