Elderly housebound dad can't get to the bank - need some advice

BM29

Hi just in the process of switching to Santander if you want low hassle and good helpful staff DO NOT use this bank. for a start off it is very complicated to use and if you are not computer literate at the earlier level then the online account is no use to you
if you put in the wrong codes by mistake 3 times in a row then you are locked out and it takes 9- 10 working days for them to send you new ones. We are not stopping with this bank.

colsten

BM29 wrote: »

Hi just in the process of switching to Santander if you want low hassle and good helpful staff DO NOT use this bank. for a start off it is very complicated to use and if you are not computer literate at the earlier level then the online account is no use to you
if you put in the wrong codes by mistake 3 times in a row then you are locked out and it takes 9- 10 working days for them to send you new ones. We are not stopping with this bank.

If you are not computer literate you will have problems with all online banking. Getting locked out after several unsuccessful log-in attempts is a feature of most good systems, let alone online banking.

It looks as if the problem here is yourself, not the bank.

Good luck with your travels.

Smithy2

Hi, thank you for all of your replies and suggestions, you've given me a lot of good ideas!


There are definitely a few avenues for me to go down to try to help them.


Thank you also for your understanding, yes I do think it is ridiculous to expect a terminally ill man to attend the bank when he can only just about manage to walk to the toilet!


Thank you once again for all your help, I really appreciate you taking the time to give me some advice

Smithy2

billbennett wrote: »

+1 for switching to a bank like First Direct.

Alternatively, call Santander's dedicated "Customer Diversity Support Team" on 0845 972 4724 for advice.

Thank you for this, I will give them a call today!

Vortigern

Smithy2 wrote: »

Thank you also for your understanding, yes I do think it is ridiculous to expect a terminally ill man to attend the bank when he can only just about manage to walk to the toilet!

It's an awful position for you all to be and you have my sympathy.

I was able to open a Joint Santander 123 current account for my in-laws using a Lasting Power of Attorney. Neither of them needed to visit the branch. I had to take ID both for them and for myself. Santander do not issue a debit card on POA accounts. That's not an issue for me as I do all their banking online.

However (and I apologise for being rather blunt here) I wonder why somebody who is terminally ill and frail would want a joint account? I recognise that when the inevitable happens, the cash in the account will pass automatically to the survivor with no need for probate and no need for the bank to freeze the account, but isn't there an easier way to achieve this?

In similar circumstances I would help the mother to open an account in her sole name, transfer funds from the father's account to the mother's, and move all the essential DDs to the new account.

Father could keep sufficient cash in his account to meet any bequests he may have made to people other than his wife, or otherwise just transfer all funds to the mother.

I hope this helps.

DigForVictory

The good advice has been given.

Just a post to wish you all the best of luck in the coming times.

Oh & a wry language lesson: "santander" can be translated as Spanish for "incompetent"...

dr_adidas01

DigForVictory wrote: »

The good advice has been given.

Just a post to wish you all the best of luck in the coming times.

Oh & a wry language lesson: "santander" can be translated as Spanish for "incompetent"...

Actually that's where you are wrong (Santander) is not a Spanish word for for incompetent at all. Incompetente is the Spanish word for incompetent!! Double checking with spanish friends they agree that Santander is not a word used to describe anything as incompetent be it human or animal!!

So where have you come up with this wry language lesson from?

Santander is a port in the bay of Biscay, just north of Madrid where Santander bank was founded!!

Archi_Bald

DigForVictory wrote: »

Oh & a wry language lesson: "santander" can be translated as Spanish for "incompetent"...

zzzzzzzzzzzz

Come out of your timewarp, Santander are, bottom line, no worse than any other UK bank. Santander bashing is no longer hip.

They are now offering one of the most popular current accounts, with 3 times as many people choosing to switch to them as switch to their next nearest rival.