Santander incompetence

kizkiz

Ok, so I know they are not exactly the best run bank, but this is just ridiculous.
I have owned my house for just over 6 years.
Every company that sent letters to the previous owner eventually stopped after letters were returned as not known at this address.....except for Santander.
They have continued to send post ever since.
I have no means of contacting the previous owner.


This morning I was opening my post and accidentally opened a totally unmarked envelope without realising it was addressed to the previous owner. Of course it was Santander. They have sent the log in details and password for her online banking!
Obviously I will destroy them and not be stealing any money, but talk about incompetence. They have been informed dozens of times that she does not reside here.
I have contacted them yet again, but do not hold out much hope of them understanding.
Anyone got any ideas for making them change the address?

SuperAllyB

Very tongue-in-cheek reply here, but I bet if you used the information to move the previous owners money into one of your accounts for temporary safe-keeping they wouldn't take long to get in touch!

alanq

Contact The Information Commissioner's Office for advice?

"If you have a concern about an organisation's information rights practices, report it to us.
Need help? Call our helpline on 0303 123 1113. "
https://ico.org.uk/concerns/

CAPTAINBLONDECHICK

I was on the other end of this situation about 10 years ago. I moved and advised Santander my new address. About 6 months later my debit card was declined in a supermarket - rang Santander and they said it was because they had had mail returned to them by the Post Office saying I wasn't at the address...my old address. I told them that I had given them notice of my new address and that I had been receiving statements etc. fine. He was able to tell me that they had applied the change to one account but not all of them. I complained and got £125 out of them

colsten

To stay with the theme introduced by the OP: it's a bit incompetent to open mail that is not addressed to yourself. It's not very competent to wait 6 years before you feel the need to complain, and it's not very competent to think complaining on MSE will stop the incorrectly addressed mail. It would be more competent to complain with Santander, and you could have done so 6 years ago. And you still can.

colsten

CAPTAINBLONDECHICK wrote: »

I complained and got £125 out of them

Now that is competent!

kizkiz

colsten wrote: »

To stay with the theme introduced by the OP: it's a bit incompetent to open mail that is not addressed to yourself. It's not very competent to wait 6 years before you feel the need to complain, and it's not very competent to think complaining on MSE will stop the incorrectly addressed mail. It would be more competent to complain with Santander, and you could have done so 6 years ago. And you still can.

Thanks for taking the time to actually read my op
If you had done so, you would see that every one of your concerns has already been addressed before you posted
To summarise for you
1. Opening was an accident
2. I didn't wait 6 years to complain
3.I have complained to Santander...multiple times...including today


Hope that helps

colsten

No offence, but you don't know how to complain as no [STRIKE]competent[/STRIKE] effective complaint drags on unresolved for 6 years. For starters, you can escalate any complaint that has not been resolved to your satisfaction within 8 weeks to the FOS. I know the FOS isn't fast but they wouldn't take 6 years.

More effective than the FOS, however, is often to escalate the complaint within the company - if necessary with the CEO. Again, it would never take 6 years to get a resolution. More like 6 days if you involve the CEO.

pmduk

colsten wrote: »

it's a bit incompetent to open mail that is not addressed to yourself. It would be more competent to complain with Santander, and you could have done so 6 years ago. And you still can.

To be fair, I open everything that comes through my door as I live here on my own and tend not to check the addressee details.

A a non-customer do you have any right to complain?

kizkiz

colsten wrote: »

No offence, but you don't know how to complain as no [STRIKE]competent[/STRIKE] effective complaint drags on unresolved for 6 years. For starters, you can escalate any complaint that has not been resolved to your satisfaction within 8 weeks to the FOS. I know the FOS isn't fast but they wouldn't take 6 years.

More effective than the FOS, however, is often to escalate the complaint within the company - if necessary with the CEO. Again, it would never take 6 years to get a resolution. More like 6 days if you involve the CEO.

They send me post. I send it back
Every so often I complain and it stops for a few months
Not something I'm so concerned about that I am going to the CEO or totally wasting my life....of course, if it happens again now I may well do so!
They have called me back and once again promised not to send me anything. I shall see how long it lasts this time

Uxb

pmduk wrote: »

To be fair, I open everything that comes through my door as I live here on my own and tend not to check the addressee details.

Exactly my situation and I do exactly as you
I don't even look at the envelope.