Santander free forever bank account changes

amyfairweather

So, it would appear from reports on the Facebook group that the complaints department have been totally overwhelmed by this and the staff are sick of it, hence curt replies.

Also, complaints are now going in to complain about the slow response to the complaints and attitude of staff.  

That's quite some response if they really have been overwhelmed to that extent.

Zara2025

I've had my account for more than 20 years, back when it was Alliance and Leicester, and I received no notice about these changes until receiving a letter 3 weeks ago. I had logged in early July and saw a notice come up about needing to provide extra personal details, but I believe we were supposed to have 60 days to complete these, so just continued into my account as normal.

Despite I didn't have 60 days warning, they blocked my account for not verifying myself. Between that and the upcoming charges, I called them up and asked them to close my account. It took one hour on the phone, being passed to 5 different people, each one telling me that the person I was being forwarded onto was the person who could help me. Ultimately the block on the account had to be removed by somebody in the back office before they could proceed, but just a few days ago my account is now closed for good. I would have continued with it, had they not tried to force all these changes (and charges).

solidpro

Things seem to have changed slightly. They have stopped sending out final responses to complaints - perhaps temporarily. Maybe because they're overwhelmed, maybe because they're changing or pausing their position. Maybe it's just the system unable to cope. Maybe they've realised each final response immediately creates an FSO complaint which costs them time, money and reputation.

I'm now aware of three MPs which have raised this matter with Santander who are trying to be favoured in the TSB takeover and currently being challenged everywhere about going back on their word, on a contract with small businesses and therefore being untrustworthy. 

What a silly position to get yourself in. My guess is that some bright spark set up this chain of events in 2015 when they tried to be shifty and change the terms without telling anyone or responding to those which queried their changes, who has likely left the company and this little hangover has detonated whilst people are asleep at the wheel *or* another bright spark with little real world experience or that of recent history just decided 'it would be done' and hopefully will get a lesson in life.

Only if and when the FSO shuts down all the complaints and agrees with Santander will I close my accounts, but if that happens, maybe they'll get that month or two out of me but they will lose the annual interest they gain on a fair selection of balances in a variety of accounts which they pay me naff all in interest, my childrens accounts and various credit cards, along with another business bank account I have with them which I already pay a monthly fee for.

flickadee001

Zara2025 said:

I've had my account for more than 20 years, back when it was Alliance and Leicester, and I received no notice about these changes until receiving a letter 3 weeks ago. I had logged in early July and saw a notice come up about needing to provide extra personal details, but I believe we were supposed to have 60 days to complete these, so just continued into my account as normal.

Despite I didn't have 60 days warning, they blocked my account for not verifying myself. Between that and the upcoming charges, I called them up and asked them to close my account. It took one hour on the phone, being passed to 5 different people, each one telling me that the person I was being forwarded onto was the person who could help me. Ultimately the block on the account had to be removed by somebody in the back office before they could proceed, but just a few days ago my account is now closed for good. I would have continued with it, had they not tried to force all these changes (and charges).

I’ve had the same thing happen too – and it’s been a nightmare.

I’ve been with them for over 20 years, and after these letters went out to long-standing “Free Forever” business customers, I decided to close 2 of my 3 accounts out of sheer frustration – my Business Reserve Account and Everyday Personal Account. I left my main Business Account open just to see what would happen with all the backlash.

The customer service was beyond bad – after 30 minutes on the phone I genuinely wondered if the rep was asleep… or drunk. I made it crystal clear that my main Business Account should stay untouched, but somehow she managed to cancel my business debit card without my consent.

I only discovered it when it vanished from Apple Pay and got declined everywhere. That left me completely unable to pay for things online, in shops, or via Apple Pay – all because of their mistake.

I complained 2 weeks ago, and a week later got a one-liner saying: “We will arrange for a senior complaints manager to contact you at their earliest opportunity.” I replied again to say how unacceptable it was… and still no response.

Honestly, I never had a single issue in 20 years until now. Since these letters, Santander seems to have completely fallen apart.

I've never had this before, so not sure my next steps on just getting this resolved?
I now do have a new card, but surely with a complaint and the inconvenience this was really out of order.

Do I reply again to the email complaint acknowledgement?

All this, ontop of Santander wanting to charge me for my Business Acc! 
Seriously thinking of moving now, regardless..

Section62

flickadee001 said:

...

I've never had this before, so not sure my next steps on just getting this resolved?
I now do have a new card, but surely with a complaint and the inconvenience this was really out of order.

Do I reply again to the email complaint acknowledgement?

All this, ontop of Santander wanting to charge me for my Business Acc! 
Seriously thinking of moving now, regardless..

If Santander are treating this as a complaint then they have up to 8 weeks to investigate and reply to you.  If they don't then after the 8 weeks is up you can go direct to FOS.

As the complaint is resolved - in the sense you now have a working card again - I personally would sit tight and wait for Santander to get back to you.  You could include in your complaint that you were promised they would get back to you "at their earliest opportunity" and that has now been at least two weeks... the longer your wait for their "earliest opportunity" then the stronger your cause for complaint.

Santander should be offering some kind of goodwill payment for the time and trouble/inconvenience this has caused by cancelling your card in error.  They should also offer some kind of explanation how this happened, and assurance the same error won't happen again.

Personally I wouldn't close the business account.  It isn't a foregone conclusion that Santander will start charging, but those who do close their accounts will definitely lose their Santander free business banking for good, with zero comeback on Santander.  The more account holders who close their free accounts, the better it is for Santander.

flickadee001

Personally I wouldn't close the business account.  It isn't a foregone conclusion that Santander will start charging, but those who do close their accounts will definitely lose their Santander free business banking for good, with zero comeback on Santander.  The more account holders who close their free accounts, the better it is for Santander.

Thank you for a great answer on my complaint..

I don't want to close my account at all, so left this open.. and think that they may 'possibly' reverse this stupid decision, but on the other hand, with pointless Customer service agents, telling me that yes it will go ahead - i dont want to be charged for my account.

So as long as i keep it until Oct 1st or just before, based on any reversal decision, I'll then weigh up how this whole debarcle is going!

solidpro

flickadee001 said:

I’ve had the same thing happen too – and it’s been a nightmare.

I’ve been with them for over 20 years, and after these letters went out to long-standing “Free Forever” business customers, I decided to close 2 of my 3 accounts out of sheer frustration – my Business Reserve Account and Everyday Personal Account. I left my main Business Account open just to see what would happen with all the backlash.

The customer service was beyond bad – after 30 minutes on the phone I genuinely wondered if the rep was asleep… or drunk. I made it crystal clear that my main Business Account should stay untouched, but somehow she managed to cancel my business debit card without my consent.

I have printed out all the forms to cancel various accounts including my business reserve account, but am holding off submitting them because I too have the expectation that by accident or by design they'll mess up cancelling the right accounts and overlap with some of the stuff I do not want yet cancelled.

ely_ellis

I have also been with Santander over 20 years with the 'Free Forever' account.
I was also unaware they had tried this in 2012 and have never noticed the right of free banking had been removed.
I will hang on until the last minute to see if the decision is reversed but if it hasn't by the end of September I will close not only my 'free forever' business banking account but also all of my savings and current accounts which I hold with Santander.
Reason for waiting is that if the decision is reversed and I have already closed the account, there will be no way back as they would probably refuse to re-instated the old account.
Maybe this is what they are hoping for. They could reverse their descision after most have jumped ship, this way they appear compliant and yet there will be very few left with a free account.
There are a number of other 'free' business accounts available so to be honest, I don't know why I am bothering with them at all. If they reverse their decision, who knows what they will do next anyway!
They won't just be loosing Business customers, but hopefull they will loose all other accounts that business customers have in addition.

amyfairweather

solidpro said:

Things seem to have changed slightly. They have stopped sending out final responses to complaints - perhaps temporarily. Maybe because they're overwhelmed, maybe because they're changing or pausing their position. Maybe it's just the system unable to cope. Maybe they've realised each final response immediately creates an FSO complaint which costs them time, money and reputation.

I'm now aware of three MPs which have raised this matter with Santander who are trying to be favoured in the TSB takeover and currently being challenged everywhere about going back on their word, on a contract with small businesses and therefore being untrustworthy. 

What a silly position to get yourself in. My guess is that some bright spark set up this chain of events in 2015 when they tried to be shifty and change the terms without telling anyone or responding to those which queried their changes, who has likely left the company and this little hangover has detonated whilst people are asleep at the wheel *or* another bright spark with little real world experience or that of recent history just decided 'it would be done' and hopefully will get a lesson in life.

Only if and when the FSO shuts down all the complaints and agrees with Santander will I close my accounts, but if that happens, maybe they'll get that month or two out of me but they will lose the annual interest they gain on a fair selection of balances in a variety of accounts which they pay me naff all in interest, my childrens accounts and various credit cards, along with another business bank account I have with them which I already pay a monthly fee for.

solidpro, how do you know they've stopped sending out letters?

To those thinking of closing / suggesting closing accounts, the reason to stay despite the mistreatment by Santander, is that nowhere else are you going to find a 'free forever' account.  They might be free now, but at some point very soon you'll be back in the same boat.  Best to fight it until the end and then move if necessary than give up without a fight.

solidpro

amyfairweather said:

solidpro, how do you know they've stopped sending out letters?

Several people sharing this-week written responses on facebook are all saying that they are just receiving a placeholder letter now with no reference and a promise of a further response. If anyone else actually received a 'new' (as in not dated 3 weeks ago) final response this week, that would be the first I've seen.

Before these were being reported in the last few days, nobody had reported such a place holder letter and everyone was receiving the same cut-and-paste 3 options response on the basis of their untruths that they do not offer business banking and we all agreed to new 2015 terms.

Those in this 'placeholder letter' situation are now having to follow up with a phone call to get their reference number before going to FSO.