Halifax to Santander ISA transfer problem

Eponym

Eponym wrote: »

They are shockingly bad. It's really quite staggering how mistake after mistake has been made with this process, even after I have phoned up (four times now) and written letters (2 so far). It's now 10 weeks since I sent my first form. This should be very simple to fix but it doesn't help that they're so slow to process anything.

I spent half and hour trying to get through to the Complaints Dept today to no avail.

I'm glad yours seems to be sorting out eventually! Which email address did you send your complaint to? I might send one to the CEO's email address; I've seen it posted on MSE somewhere.

I got a text message on 11th June saying that my issue had been resolved. I didn't phone them as I just assumed that the transfer would be taking place. It still hasn't so I rang this morning. Got transfered through 4 different departments and the upshot of it was that they say they have sent my transfer form to Halifax on 11/05 and again on 31/05 but Halifax were denying receipt. I've never been told this before. It was suggested that I send in ANOTHER transfer form (which would be a total of 3) and they would send that. Never mind the fact that this latest form sending, on 31st May, was nearly a month ago now and they have done nothing to tell me they've sent it or update me as to it's lack of progress.

Not sure why they can't just send it again themselves, they must keep a copy, surely?

I wasn't at all sure I believed this, so rang Halifax and they confirmed they haven't received a form. I know Halifax are hardly perfect themselves but given my experiences with Santander I believe Halifax over them.

Not sure where to go from here. Part of me wants to give up. Santander don't deserve my business after all this. Another part wants to keep going because I want answers. I think an email to the CEO is in order.

ETA. I've now sent an email to the Complaints team and the CEO wanting answers. I've given them 10 working days before I take it to the Financial Ombudsman.

Eponym

I'm glad I copied in the CEO as this seems to have directed the email to the Executive and Media Complaints Team who have been very helpful.

As I requested, they've allocated one person to look into it for and he rang me yesterday to introduce himself and say he'd requested a report to explain what has happened.

He rang me again today with the result. For some reason, I've put the wrong account number on some of the stuff I've sent to them - but I've got that from one of their letters to me. All very strange and now I'm thinking about it, I don't entirely understand it.

I do have to fill in another transfer form but I'm sending it straight to him and he will sort it for me and keep an eye on the transfer. He's also going to ring me back on Monday to talk about backdating interest etc.

This seems to finally be moving in the right direction!

Eponym

The post I wrote last night seems to have disappeared!

The money has now been transferred, but oddly enough, it's from the first transfer form (which had apparently gone missing) rather than the one I filled in last week! No idea how that's happened but I know it's the case as I changed the amount to transfer slightly.

I've agreed with them that interest will be backdated to 6th April so this should all be sorted provided the interest is actually added.

If anyone is having ongoing problems with Santander, I really recommend copying in the CEO to your complaint email. It directs it to Executive and Media Complaints and I can't speak highly enough of the service I've had from them. The man allocated to deal with my issue has worked hard to really get to the bottom of it and has been great at keeping me updated.