Incompetent Santander - what to do?

secret_tramp

I have been on the receiving end of the most unbelievable incompetence from Santander and have reached the end of my tether. I would like the problems resolved and to receive compensation, but would like advice as to the best way of achieving that - ie a letter to the MD/go straight to the Ombudsman/or some other route (media?)

It started with my overdraft being withdrawn without any notice to me. Apparently the bank had had some mail returned to them and they put a block on any further mail being sent to me. I don't know why, because I had not gone anywhere.

Anyway, direct debits and cheques started to be bounced before I realised what was going on. The bank refused to reinstate the overdraft and referred me to my branch who referred me to the complaints department.

Since they should (I believe) have given me notice (1 month?) of their intention to remove the overdraft, the simplest course of action would have been to reinstate the overdraft and give me the required notice. Which they didn't.

Because of this there was a missed payment on my credit card and mortgage, which has affected my credit rating.

The following month, I tried to make a payment to my mortgage company using my debit card. That had been cancelled. The bank said it hadn't and to try again. It still didn't work so they promised to send me a new one. Three weeks later it still hadn't arrived so I chased them up. They promised to `reissue` it and a fortnight later the card and new pin number arrived on the same day (not sure that was wise).

Next all of my direct debits were deleted. Much time was spent manually setting them up again and making good the missed payments and things got a bit messy on my account.

I have also had bank charges taken incorrectly and not refunded.

I have written and spoke to heaven knows how many people at the bank, and spent many hours trying to sort it out. The last person (a manager apparently) called me a couple of times to ask him to bear with him, but three months later has now disappeared. I am loathe to start all over again with someone else and think I need to take it to a much higher level.

I am astounded by the incompetence and think I deserve some compensation. The question is where do I go from here?

Any help/advice would be much appreciated. Thanks for reading and forgive the long post, which I have summarised as best I can.

pwuk

Personally I would change bank as nothing will change with Santander even if your complaint is upheld. Alternatively hang in there and be prepared to be astounded on several further occasions too.

If you have already tried to follow their complaints procedure, you should extend a courtesy to the CEO making her aware of your circumstance and asking for assistance before you progress your complaint to external parties.

Ana Patricia Botin
Chief Executive
[EMAIL="ceo@santander.co.uk"]ceo@santander.co.uk [/EMAIL]

Good luck.

antrobus

Try: http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/news/banking/2009/04/banks-caught-cancelling-overdrafts

innovate

wonder what Santander's account of this would be. Suppose we'll never find out because they wouldn't appear on a public forum to discuss a given account.

Fiddlestick

secret_tramp wrote: »

Since they should (I believe) have given me notice (1 month?) of their intention to remove the overdraft, the simplest course of action would have been to reinstate the overdraft and give me the required notice. Which they didn't.

And you have paperwork stating that they needed to give you one month's notice?

Otherwise it's my understanding that overdrafts are repayable on demand, whenever the bank asks.

pwuk

Until they do, it's Secret Tramp's version of events that should prevail as the post appears to be well considered.

How nice it would be for Santander to comment, although as you say it is a public forum, better yet, how nice it would have been for the OP to have received appropriate communication from the company to avoid the drawn out saga referred to above.

secret_tramp

Many thanks for your replies.

Fiddlestick wrote:

And you have paperwork stating that they needed to give you one month's notice?

Otherwise it's my understanding that overdrafts are repayable on demand, whenever the bank asks.

Santander took over my Alliance & Leicester account and I cannot find any information about withdrawal of overdrafts - either among my papers or on their website.

I did try and research this once before and perhaps it was this that I came across (the link no longer works, unfortunately).

http://www.santander.co.uk/csgs/Stat...ue&maxage=3600
on page 16 you'll see 7.4 b
Quote:We will usually give you 30 days’ notice of our intention to change your Arranged Overdraft limit or repay the
whole or any part of any overdraft, however we may do either of these things without advance notice to you where it would be reasonable for us to do so.

From this thread - https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/2847952

It would seem that the general proposition is that any bank can withdraw an overdraft on demand, but the consequences it had for me don't seem to make their actions very reasonable.

secret_tramp

I think I will write to the CEO as suggested and perhaps invite her to respond to this thread.

secret_tramp

Just had a trawl through Santander's website...

The current account general terms and conditions at page 7 says this:

15.2 e) For overdrafts, we will give you at least two months’ personal notice if:
(i) we change a Condition that relates to an overdraft;
(ii) we increase an overdraft fee or introduce a new overdraft fee.

http://www.santander.co.uk/csgs/StaticBS?blobcol=urldata&blobheader=application%2Fpdf&blobkey=id&blobtable=MungoBlobs&blobwhere=1223417813691&cachecontrol=immediate&ssbinary=true&maxage=3600

I am not sure if withdrawal of an overdraft facility amounts to a 'change of condition'...

innovate

secret_tramp wrote: »

I think I will write to the CEO as suggested and perhaps invite her to respond to this thread.

They might have an Executive Complaints Team (many companies do) who are staffed with more competent / empowered people than they have in their normal CS. Writing to the CEO is definitely the sensible thing to do if you believe you have a case, after you have got nowhere with the 'normal' complaints procedure.

bengal-stripe

secret_tramp wrote: »

Just had a trawl through Santander's website...

15.2 e) For overdrafts, we will give you at least two months’ personal notice if:
(i) we change a Condition that relates to an overdraft;
(ii) we increase an overdraft fee or introduce a new overdraft fee.

I am not sure if withdrawal of an overdraft facility amounts to a 'change of condition'...

Withdrawal of an overdraft would not be a 'change of condition' (change of interest rate would be).

Here the bank states they would give normally 30 days notice of a limit change or the withdrawal of an overdraft. But the bank also reserves the right to change/withdraw immediately in a situation where the bank feels their financial interests are at stake.

We will usually give you 30 days’ notice of our intention to change your Arranged Overdraft limit or repay the whole or any part of any overdraft, however we may do either of these things without advance notice to you where it would be reasonable for us to do so.

Whether or not your returned mail ("Not known at this address"?), which obviously let the bank to believe some foul play was going on, would justify such a drastic step, I could not answer.