Santander have cancelled all my Direct Debits!

yellowcrocus

I'm hoping someone can advise on my rights.

I have just returned home from my holiday to find a stack of letters relating to cancelled direct debits from my Santander account.

I have just switched my main bill paying account from a Santander current account to their 123 account to benefit from the cashback. In the process, it seems they have managed to cancel ALL my Direct Debits. Every single one.

I am going to have to pay all my bills manually and go through the hassle of reinstating all my direct debits.


My credit card payments are overdue so I will have defaulted on the terms of my 0% interest rates. One on a Santander credit card, the other Bank of Scotland.


Does anyone have any advice regarding my situation, i.e. the likelihood of the credit cards being sympathetic to my plight and the possibility of claiming compensation from Santander?

Needless to say, I shall be moving my bank account!

jonesMUFCforever

Are you sure they have not been transferred to the new account?
Some of the companies may not have had sufficient time to update their records and tried to debit your old account hence the declines.

If you move the account be aware this could happen again!!!

innovate

Why did they cancel your direct debits?

yellowcrocus

Hi, thanks for your replies.

All I have done is asked Santander to change the type of my bills account from a regular current to a 123 account, to benefit from their cashback offer.

Santander seem to have cancelled all of my direct debits when they have changed the status of my account- my online banking shows no active direct debits whatsoever, and I have come home to letters from my service providers stating that they have received instruction that my DDs have been cancelled.

They have had no instruction to do anything to my direct debits and the account has sufficient money to cover them.

Really there was no reason to do anything at all to the direct debits, as my account number is exactly the same.

I have no idea what they are up to but it has landed me in a proper fix!

Any ideas greatly appreciated.

yellowcrocus

Maybe it is a cunning money saving ploy as they don't have to pay me cashback on bills I haven't payed! :rotfl:

innovate

I'd call them to get to the bottom of this. If you had sufficient funds for the direct debits, and your instructions were clear, they should be

• paying all your outstanding bills immediately, and regularly from now one, as per the Direct Debits you previously had
• removing any charges for failed payments
• ensuring any late payment markers are removed from / prevented to go on your credit reference files
• paying you for your extra efforts, inconvenience and stress

ses6jwg

I've never seen this before. Your sort code and account number should remain unchanged and therefore your debit card/ mandates should remain unaffected.

YorkshireBoy

innovate wrote: »

• paying all your outstanding bills immediately, and regularly from now one, as per the Direct Debits you previously had
• removing any charges for failed payments
• ensuring any late payment markers are removed from / prevented to go on your credit reference files
• paying you for your extra efforts, inconvenience and stress

In addition to the excellent summary above, I'd also be asking them for a letter you could forward to your DD originators, especially BoS, your mortgage provider, and anyone else who reports your account conduct to the CRAs in order that they may show some leniency.

If these people refuse to act on your request, then consider adding a NOC to your credit reports.

If you let this complaint go to the FOS, I'd imagine any 'distress and inconvenience' award would be substantial.

yellowcrocus

Thanks, that info is very helpful.

Offices open at 8 today so I shall be on the phone then.

On closer investigation I can see that while I've been on holiday I have defaulted on 2 credit cards, my student loan repayments and 2 mobile phone contracts, some in my name, some in OHs.


I have never defaulted on anything before. We need to move house next year and I am concerned about this impacting on our ability to get a mortgage.

choc_mouse

I left Santander because of many reasons. One was they cancelled my direct debit for my credit card for no reason. It was just a normal account - not switching or anything!! I was lucky I spotted it at the very last minute when I spotted I had "too much" money in my current account. Was also lucky they accepted faster payments.

Good luck!

Agricolae

Yes good luck with that. How embarrassing for everyone concerned.