Santander visa debit card payment refused

Geriatric

I have a santander visa debit card expiring end March and it was refused when endeavouring to purchase an airline ticket. There is no problem with the funds available.
I made a secure message asking what had gone wrong and about a renewal card.
Answer "you entered the wrong expiry date" and no comment about the renewal card.
I had ascreen shot of the payment and all details were entered correctly. I went back advising them of this fact and complaining of the inadequate first reply. I received one reply saying a new card had been posted on the 16th March and it would take 10 to 14 days.
The second reply stated a new card had been ordered on the 18th March and thus my present in date card had been voided.
It would seem I have been caught up in one of many Santander's flawed systems. It seems to me to be totally wrong to void a card without any advice and that the old valid card should be honoured until the new card is activated.
I have not yet received the new card and the whole matter has caused a great deal of aggravation.
Is this Santanders's normalsystem for renewing debit cards?
Would filing a complaint have any mileage or would I be causing myself further aggravation?

dalesrider

A card should be valid till the end of the month and the fact a new one has been sent out should not make any diffrence.
Could it be that it has hit a security check and someone has got mixed up.

Ring 08459 724 724 and see what they say.

Claree__x

Dalesrider is correct in that a card should be valid until the date it says so however, if 2 cards have been sent out (16th March, 18th March) I believe it is the case that there can only be 2 active versions of a card at any one time so the oldest one would be cancelled.

Don't quote me on this though, I stopped working for them early 2011 - give them a call to confirm (although you might not pass security with a "cancelled" card...)

Geriatric

Thanks for replies. Having on an other occasion experienced Santander's dreadful telephone system and having had to repeat securtiy clearance everytime I was transferred to somebody else who was as badly informed as the previous person I vowed never to telephone again. The quality and training of their customer assistance is very poor.
I have asked fpr a Complaints reference and will wait to see what renewal cards turn up in due course.

dalesrider

Claree__x wrote: »

if 2 cards have been sent out (16th March, 18th March) I believe it is the case that there can only be 2 active versions of a card at any one time so the oldest one would be cancelled.

Don't quote me on this though, I stopped working for them early 2011 - give them a call to confirm (although you might not pass security with a "cancelled" card...)

Missed the 2nd card going out.

That would tend to say to me that someone has cancelled the card.
Can not see any reason for 2 renewall cards to be sent.
Add in if, the 1st was cancelled for any reason. It would take out the live card as well.
OP. Can you use the card at all?

Claree__x

Geriatric wrote: »

Thanks for replies. Having on an other occasion experienced Santander's dreadful telephone system and having had to repeat securtiy clearance everytime I was transferred to somebody else who was as badly informed as the previous person I vowed never to telephone again. The quality and training of their customer assistance is very poor.
I have asked fpr a Complaints reference and will wait to see what renewal cards turn up in due course.

Surprisingly, I found their original training very good. Follow up training leaves a lot to be desired. Add that to minimum wage and you get the service that you do - unfortunately!

With regards to a complaint, I'd email;
[EMAIL="complaints@santander.co.uk"]complaints@santander.co.uk[/EMAIL]
[EMAIL="ceo@santander.co.uk"]ceo@santander.co.uk[/EMAIL] (Ana Patricia Botin)

I got a reply within a few days from Ana's assistant offering me financial compensation for my last complaint. About £50 if I remember correctly.

Geriatric

Thanks for advice. I am waiting till the new card arrives before making a complaint . Frankly the Santander system seems to be totally flawed as to be without a card for 2 weeks is ludicrous.
The Mail is always knocking Santander they might pay more for the story!!

Geriatric

Eight days ago Complaints stated that they had passed details to the relevant department and I would be regularly advised of the progress.
So far ; no card no advice.
I have replied to Complaints and CEO ( Thanks for her e-mail address)
Surely it is time the Authorities took an interest in flawed systems operated by banks and started to impose heavy fines for the inconvenience to customers. It would seem it is cheaper for the banks to pay out compensation rather than pay good staff to do the job properly.

dalesrider

Geriatric wrote: »

So far ; no card no advice.
I have replied to Complaints and CEO ( Thanks for her e-mail address)
Surely it is time the Authorities took an interest in flawed systems operated by banks and started to impose heavy fines for the inconvenience to customers. It would seem it is cheaper for the banks to pay out compensation rather than pay good staff to do the job properly.

This may well not be down to Santander. Banks do not produce their own cards. They are all produced by a couple of companies, who produce for all the card providers.
These are then sent out either via post or courier depending on where you live and the risk factor involved.

So more than likely your card is sat either in a post office/courier sack somewhere.

Ring santander back. Would say ask for the cards team and find out how the card has been sent. If its a courier they will be able to track it.
As we all know couriers are well know for saying calling card left, but never did.
In the case of cards sent out after so many days they are sent back and destroyed....

Perhaps this could explain the issue in the 1st place. So get them to double check you address.

Geriatric

New card arrived today by post.Exactly same number as previous but three years further on and different security number.
The covering document appeared to have no date, but stated once you use your new card the old one will not work.
This does not tie in with previous advice that as a new card had been ordered the old one had been voided.
I am still awaiting an explanation from Santander as to what actually happened and the time scale of events.

Geriatric

Received a telephone call from an assistant at Ana Botin's office.
He had gone into the problem in detail and stated that as I had made a large transaction security has been looking at my account and through human error had cancelled my card. (dalerider was 100% on this point)
He confirmed my current card should have been valid until the new one was received. He made all the right noises and I accepted the £75 offered to close this matter.
Some aspects of the Bank work very well but when things go wrong too many individuals seem to know little about how the systems work.