Santander Once Again
- 20 March 2011 02:0697722Santander at their very best once again.
After their appalling customer service before XMAS - where they blocked my account because my son-in-law on the front line in Afghanistan had transferred money into my account to get his family Xmas presents - Flagged as FRAUD.
I am in the last moments of closing my account, other than my overdraft everything has been moved to my new bank.
I went into Santander on Friday to ask for my Overdraft to be reduced at £50 a month until it has been paid - not many months - but enough that I do not have the full amount to pay in one full lump - they told me I would have to phone - which I did from the bank - The person at the end of the phone after about 10/15 security questions then proceeds to tell me that my request has been rejected. I said I was asking for a reduction - not an increase - but the answer was the same and that I would have to go to my local branch and discuss it
Why was I directed to the phone if the decision was to do with the branch - why was my request for a REDUCTION declined - Is this Bank serious -
I am glad that I have transferred all my banking to another bank that is more focused on CUSTOMERS - I can't wait for the day I close the account and I bless the day that I was not kept on as permanent staff when Abbey purchased National & Provisional
In my opinion they are the worst bank in the world
No - 20 March 2011 04:3797724Totally agree, although there is a lot of competition for that title...............
- 20 March 2011 04:5997725Pity the actual town of Santander is quite nice.Marek
I think therefore I am (not a Tory supporter) - 20 March 2011 05:1197726Good Morning Marek! I suspect that was the reason the bank chose the name. It could have gone for Cuddly Fluffy Wuffy and it would still be s***!
- 20 March 2011 05:1897727Morning Bern
I suspect you're right.I have just been reading an article of how your name could effect the type of job one gets or does. 2 Professors from Belguim being paid vast amounts for stating bloody non proven 'facts'. I suppose the bank wouldn't be so popular if named The Skelmersdale or Scunthorpe Group.Marek
I think therefore I am (not a Tory supporter) - 20 March 2011 05:2697728That sounds a bit like the recent "research" that revealed that poor people die younger. Next we will be finding we have paid some people shedloads to discover that deaf people can't hear...................
- Keith Sansum1
- Location: london
- Registered: 25 Aug 2010
- Posts: 23,942
20 March 2011 08:0597734Sadly terrismark at lot of the banks are the same.
I'm with the HSBC (thats the ex midlan bank in old money lol)
let me tell you of two incidents i'v had of many,
1; was told by the banks own financial advisor upon opening a new account that it
would still be ok to use the old bank books about 5/6 months later a cheque
bounces, i get charged £28, off i toddle to the local branch explaining the advice
given by the financial geezer, sorry said the manager, i don't have the authority
to do anything about that, and i'm afraid you won't get a refund ion that.
Did she realy expect me to go away quietly? i got hold of the head office who
I have to say were very good, refunded the dosh but it does bring into
question the usefulness of the geezers in the local branch.
A little while the head office phones to ask if the service i got was good and a
number of other questions, i said wel my friend, the head office cannot be
faulted but i have a number of concerns on the local branch.
Well said the geezer im afraid the questions relate to the head office
dealing with your concerns, and were set questions.
I suggested he added some notes at the end on my concerns on the local
branch, but he reckoned he was unable to do so on this survey.
i gave up in the end.
2; A few days ago i went into the local branch where i go on a fairly regular
basis as one of there premier customers, talking to the geezer he said he
didnt know me, i said how long you been at branch? he said 7 months,
i said all the officials know of me and the account i hold and make it there
business to know me, that being good customer care for the bank
he appeared a bit bemused by that, but gave me a HSBC pen
so please this is just a small insight into another bank, they probably all much the same.ALL POSTS ARE MY OWN PERSONAL VIEWS - 20 March 2011 08:5697741When I go in the bank they say"Not him again lock the till up"
- Jan Higgins
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 5 Jul 2010
- Posts: 13,883
20 March 2011 09:2797746I believe the main problem with banks is that the local branch staff no longer have any real power and have to refer everything to higher officialdom.
Keith, I am with HSBC and have never had a problem., my story.
I made a complete hash of an internet purchase by filling the wrong address box as a result my HSBC credit card was frozen straight away. Called in the bank, I refused to sort it over the phone, and all was sorted within a few minutes. I nearly always get a greeting when I go in but being rather large I am not easily forgotten.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
I try to be neutral and polite but it is hard and getting even more difficult at times.
------------------------------------------------------------------- - Keith Sansum1
- Location: london
- Registered: 25 Aug 2010
- Posts: 23,942
20 March 2011 09:3897747JAN
Yes you are correct ref powers of local branch which i have explained above.
VIC
I thought people greet you lock up your daughters vics about lol ALL POSTS ARE MY OWN PERSONAL VIEWS - 20 March 2011 09:4997751Yes it was like that years ago But to old now,so it is "Lock up your Grandmother Vics about.
- Keith Sansum1
- Location: london
- Registered: 25 Aug 2010
- Posts: 23,942
20 March 2011 09:5697753VIC
I thought it was lock up your grannies, vic will have there handbag to buy the chips lol ALL POSTS ARE MY OWN PERSONAL VIEWS - 20 March 2011 10:3297758big businesses like banks seem to keep their staff in straitjackets nowadays and don't allow them to use their initiative.
very little focus on the customers as a result. - 20 March 2011 10:3997762I am with HSBC and have nothing but contempt for them, Jan, so it must be the luck of the draw and that isn't really good enough. I have little or no sympathy with the branch staff - they have a choice about how they behave even if their financial powers are limited and my experience is that they behave uniformly badly. There have been an isolated few who have been human, they are in a tiny minority and it is all very different to when my husband worked for banks an few years ago, He got out and changed direction entirely. I am glad.
- Keith Sansum1
- Location: london
- Registered: 25 Aug 2010
- Posts: 23,942
20 March 2011 10:4197763BERN
Looks like we share views the same
your comments are correct,
ALL POSTS ARE MY OWN PERSONAL VIEWS - 20 March 2011 13:5197789Well im with Nationwide and following my last thread about them being c**p i have again got problems with the muppets i now cant use my 3rd new card as im unknown to them or the verified by visa idoits so no online shopping for me again i have wrote them a lovely letter so in the end they will know me by first name!
- Alec Sheldon
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 18 Aug 2008
- Posts: 1,037
21 March 2011 00:2997893I was over 50 years with Abbey National as a saver and later had a mortage with them and could not fault them but as soon as Santander took over they went right down the pan. Luckily my mortgage was paid off years ago and I only have a few bob in a savings account earning next to no interest which I will be closing shortly. - 21 March 2011 07:3897896I bank with Natwest, I worked for them for over 24 years in London, my accounts are still there, but now in Dover not London and despite the balls-ups that RBS have made, I have never had a problem with anything I want to do account-wise; the staff are always very helpful and pleasant.
I'm happy to recommend them to anyone; having said that I'm sure there are people who could tell stories about them with a negative slant.
Roger - 21 March 2011 10:2497909bit like a restaurant roger, you can have a great meal tell friends about it.
they go along, the chef may be off sick and the stand in is no good. - 21 March 2011 10:3897913A lot of truth has been said here about bank service. Howard is of course quite right.
I currently use two banks for basic banking services and have direct experience of 3 of the big four clearing banks. Generally for the most basic banking services they are OK, specially when you can cut out going into the branches and use them on-line.
Anything more than the basic services and anything complex is where they start to unravell. Sadly we have to use these institutions for certain things (current accounts/payment services/deposit taking/overdrafts) but, wherever there are non-bank alternatives consider them. Be careful though specially when sourcing new companies and services on-line or via email (specially), there are a lot of scams about.