Being Harassed by Santander Bank - Absolutely Disgusted

[NameChanger22]

A few weeks ago I started a thread on here about how Santander Bank kept repeatedly sending the mail of an ex-boyfriend to my address, even though we split up and he moved out 12 years ago, died 2 years ago and I have repeatedly sent mail back to them for 12 years and I have phoned them and made complaints about it twice. He owed them £1,200. He owed everyone money, he owed me a lot more than £1,200.

In the end I went into to my local branch and showed them my council tax bills for the last 6 years proving he hadn’t been living at my address for a long time as all the bills were addressed to me alone and I have the 25% single person discount.

A week ago I got a letter from Santander (addressed to me) saying I was wrong to complain but that they weren’t going to send anymore mail to my address.

Today I got a letter from Santander (addressed to The Personal Representative of the Late [ex boyfriend’s name]). First of all I’m not his representative, so that annoyed me. The letter went on to read:

“At this difficult time, customer care is obviously the main priority and I therefore wanted to advise you that we have referred the above mentioned account to our specialist probate partner, Phillips & Cohen Associates (UK) Ltd.

Until further notice, Phillips & Cohen Associates (UK) Ltd will be responsible for managing this account on our behalf, and where appropriate will take steps to come to an amicable arrangement for the repayment of the outstanding balance from any existing estate.
All future communications should be directed to Phillips & Cohen Associates (UK) Ltd in the first instance ….”

I cannot believe a bank can do this. They said a week ago they would stop sending post to my address and then this. I am extremely worried about this. Can they really get another company to come after me for the debt of a dead ex-boyfriend who hasn’t lived at my address for 12 years. I just don’t understand this at all. Please help and stop me from panicking, especially advise me if you have any real understanding of the law.

Thanks so much.

[lemonpiezz]

Hey OP, I don't want to worry you but there is a high chance that these bailiffs will come to your house.
I had a not dis-similar situation some years ago. A random person I'd never heard of, got a fine and they had used my address. I didn't know them and returned all correspondence, (although eventually I did have a nosy to see what it was all about). It was eventually passed to a debt collection agency who would write to "the occupier" in a plain envelope and then the name and details of the debtor was inside. Nothing I could say would dissuade them, and eventually I got a knock at the door, and the debt collectors had a court order to collect payment or items (And this debt was less than £100)
If this happens DO NOT LET THEM IN. However, if you can show them proof of who you are, and who else, if anyone lives there, then they must return to the court and register this. Then if anyone else tries to get a court order for "wrong person" at your address, it is rejected.
Unfortunately the debt agency concerned sold the debt to another agency and I had to go through it all again. Fortunately they took the correct steps with the court and I've never had any more issues.

I know it's a horrible feeling to have people after you for money that you don't owe, but please try not to let it upset you too much. It can be resolved. Although clearly not by Santander, who are arseholes. So much so I closed my account with them last week.

[TheMaddHugger]

((((((((((madd Hugs))))))))) NameChanger22

It's shite and I hope you get it solved sorted and ended

[DilliDingDillyDong]

Oh good grief.

[MyOtherProfile]

Awful. Hope you get some resolution today.

[Oliversmumsarmy]

We had bailiffs at our door a few weeks after we moved in.

They arrived with police. They were looking for the previous owners who had moved to a different county.

I presume because they were looking for someone who wasn’t my age they didn’t even ask me for identification they just left.

These debts just keep getting bundled up and sold on when the company come to a dead end.

I wouldn’t take it personally. It isn’t your debt.
You have told them it isn’t your debt. It is up to them to go figure out who’s debt it is not yours.

[Rememberallball]

For all the PP calling Phillips&Cohen Associaltes bailiffs, they are not - they are a specialist company who deal mostly (not exclusively) with deceased customer credit accounts - be they credit cards, bank accounts with loans or overdrafts or utility accounts. The OP will not have P&CA employees turning up on her doorstep in the style of ‘Cant Pay We’ll Take It Away’ or ‘The Sheriffs’ - and given the anxiety this continued situation has been causing the OP I think it’s unfair for people to suggest that this could happen.

I think the OP also has every right to open post arriving at her address even if addressed to other people - and especially when addressed to her exp of more than 12 years who has been deceased for 2 years. And more so when the letter is addressed to ‘Personal Representative of ExP’ after she has been told her address has been removed from his account and that Santander will no longer write to him at her address!! There have been other posts recently where a vulnerable OP left their violent ExP and gave the bank new details and the bank wrote to his address including HER new (supposedly safe from him) address so I can understand why the OP wants the bank to stop writing to her!! She has provided the bank with what is sufficient proof for most organisations that she lives alone and has told them on more than one occasion that not only does he no longer live there but is deceased - they obviously believe her to some extent to send her the letter received around the 23rd stating they will no longer write to her address; and believe her regarding the fact he is no longer alive to refer the account to P&CA.

@NameChanger22, please call the number for P&CA and speak to one of their staff - offer to send them the letter Santander sent you last week. You don’t need to provide them with proof of his death - that’s not your job, they can find the information via the London gazette if his actual personal representative has taken that action as part of setting his estate (but it can cost up to £400 and, with no estate except debts, I can understand why this may well not have happened). Alternatively they can do a search of the register of births, marriages and deaths and obtain their own copy of his death certificate to prove she has been telling Santander the truth. This will then conclude the matter. As I said in my previous post, P&CA are decent to deal with when dealing with sensitive situations as the few credit accounts my mum has at her death last year were referred to them - they arranged for interest and late payments added after the date of death on her death certificate to be removed from the account balances and put a note on each account to say we would settle the accounts once we had completed the sale of her house. And, in the following 6 months, we heard nothing from them!!

[Seanb1]

Tell them to die, the truth of the matter is the bank is sinking, and the only people thy can screw is, single, vulnerable, aged ect because they are bullies, cowards and stupid, They have to take you to court, won't happen, costs to much, so they scare people

[SomeoneInTheLaaaaaounge]

Hi, sorry not read the full thread, but I would:
Put together a letter with all the information just facts of dates and communication between you and Santander.
Then I would send a copy of this to Santander and the Ombudsman and the FCA and the Santander chief executive, and their customer care team and any other bid you can think of at Santander

In the letter I would state you are being harassed and if they don’t leave you alone you will seek Vimeo station from them.

They are real pieces of shit - good luck to you!!!

[SomeoneInTheLaaaaaounge]

Sorry seek compensation I mean,fat fingers

[MillicentMartha]

Another Zombie thread!