Santander

wescottdebt

Hello I have an issue that has been going on for well over a year now.

I had a bank account with Santader and it was almost never used by me if ever as I was not in the country(studying) for until 2012(August). Now Since I returned I had a letter(around August 2012) from some debt agency claiming I owed around £250~ to Santander which I knew nothing about as I had not been in the country so I asked them for proof of transications and what not and they never replied.

Fast forward to around March 2013 and I started recieinvgletters from wescot claiming I owe £482.06, firstly it strikes me odd that two debt companies have such different numbers but you know. I have asked them for proof twice now! and they never send it and keep sending me letters telling me final notice and that I need to pay, they keep ringing my house and mobile phone bugging me about it when all I want is proof.

Now I have been in and out of the country since than and I am now back living in the UK after a long spell away studying, I have tried to sort this issue out a hundred times and nothing.

I have had many Debt collector letters stacked up and I believe Santander sent 5 after me for this debt that I do not even owe, I told them every time that there was fraudulent activity on my account and I was not even in the country and they always give m e some excuse and tell me there is nothing they can do as that account is now closed and they opened a new one (Instant Plus) without telling me but they won't even send me a card for my new account.

So now I have money in my instant plus account that I can not access and I am back to living in the UK and will be starting a job soon but I have no bank to go to and this "debt" that santader keep sending collectors after me that must have ruined my Credit score so I have no idea what to do in terms of banking?

Also what can I do about the debt? I don't know how many times I can ask santadner to look into the issue, I have been telling them since I first saw the letter till now which has been two years now and nothing and in that time 5 Debt collectors with empty threats.

Any help is greatly greatly appreciated

judi24

Just a thought - but was the Santander account one of the ones that you need to pay a minimum into each month? I had an account with them that i wasnt using - they began to charge me a fee for haveing the account but not using it - the charges led to me going overdrawn which led to overdraught charges and before I knew it I was £250 in debt!!! I complained and they refunded me and I closed the account - but it didnt take long for the £250 to build up with me being unaware!!! but if they wont give you proof or explain the transactions on the account it is difficult to know of this is what has happened to you - the timing for you is arround the same time that I had this issue

wescottdebt

judi24 wrote: »

Just a thought - but was the Santander account one of the ones that you need to pay a minimum into each month? I had an account with them that i wasnt using - they began to charge me a fee for haveing the account but not using it - the charges led to me going overdrawn which led to overdraught charges and before I knew it I was £250 in debt!!! I complained and they refunded me and I closed the account - but it didnt take long for the £250 to build up with me being unaware!!! but if they wont give you proof or explain the transactions on the account it is difficult to know of this is what has happened to you - the timing for you is arround the same time that I had this issue

No I don't believe it was, Santander sent me some transactions and it showed money spent which went into over-draft but it was very random transactions when I was not even in the country, by the time I saw the first letter in the UK it was too late to have reported something as the debt collection agencies where already on me

Dobbibill

Hi Wescottdebt,

How far away is your nearest Santander branch. Can you go into the branch with ID and request copies of your last 3 statement? This way you will see what has caused this, when it was caused and take appropriate action.

Also have you had a look at your credit report to see what damage has been done? You can check free via noddle.

I would also look at getting a different bank account for your wages from your new job, even if it's only a basic account if your credit report is that badly damaged. At least you will have a card and access to your wages.

Just a few ideas, I hope it helps and good luck sorting out the confusion.

DB

wescottdebt

Dobbibill wrote: »

Hi Wescottdebt,

How far away is your nearest Santander branch. Can you go into the branch with ID and request copies of your last 3 statement? This way you will see what has caused this, when it was caused and take appropriate action.

Also have you had a look at your credit report to see what damage has been done? You can check free via noddle.

I would also look at getting a different bank account for your wages from your new job, even if it's only a basic account if your credit report is that badly damaged. At least you will have a card and access to your wages.

Just a few ideas, I hope it helps and good luck sorting out the confusion.

DB

There is a branch very close to me but the account(with "overdraft") was closed down they have said for a long time,and they opened a new account which is a totally different number and it was an instant plus account which Santander apparently don't do anymore but I still get statements from that account.

They seemed to have closed the account once they passed the debt onto debt collection agencies and made a new account all whilst I was not in the country and without telling me they created a new account for me.


Also what bank would you recommenced for a basic account (can I use a basic account online as well)?( would yo recommended Barclays Cash card account ) Also would using a non credit card account boost my credit rating at all or should I focus on getting some money into my account than going for a low credit score rating card later on? I am 22 right now so I have no need for a credit card yet

I can't check my credit score as I don't have an active card anymore and Santander won't send me one, is there anyway to check your credit score without an active card?

Horseunderwater

You can use Noddle to get a credit check.
U can request what is called a subject access report re the two accounts with Santander. It should cost £10 may be £20 as 2 accounts. Ask for everything they hold on both, so that's statements & all letters for the times you were away.

wescottdebt

Horseunderwater wrote: »

You can use Noddle to get a credit check.
U can request what is called a subject access report re the two accounts with Santander. It should cost £10 may be £20 as 2 accounts. Ask for everything they hold on both, so that's statements & all letters for the times you were away.

I can't seem to find anything from Noddle on that? Would I just need to enter my account number and sort codes etc? I only have the account number for my old account which is the account which had an "overdraft" on it, the new account has never been used and only has money in it from a refund I got via paysafecard.

Also would you recommended Natwest and Barclays for basic accounts with debit cards and no overdraft just to get my money into for work and to be able to buy online for the x-mas period?

happy_bunny_2

Give the FOS a ring.

I would assume that many of your attempts to get to the bottom of this with Santander would be classed as complaints.

http://www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk/consumer/complaints.htm

sam_in_leeds

Yep
I had that problem about 4 years ago.

Dormant Santander ex-A&L account.

I never used the account but forgot to close it, in the end they managed to shaft me for £300.

Allegedly because I didn't use the account they charged me a fiver, so then I was overdrawn and then more charges on overdraft charges and before I knew it I had their bloody collections department chasing me for £300 of money I didn't think I owed them

Went to bank branch and tried to complain on deaf ears.Tried complaining by email and never heard anything more from Santander. I moved house between accuring these "charges" and making my complaint but in the end they never tried to contact me by phone or email.

In the end I let them shaft me for £300 and closed the account and ran as quickly as I could in the opposite direction in order to preserve my credit rating

Guess it's too late now, was 4 years ago after all I've just written it off.

If there's any rep's from Santander on here feel free to PM me?

happy_bunny_2

sam_in_leeds wrote: »

Yep
I had that problem about 4 years ago.

Dormant Santander ex-A&L account.

I never used the account but forgot to close it, in the end they managed to shaft me for £300.

Allegedly because I didn't use the account they charged me a fiver, so then I was overdrawn and then more charges on overdraft charges and before I knew it I had their bloody collections department chasing me for £300 of money I didn't think I owed them

Went to bank branch and tried to complain on deaf ears.Tried complaining by email and never heard anything more from Santander. I moved house between accuring these "charges" and making my complaint but in the end they never tried to contact me by phone or email.

In the end I let them shaft me for £300 and closed the account and ran as quickly as I could in the opposite direction in order to preserve my credit rating

Guess it's too late now, was 4 years ago after all I've just written it off.

If there's any rep's from Santander on here feel free to PM me?

Not too late to complain

Presumably you have a 4 year old default?

Lose Nothing by complaining, other than a few stamps. It will cost them more. You can refer to FOS if they fob you off.

sam_in_leeds

Sadly I think it's to late for me now, it's now 4 years since i knew about it/complained about it so looks like I'm now out of time

Oh well, good luck to the OP tho and a warning to everyone else.

Avoid SANTANDER like the bloody plague