Santander bank student account 2012/2013: We want your feedback

Chunky_Monkey_5 · 7 September 2012 at 9:09PM

Opened a student account with Santander in May. My initial experiences were great- overdraft increased to £1000 as soon as I paid in £500 (although I was told I would get £1500) and I got the free £50 in July. However, last month I received two letters saying my overdraft would be reduced back down to £250 on September 1st but neither letter gave a reason. I rang and the guy on the phone, although very pleasant, had no idea why I had been sent these letters and when I went into the branch I was told 'don't worry those letters were sent by mistake, your overdraft will be fine'. The guy seemed very sure, so I didn't worry.

My landlord, yesterday, asked about my rent and I said very confidently 'it will have been transferred today' but decided to check my account just in case...lo and behold my overdraft has indeed been reduced therefore no rent paid >:( I rang Santander straight away and mid sentence was interrupted and told 'don't worry, that correspondance was a mistake' but was silent when I explained actually my overdraft has disappeared. Have now appealed (in-branch as couldn't do over the phone) and waiting to hear.

Am a bit worried after reading the stories on this thread

Boo_bear_2 · 10 September 2012 at 2:44PM

Having struggled with Santander for weeks now, initially upgrading a current account to a student account and applying the £250 overdraft (this took 13 days) and now still waiting for the updgrade of overdraft after depositing £500 (so far 10 days), my daughter has bitten the bullet and opened a student account with Halifax.

The online appplication was very quick - no more than 15 minutes. They sent out a letter which she received 3 days later, asking her to take identification into the branch. She did this today and the account is now up and running with a £1000 overdraft facility (the amount she requested) and her card and log on details will be with us within 5-7 working days. They even gave her a copy of her account number and sort code, so she can inform Student Finance of the changes. Vote with your feet and go elsewhere

Riog · 11 September 2012 at 6:09PM

After 24 days had another email they had lost the id i sent them over 2 weeks earlier enough was enough , we opened a HSBC account.
Santander simply the worst as most reviews on the internet clearly shows.

the_eternal_optimist · 12 September 2012 at 10:22AM

Opened new student account on-line for daughter. Asked for ID to be posted so instead went into branch as thought would be quicker. There are 2 branches in our town, and advise in first was to post it direct since if sent through heir postnetwork may take ages and no appointment available for few days as people on holiday...... tried the other branch and very helpful staff and was served immediately. Used the previous online application data and opened account within 10 minutes. Cards etc arived within 5 days so quick and no problem at all. Conclusion, very patchy support and knowledge from staff but if lucky and have good local branch, like we did, very good service....And like everything in life don't take no for an answer if don't get what you want first time !!

icklepeachybear · 14 October 2012 at 8:00PM

Unfortunately their not as grand as they like to make out......I've just closed my student account after 1 year of having one nightmare after the next & intend to shut all other accounts down too asap

yevsk · 16 October 2012 at 10:28AM

My experience:

I went into a Santander branch in August to open one of these accounts. They had the £50 reward advertised everywhere in the branch, but after I had finished with the customer adviser, right after I had finished signing up, she said "oh, and the £50 reward doesn't apply to you because you have a savings account with us". Wow.

Also, I was assured by the customer adviser when I was signing up for the account that the full £1500 overdraft would become available after the first £500 was paid into my account. I asked her explicitly about this, and that is what she told me. I asked her again as I was leaving, just to make sure, and she said the same thing again.

However, after paying £2000 into the account, the overdraft amount remained £0 for two weeks. I had to go to the branch, and it was like I was signing up for the account again. I had to give all my ID and information, and I was told by the customer adviser that she would submit an application for the £1500 overdraft to the underwriters. I was very annoyed by this stage. I was told repeatedly that the only condition regarding the overdraft was that I paid in £500 per term.

A week later I was given an overdraft. But it is £500, not £1500. And it cannot be my credit score that is to blame for this, because I checked it earlier this year and it is "good".

My advice would be that nobody should open an account with Santander. They lie to people to get them to open an account, but once you have signed your name they will treat you like dirt.

It is ridiculous that Santander are allowed to advertise a student account with a certain level of overdraft and £50 reward for signing up, then once you've opened the account decide not to give you either.

How they get away with this is beyond me.

clickjanet · 19 October 2012 at 2:04PM

Hi All,

My daughter upgraded her current account to a student account back in August. She was told by her local branch that she would have an immediate £250 overdraft which would go up to £1500 after first £500 would be paid into the account.

I have now had her in tears on the phone for the last week telling me that no overdraft had been set up at all.

As a new student (we are not financially well off) she went and bought things to decorate her room to make it feel more homely and not knowing that she did not have the overdraft, spent money
from her student loan.

Well, situation now is she does not have the rent to cover 1st quarter, lkis crying constantly on the phone and to top it all off,
she keeps going into Leeds branch (Leeds Uni) who are simply incapable to set it up. They have now for a week, 1st forgot to send the paperwork, then was told she'd receive a text Wed, which did not happen and today receives a text to say all now set up, but I told her to check the account 1st.

Low and behold, no overdraft set up.

I do not know what else to do. I simply do not have the cash to bail her out.

So, she has had the worst experience ever.

clickjanet · 19 October 2012 at 2:08PM

Exactly the same thing has happened to my daughter.

They are to thick to sort it out.

I am so angry!!!!!:mad:

yevsk · 21 October 2012 at 5:05PM

I've spoken to several other people who have had a similar experience with these accounts. Not one person I've spoken to so far has had the £1500 overdraft applied to their account when their Student Loans Company payments have gone in despite being assured that this would happen when signing up.

Everyone has had the same experience of having to go into a branch to apply for the overdraft then having to wait weeks, and not one has had the full £1500 applied. One girl has been given only £500 and is now in serious financial difficulty because she was relying on this overdraft due to a huge rent deposit for her student accommodation.

Absolute disgrace. Maybe Santander should stop paying sports stars millions to appear in their TV adverts and invest some money in sorting out their systems and training their staff for the benefit of their customers.

grumpyx · 16 January 2013 at 12:23PM

Things you need to know. My son upgraded his current account to a student one and as many have found there was no promised overdraft. Also as many have found when he contacted Santander he was told to go to the branch. When he went to the branch he was told to phone the student support. Eventually he phoned from a branch and the student support said he had to go to a branch. I got the branch to speak to the student support and after several minutes of argument the branch accepted responsibility. The branch made some changes but not fully solving the problems.
What I learnt is that Santander’s process for upgrading account is flawed and does not work and ends up with the wrong sort code. No part of Santander will take ownership. Santander is so arrogant that they will not investigate their none working processes.
The best advice is forget all the Santander helplines/branches/emails as they will just say it is someone else’s responsibility and instead write a complaint requesting a written reply and keep notes and keep chasing as they will try and ignore the problem. After 3 months Santander fixed some of the problems and put £80 in my sons account. I would have asked for more.

Santander bank student account 2012/2013: We want your feedback

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