Santander Bank Alerts Not Guaranteed, Apparently . . . . . .

Simbad

Absolutely fuming with Santander.

Like many people I have text and email alerts set up on my bank accounts, for when your account goes below a certain amount or you go past your overdraft limit etc. This is to help you not incur bank's extortionate charges.

On Tuesday morning I got a text and email saying I had gone past my overdraft limit and to not incur a charge I needed to put money in my account by 4pm that day. Only problem was it said this had happened on Monday, a whole 24 hours before I received my alerts! So I quickly logged onto my online account, moved money around so I was no longer over my limit and then phoned the bank. I explained what had happened and wanted to check that I wouldn't incur any charges. I was told that Santander couldn't guarantee that alerts would be sent out on time, so I would be charged £6 for being over my limit for the day! I was !!!!ed!

Then last night I get an email from them saying because they let the money go out of my account to pay the 2 bills I will be charged £20! So £26 charge in total! So I phone the complaints department this morning. As I was explaining and told him the alerts were sent out 24 hours after the fact, the guy cut me off and repeats that the alerts are not guaranteed to be sent out 'on time'! I say nowhere on the alerts page on their site does it say alerts aren't guaranteed. It actually says their alerts are there to help people manage their money and to avoid charges. He said people shouldn't rely on alerts and that you are responsible for for managing your own account! I'm like, so you're saying people should check their bank accounts everyday? He's like, yep! So basically you are saying your alerts service doesn't work because it doesn't do what it advertises it does?! He then told me to stop putting words into his mouth cos that's not what he said! Needless to say we went back and forth and it got very heated! But in the end he said if I was still unhappy to take it up with the ombudsman.

*sigh*

pochisoldi

Santander cannot guarantee that a text message they have sent will be received at the customer's mobile device. This is why they make no guarantee.

Or put another way, Santander have no liability for:
* Failure of their SMS provider to pass on the message to your mobile service provider
* Failure of your mobile service provider to accept and forward the SMS
* Communications failure (short or long) between the mobile network and your phone (e.g. cell site down, weak signal)
* Failure of your phone to receive an SMS (e.g. "failed to logon the network", out of coverage, dead battery etc.

What you've been told is true, and the situation is no more different than being late leaving the house for work, and then complaining when a broken down bus causes the traffic to snarl up.

I wouldn't bother going down the ombudsman route, because it is unreasonable/impossible to expect Santander to implement a system which depends on infrastructure which doesn't belong to them, and is completely out of their control (namely, whichever mobile network their customer has selected, whatever mobile device their customer has chosen).

PochiSoldi

Simbad

Is that true for email alerts too?

So essentailly the alerts are pointless?!

wizzywig27

I can understand the comment regarding checking your account daily (I think with app based banking the majority will do this anyway), what I find frustrating is that when you check at say 10am, then the bank let a payment leave midday which leaves you over and dont get a text.

How often throughout the day are you expected to check?

glasgowm148

The fee's are unfair and extravagant (it's automated !!!!!!), but the banks unfortunately, make the rules so unless someone gives it to you back as a goodwill gesture I wouldn't be expecting it back

glasgowm148

vote with your pound. I'd go with this bank

https://i.itsosticky.com/1k02ue3.png

From speaking to their support staff if something like what you described in OP happened they most likely would've refunded the money. The big banks will continue to do this aslong as you let them get away with it.

AndyPK

I got a txt alert from them today. Within reasonable time

surreysaver

I normally find the alerts take quite a few hours to come through from Santander. I don't rely on the alerts to manage my account, though

KxMx

I find the emails hit and miss.

Supposed to get one weekly on Wednesdays for my balance, arrived on time this week but was Sunday when I got it last week.

Also had 3 so far telling me my statement is ready, I logged in and viewed after the first!

Sea_Shell

I can see why they cant guarantee the service (TP factors), but the fact that the messages can be delayed for so long does make them kinda pointless. They are not quite the useful tool that they make them out to be really.

I have a couple, but don't rely on them.

18cc

Texts are notoriously unreliable ...

I don't bank with Santander and don't have their mobile app but wondered if the app provides a facility for low balance alerts via notifications -
that is likely to be more reliable