Santander 123 cc non existent 2nd cardholder - Bad customer service

chrisg67

I am completely amazed at how bad the customer "service" at Santander is. The in branch staff are fine, but cannot do certain things.

I couldn't add my partner as a second cardholder to my c/c in branch unless she was there with me, "so they could verify that she is a real person", I had to phone up after my card arrived and provide the information to them.

She has a name that requires spelling out, so I used the phonetic alphabet to spell her names out to the representative.

When I finally received the PIN advice letter (no card yet) it came addressed to a different name (some but not all of the letters were the same). The card has not arrived yet!

I tried googling for that name (basically most peoples names should show up on google results nowadays) and there were no results.

So it seems that Santander have issued a second credit card on my account for a person that does not exist.

I consider this to be: -

a) Appalling customer service
b) Appalling security
c) Appalling

They have 1 chance to fix this without me going through their customer service helpline or I will be cancelling the c/c and possibly my 123 current account, but my 123 ISA might have to stay with them until April 2015 - unless I can transfer mid term?

[Deleted User]

chrisg67 wrote: »

I am completely amazed at how bad the customer "service" at Santander is.

You shouldn't be. It's been one of their brand values for years now.

d70cw6

clearly your wife is at fault for not having a standard name - what was she thinking?!

noh

It doesn't really matter what name is on the second card or whether it is spelt incorrectly you as the primary card holder are the one who pays the bill. I don't even think that any ID checks are done for additional card holders.

forgotmyname

Most people's names will come up as they have accounts online with face book etc.

My name doesnt come up on a google search but that didnt stop someone in the US buying the domain (myname.com and .co.uk)

I always registerd on facebook and google with fake names. Google have banned me 3 times now for not proving my ID. I just create a new one.
And they are always silly ones nothing like a real name.

chrisg67

d70cw6 wrote: »

clearly your wife is at fault for not having a standard name - what was she thinking?!

yep, how difficult is it to spell Claire? - certainly not C L A R K E - eejits

*Diva*

ring credit card services get it sorted!
then log a complain over the telephone and express you dissatisfaction. the costs of calls to a 0845 number the times you have had to wait.
the taxi/bus costs of going to a branch and the times you have waited and you should be approx 40quid better off when you get off the phone!

chrisg67

Thank you for all your replies. I managed to get a revised credit card but the letter was addressed to the wrong name again. Once we tried to activate this card my partner was told that when didn't know her own birthday - I'm pretty sure that this information was deliberately entered incorrectly by the operative when I first called to register the second card holder.

They then started a persistent campaign of ringing me and leaving messages for me to call them back (my phone does not ring if number is withheld). When I rang back the person dealing with my complaint was not there - so I told the person who answered that if it was about my complaint not to ring me back.

They rang me back and I eventually rang back and spoke to the operative - who explained that they were dealing with my complaint yada yada yada and offered me £40 for the inconvenience and asked if that was acceptable. I said no, they still credited my account with £40.

It was after this we received the new CC with correct name, but unable to activate it - as my partner does most of the weekly spend this CC is completely useless to me without a second card holder.

I am now closing my 123 CC, and had to go through a bunch of other menus etc. Finally got to an operative who among the security questions asked me if I could confirm the name of the second card holder on the account! I said that I couldn't as this was the reason I'm closing the account.

As their customer service is so poor I'm also closing my 123 Current Account and when the term on my ISA is up I will also close that.

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