MSE News: Santander to charge for 'free' business accounts

jlvdiver

Can confirm as just been on the telephone to the helpline.
Free banking accounts will stay as they are, it is up to you to change to the new one.. This is whether you complained or not. The man assured me letters will be going out to confirm this.
A huge thank you for all the advice and support and taking up the fight. I would not have known where to begin (only put all the old abby stuff in the loft 2 months ago so would have had to do a search amongst the spiders!)
I am so relieved as we have been trying for years to get our customers to pay by BACS and it has taken off this last few months. I had visions of lots of work ahead if I had to swap accounts. I am very very happy:rotfl:

magpiecottage

My wife just had a call from Santander about her account. They mentioned they had already spoken to me about mine and did not contradict her when she said they had climbed down!

Pete_Skinner

"Nevertheless, we do need to keep focus. We haven't had our letters yet; scrapping the proposal says nothing about the principle of when a promise is a promise, not to mention the legal contractual issues. We still need to be vigilant as Santander has neatly averted a ruling from the FOS on the substantive questions." Quote from another forum!

magpiecottage

Perhaps - but I doubt they will do it again in a hurry.

If they try we'll reassemble our rag tag navy and send the Spanish Armada packing again!

tjcmills

Great news - for my part I wrote to the Vince Cable's Department (forwarded it to the FSA), FSA (could not help), ASA (no remit to help) and the Financial Ombudsman.

Wasn't confident anyone would help me but luckily Santander backed down...

Roccket990

Yes well done to everyone who applied pressure. I still have not had a letter from them though, so my FSA case remains open.

darren72

I never received a letter regarding the fees for my ex A&L accounts or my Santander Business accounts - does this mean I won't now, and won't be charged ??

Thanks

BusinessIsBusiness

darren72 wrote: »

I never received a letter regarding the fees for my ex A&L accounts or my Santander Business accounts - does this mean I won't now, and won't be charged ??

Thanks

Thats right, only some customers were contacted. Its only those who will get the letter explaining the bank are u turning- for all the other business customers you wont receive anything as the accounts will remain the same ie free.

For anyone who has closed their account as a result of this- if you wish to reopen the same free account you can... thats if you would go back.. :rotfl:

darren72

BusinessIsBusiness wrote: »

Thats right, only some customers were contacted. Its only those who will get the letter explaining the bank are u turning- for all the other business customers you wont receive anything as the accounts will remain the same ie free.

The end of 'free banking for life' was only applying to a small number of customers then ? - or they just hadn't got around to advising everyone ?

Thanks

magpiecottage

Roccket990 wrote: »

Yes well done to everyone who applied pressure. I still have not had a letter from them though, so my FSA case remains open.

Me too except the complaint should be with FOS, not the FSA.

When it arrives I'll scan it in, e-mail it to FOS and tell them the matter is closed. It will show on their stats as a complaint that was resolved in favour of the customer (i.e. upheld).

darren72 wrote: »

The end of 'free banking for life' was only applying to a small number of customers then ? - or they just hadn't got around to advising everyone ?

The latter.

They will not now write to tell those they never told they would introduce charges to say they are reversing it.