Santander won't let me take cash out

figgsey

Dear All,

I guess this is an SOS with needing help with Santa.

Very shortly I will need to complete a house purchase already having exchanged. But on trying to get my money out of Santa's esaver account I am now looking at a ruinous position.

It started last week with me going online to make a transfer only to find that (still) they had not updated the system with my correct contact details for SMS confirmation. So I phone and get passed around from pillar to post culminating with some urchin saying that I need to attend a branch with ID to change the number. So with working... I leave this until Sat.

On Sat, I go down to my local branch...it starts off again. I register my mobi again and request transfer. The assistant phones someone for clearance due to size of payment and I wait and wait and er..wait during which they ask for different forms of ID. Such as passport, utility of where I live (now and previous address). I do OK so far until they ask for a letter from my solicitor confirming purchase! I had given this as reason for transfer - nosey bas'tds!!
Then upon having my day ruined with the stress I asked to close the account and gave this as reason. But the cretin on the phone who refused to talk to me decided to put a block on the account.

Great I am in a worst position now I think. "Where is a branch open now" I said as they were shutting up shop at 12.30. "Stratford" being the reply forced me to fight through hordes of lost people on Sat past the new stadium. And I am partially disabled meant this was hard. Real hard. I queue for 30 mins.

When I speak to supervisor. He confirms on their system no note or record. I ask for payment again thinking this odd. He goes away and comes back after 15 mins saying that staff have left who over the phone verify passport. I say that this was already checked out! He said not from his perspective. So I say well what about the block. He says that the account is NOT blocked. Of course I go barmy at this point.

And here we are. I am facing ruin because now I will either lose my deposit or face paying interest on outstanding funds let alone think about other arrangements such as removals etc. They have been shocking. Yes - I am aware now they have processes that make withdrawal tricky. But what can I do to force them to release my money and recover my purchase money!?? each time I present info etc. they shift goal posts.

Thanks in advance

Lee

xylophone

Speak to your solicitor first thing Monday morning and see what he can do.

bni

When are you actually completing? I would take any documentation you have, including all forms of ID (passport, bunch of bills) bring it down to your closest Santander branch on Tuesday morning when they open and not leave until they managed to setup a CHAPS same-day transfer to your solicitor. Even Santander, if you explain the situation (completing on house purchase) must be able to help you.

Also call your solicitor while you're there so they can fax over any confirmations necessary or speak directly to branch manager/staff.

A tip - although you will probably be furious, you will most likely have a faster/better result if you keep calm and be as nice as possible to the branch staff.

Anthorn

I think because it's probable but I'm not sure because I've never done it, when you change your mobile number you have to confirm it by quoting the code sent by SMS to your existing/old mobile number. If you don't have your old mobile or it's not operational you can't confirm it and therefore it won't be changed.

It is usual practise for most banks that if you can't validate your identity online then you have to provide your identity either at a branch or by post and if you can't do that they will block the account to protect it. That's what security is all about.

samwsmith1

I would email the executives office with all the details - [FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Complaints.ChairmanCB@santander.co.uk[/FONT] .

I tweeted them with a problem earlier this year (similar thing - account blocked for sending money to a new payee) and they replied back asking for details and I had a call from the executives complaints team within a couple of hours. A few hours later I had another call back saying that the issues had be solved and offered me £25.

figgsey

Firstly a big thanks to you all.

Just recapping...Yes I understand that online you can't transfer the £ even if you receive the SMS. There are probably limits in terms of payment value. Is that correct? It has never worked for me.

Contact center were pants. Strung me along for 45min and still said go to branch with ID.

I took all id down to local branch. They asked for additional info. I provided. But didn't have a solicitor letter. My reason next time will be to give to donate to Greece's deficit.

Hobbled home fast got letters. Went to other branch in Stratford. By that time phone checking of passport (again) was too late. So on Tues what can I do if they ask for swimming badges or some daft stuff?

bni

Santander (in my personal experience) will block almost any semi-large payment and require telephone verification. Also there are upper limits on what amounts will be sent by Faster Payments (normally same day, safe for above security checks) and what will revert to BACS (3 working days).

I don't know how much you want to transfer, but I wouldn't rely on online banking for a time-critical transfer situation, CHAPS (guaranteed same-day) is the way to go eventhough there is charge - usually £35.

When you are at the branch, I wouldn't let them fob you off. Just stay until it is sorted.

StephH

It looks to me that all UK banks are awkward. I'm also with a German bank and a collegue got a Belgian and French account and they are easy going but despite it is still secure.
No utility bills (they are too easy to photoshop!), no going to the branch or being send around, no SMS passwords (they use TAN numbers), no intrusive personal questions (like your location of birth, mother's maiden name etc.) and easy to handle access (just account number and sort code plus online PIN + TAN when a transaction is made). On top of all this when you make a payment you just got an entry mask, no payments are "set up" unless you want it (click "save recipient"). So you don't end up with a huge list of one-offs...

Why can't UK banks not be as safe and easy as banks abroad? Must be that the British public does not demand this.
30min queueing- I'd be straight at the headoffice, that's almost as bad as the border agency...

jamesd

figgsey wrote: »

Very shortly I will need to complete a house purchase already having exchanged ... I am now looking at a ruinous position.

You are not facing ruin. If you do not complete on time you will be liable for the penalty and interest set out in the standard residential contract terms, unless for some reason your solicitor agreed to something different. You'll have ten business days from the day a "notice to complete" is served and that will be sufficient time to resolve any difficulty with Santander.

jamesd

Just how big was this payment? I've done transactions in excess of £30,000 with them without having been asked to go to a branch and without even having a mobile number registered by them, though I did have to pass phone security checks before the online transaction went through the first time.

Their online limit is £100,000 outbound. Expect security checks by phone if it's to a new payee and it may be helpful to ask them to set up the new payee by phone instead of doing it yourself.

For your Tuesday visit(s) be sure you have everything that they have asked for in the past. Including that letter from your solicitor.

figgsey

So looking at the sale contract I now become liable for completion funds at a rate of 3%+ base rate per day. Great

The strange thing is why they unblocked the account running from branches yesturday and their software platform appears to have no record.

So tomorrow I will have another go at unlocking the santander key.

Then I go to the media and lawyers