Santander Customer (Dis-)Service

[supermac9]

I'm beginning to wonder if Santander have any customer service people, or if they have, they don't bother replying to their online messages.

On Thursday evening, I tried to deposit cash via the only two local branch ATM's, both of which didn't work - one didn't produce a deposit envelope and the second machine (a new one by the look of it) was out of use. I work and there aren't any branches near me for paying in during the day.
It wasn't the end of the world that I couldn't do this as my account was only over by a few pounds (no fees or cancelled payments), but I sent a complaint message through on the same day (01.11.12) anyway as I had wasted time and money (petrol) trying to do this.
I have sent reminder messages to them on 03.11.12 and 04.11.12, but I haven't heard a thing back from them yet. I know their 'resolvers' somtimes ring up to sort problems out, but I don't think they will need to get involved with this as it's probably a bit trivial. They do say that they aim to respond to most complaints within 48 hours, although I am not sure if this excludes weekends (I'm sure if they were chasing me for something they would ring me all day Saturday and Sunday).
I will wait for their reply (but for how long who knows).

[enaid]

Re: Santander Customer (Dis-)Service

Why not fill in their survey

http://info.yoursantander.co.uk/emai...l2.php?sc=7iTY

[QCKate]

Re: Santander Customer (Dis-)Service

I'm beginning to wonder if Santander have any customer service people, or if they have, they don't bother replying to their online messages.

On Thursday evening, I tried to deposit cash via the only two local branch ATM's, both of which didn't work - one didn't produce a deposit envelope and the second machine (a new one by the look of it) was out of use. I work and there aren't any branches near me for paying in during the day.
It wasn't the end of the world that I couldn't do this as my account was only over by a few pounds (no fees or cancelled payments), but I sent a complaint message through on the same day (01.11.12) anyway as I had wasted time and money (petrol) trying to do this.
I have sent reminder messages to them on 03.11.12 and 04.11.12, but I haven't heard a thing back from them yet. I know their 'resolvers' somtimes ring up to sort problems out, but I don't think they will need to get involved with this as it's probably a bit trivial. They do say that they aim to respond to most complaints within 48 hours, although I am not sure if this excludes weekends (I'm sure if they were chasing me for something they would ring me all day Saturday and Sunday).
I will wait for their reply (but for how long who knows).

I think they've improved over the last year but they still have more complaints about there service than any other bank except Barclays!!!!

QCK

[supermac9]

Re: Santander Customer (Dis-)Service

Quick update - still no reply to my messages, but £40 has been dropped into our account this morning ('account adjustment'). This is better than an apology! Long may they ignore my complaints.
I'll still fill in their survey.

[bluebottle]

Re: Santander Customer (Dis-)Service

Account Adjustment is Satander's way of saying "Goodwill Gesture". Totally naughty without seeking your agreement first.

[supermac9]

Re: Santander Customer (Dis-)Service

Too add to this, although they haven't replied to any of my online messages, they have closed off my complaint (I get text messages to this effect).
The moral of the story - if you don't get a reply within their usual 48 hrs, keep sending reminders, preferably on a daily basis - in the end the paid me off!:thumb:

[supermac9]

Re: Santander Customer (Dis-)Service

Yet another update (apologies if this gets a bit boring, but Santander never cease to amaze me sometimes).
After ingoring several online messages, I raised a complaint online, which they also ignored. I sent a couple of reminders and eventually got a reply saying they are going to waive £50 of fees which would be applied to my account next month.
That sounds like a result, although I have gone back to them saying I am still not happy as the two transactions that the fees relate to were debit card payments - I have argued that they should have been declined if there wasn't sufficient money in my account to cover them, which would not have attracted fees in the first place. I think it's worth arguing, but I don't think I'll get very far - however, I do think it is a bit rich that a bank processes a payment (rather than it being declined) which takes an account overdrawn, which then attracts a fee. Sounds like a good way to £25 a time out of a customer.

[leclerc]

Re: Santander Customer (Dis-)Service

Supermac, we are back to that old argument about floor limits again I think where transactions are routinely processed, usually for under £10, rather than seeking actual authorisation.
Businesses argue over processing time and customers argue over the fact that bank do not seek authorisation for every transaction.

[supermac9]

Re: Santander Customer (Dis-)Service

These particular transactions were for £20 and £30, so both on the small side - I remember the floor limit discussion, sounds like yet another bank get-out clause to me though.

[supermac9]

Re: Santander Customer (Dis-)Service

An update:
After 6 days (including daily online reminders), Santander have finally replied - two things:
1. The have credited our account with £5 to comensate for the delay in replying (that's 83p per day) - generosity to the extreme (although it is money for nothing I suppose)
2. The odd bit - in their reply they have stated "...are unable to determine whether we (Santander) honour the payment...".
Unless I am picking them (in this case, a 'Complaints Specialist') up totally wrong, are they actually saying that they (my bank) don't decide if a debit card payment is processed or declined when it takes an account over an agreed overdraft limit? If this is the case, then exactly who would decide?
I have asked the question of them - goodness knows what kind of half-baked response I'll get off them this time. No doubt the debit card payment fairy makes all their decisions for them.

[teaboy2]

Re: Santander Customer (Dis-)Service

Likely the card service provider like visa or mastercard as most debit cards are operated by them now.

[supermac9]

Re: Santander Customer (Dis-)Service

Latest response from the kings of mystery and vagueness (aka Santander):
"...and can confirm that as previously stated to you we are unable to confirm whether we will honour or decline a payment that is made and cannot confirm the reasons for this, I can only advise you to ensure the relevant funds are in your account when a payment is made..."
I thought MI5 was secretive, but they are obviously a long way behind our Banks.
I don't know whether I should follow this up or just cry quietly in a corner somewhere - I feel like asking them what they would do if I tried to buy a car on my debit card when I only had £20 available.
As a footnote, because of my incessant complaining, Santander have paid me a total of £100 in ex-gratia payments and account adjustments in the last month!

[supermac9]

Re: Santander Customer (Dis-)Service

This may appear to be turning into some kind of vendetta, but ever since I tried and failed to deposit cash into our account via two Santander branch ATM's (which has happened to me on several occassions previously) before work on the morning of 29.11.12, I have sent them a total of 9 complaint messages (not including today's reminder), none of which have been acknowledged or responded to.
I am beginning to wonder if Santander's idea of customer service is to simply not provide any at all, and hope people just give up (I won't!).

[supermac9]

Re: Santander Customer (Dis-)Service

I tak it all back - just had a call from them and they are giving me £70 for my troubles!
Lets hope they get the ATM's fixed as well.

[supermac9]

Re: Santander Customer (Dis-)Service

Apologies if this is getting a bit tedious, but I've got a quick (and final) update.
After the fiasco with trying to use ATM's to pay money into our account, I was also faced with the possibility of fees for being overdrawn and for so called 'paid items' - after a lengthy (50 minutes!) discussion with one of their resolvers (who, I have to admit, actually listened to me, eventually, after putting me on hold several times), I have had the charges waived. I have also received another £22 for the inconvenience of trying, and failing, this morning to pay money in via the same ATM. This is obviously a brand new machine that takes one look at me and refuses to dispense envelopes.
Santander have obviously lost patience with me and have told me that I won't get any more gestures of goodwill or fees cancelled - they have given me a range of options, from paying over the counter (easier said than done during the working week), paying from another bank account (I can check this), and getting a member of the branch staff to show me where I am going wrong (it must be me apparently as other people have been depositing money at the same time as me, or so their ATM experts say!).
Incredibly, the latest payment means that they have given me a total of £192 in goodwill gestures/ex-gratia payments in the last 6 weeks!