Santander Additional Cardholder Warning

SuperHan

I have an additional cardholder on my Santander 123 account.

I moved house about 3 years ago, and at the time rang Santander to change my address. Since then, I have ordered a contactless card for myself and had that delivered without any issues.

We noticed this week that the additional cardholder card had expired, and we had not received a replacement.

I rang to question this, and was told a card had been sent out to my partner's address. We live together, and have for 6 years, but apparently when I rang to update my address, it didn't update my partner's address (and they didn't question this when I updated the address!).

So they've been sending correspondence for my partner, and his new card to an old address. They wouldn't tell me which address, just that it was a previous one. To change it, they advised my partner go in to branch to update the address. Given that this is MY credit card and is wholly my liability, I wasn't particularly happy that I couldn't change the address.

After a bit of pushing, they said if I went in to branch with my partner's card, they should be able to update the address on my say so.

But just to note - if you have an additional Santander card holder, they are treated as two separate relationships with the bank with one bill, rather than the normal one relationship with the primary card holder as I have seen with the other banks we "share" accounts on.

jonesMUFCforever

I think you are right and they are wrong.
Complain - you as principal cardholder should get the principal card plus the additional cardholder's card posted to you.

SuperHan

After going in to branch, again being told that I cannot change the address, I've spoken to the complaints line, who once again have explained that I can't change the address on record for another person (I don't want to do that, I want to change the address where my additional card on my account is going), they're going to ring me back within an hour to register my complaint.

The website says multiple times that additional cardholders must live at the same address as the main account holder, the T&Cs state that the main account holder is responsible for updating the bank with a change of their address and a change of either their or an additional cardholders name. There is no mention of changing an additional cardholder's address.

They're insisting that my OH - who has no banking relationship with Santander other than being an additional card holder - goes in to branch with ID to change the details.

I'm standing firm, I've removed him as an additional cardholder and if I ring back within 24 hours they will add him again and then he will be registered at my/our address by virtue that I can't get the card sent anywhere else. Just to highlight the idiocy of the whole situation.

SuperHan

The resolution £30 compensation and an apology. Although I wasn't after the compensation, and given that I got a remedy in a roundabout sort of way, I'm happy enough.

I do wish I had the time to pursue it further though, as the whole system just seems ridiculous. But I suppose that's why Santander rank as they do for customer service!

Xstyle

I did a credit score rating check, and noticed that Santander had the accounts registered as our previous address! Which is bizarre, as when we opened the accounts, we were living in our present address.

Over the phone, they confirmed that the account address was the present one, and the correspondence address was the old one. They hadn't tied up both together. Seems a bit silly and archaic.