Santander... again!

HeadAboveWater

...not like I'd need to add another thread about them but anyway! Just need to vent!! lol

Me and OH both with Santander for long time. He has mortgage and quite a bit in current/ISA accounts (and I'm barely scraping by!! )

I called in to our local branch Monday last week and spoke to 'G' to arrange an appointment with their mortgage/financial advisor, as OH is thinking about a 2nd mortgage. G stated that the advisor isn't in branch every day, was in that particular day, and FA would ring OH to arrange appointment.

No phone call.

OH called in to bank Wednesday and spoke to G. He chased up via email and phone and assured OH would be called before day was out, and he himself would ring OH to confirm he'd received a call from FA.

No phone call. From either guy.

I called into branch on Friday and spoke to G. He rang FA and spoke to the guys manager. They would get him to ring OH within half an hour. Said if I hadn't got confirmation from OH by 3pm (hour and half later) that contact had been made I would call back in to branch to chase.

No phone call.

G from bank rang me at 3pm to say he was still trying to get in contact with FA and hang tight basically.

Half 4 I headed back to branch. G assured me he had spoken to FA 20 mins ago, FA would def be calling OH. I said OH drives and may not answer his phone, and would FA be leaving message WITH telephone number to call back. Yes yes yes....

No phone call.

Called in this morning and spoke to branch manager ('I') to complain. He knew my OH name without me even saying!! (that IS bad!!) Rang FA and said OH would be given a call today. Apologised, and I said I think OH would appreciate an apology from the bank itself. And also pointed out that if we were new customers from off the street we wouldn't set foot in the place again.

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaargh!! :mad:

*breeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeathe*

Vent over

uksavergirl

I had a problem with a cheque going missing (in their hands) and had various different conversations with people who kept telling me they would look into it - to no avail. I eventually got hold of someone who told me to just put a stop on the cheque and request that they send the funds electronically. At least the issue got sorted as a result, but it was a huge hassle and I didn't get an apology. The account is certainly one of the cheapest, but there have been a number of mistakes and things going wrong and I dislike the fact that I have to send cheques in the post rather than just being able to deposit them at a branch.

Regardless of this, I am still considering investing in their 1 year bond - I must be a glutton for punishment.

HeadAboveWater

uksavergirl wrote: »

I must be a glutton for punishment.

You said it!! :rotfl:

As I said to the guy, if we were a random Joe Public we'd have turned on our heels long ago. The fact we are good customers and have a lot of money invested, we wanted to think they'd be happy to help and they'd look after their customers (yeah right!! )

Either way, they shouldn't be making it so hard for old or new customers. All we want is a phonecall so we can make an appointment. That's it! An appointment!! It's not like we're arranging to line up all the staff against a wall and sho...... :eek:

Did I say that out loud?!?!? :rotfl:

bosseyed

F*****G Santander, I ended up with a default on a credit agreement despite paying the 'debt' 3 times over the phone with them. Every time the payment went missing and as a result I got stuck with a default. They agreed was incorrect and promised to remove the default - over a year later its still on my credit file and now currently ruining all my mortgage applications quite expertly. I've lost track of how many simpletons I've spoken to who have been unable to grasp what my issue is, and so we go, month to month, me ringing and them feigning ignorance of the issue whilst we trawl through the whole scenario again.

I've even had to get the Ombudsman involved now as I have quantifiable losses thanks to Santander's continuous barrage of idiocy.

Santander and its general incompetence, moronic staff and seeming inability to cope with the most basic banking processes can go f**k themselves, right in the earhole.

I didn't even want anything to do with Santander in the first place, I got lumbered with them, like some kind of crippling side effect of trying to buy my wife a present.

HeadAboveWater

I read nothing but bad reports on Santander here. Very few have good words to say about them. Yes ok I've never had any bother, but for all the dealings I have with them it hardly counts. All goes fine until such time as you have to speak to a humanoid, either in branch or customer services. Seems then it goes pear shaped for everyone

UPDATE on OP:

Contact has been made!! Woohoo!! Granted it was only to say they'd give OH a ring later on but still. Progress??!?!??!?

Merlin_and_Me

Bosseyed I am fighting an exact same complaint with santander and have been for the last 5 years over a debt that neer existed in the first place. They too are crippling my financial recovery and affecting an employment prospect also. Their sheer incompetance blinds me. I have also emailed ask tony at the daily mail. maybe if they get enough complaints they may also investigate on our behalf?

HeadAboveWater

Basically steer clear then?! Seems to be the general consensus!!!

Sooooo.....

After getting a phone call to say he'd receive another phone call later, OH didn't get the other phone call.

And so it begins again. Guess I've another trip to make to Santander in the morning :eek: :mad:

pmduk

Why on earth bother?

HeadAboveWater

Well.... OH paid a whack off his mortgage there a few months ago and it brought the monthly payments down about £40 :T

Got a letter in the other day to say it was the end of the 2 year interest term or whatever it was, and his new monthly payment is gonna be an extra £60!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :eek: :mad:

uksavergirl

Well, the only thing is that I hear equally bad stories about many other banks. The only one that hasn't yet done anything particularly bad to people I know is HSBC. The problem with HSBC business charges is that it seems like they take a little bit from here and from there and each transaction cops for a charge - eating away at your profits. You may get good customer service, but by heck do you pay for it!

I think I will try and persevere with Santander's failings and have more money to spend on shoes!

uksavergirl

...Of course, that is providing they don't just lose my money!