Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Being Harassed by Santander Bank - Absolutely Disgusted

235 replies

NameChanger22 · 30/03/2019 21:11

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.

OP posts:
Original poster
NameChanger22 · 30/03/2019 23:27

The long email I sent to Nathan Bostock came back as message failure, user unknown.

OP posts:
CheekyChappy710 · 30/03/2019 23:30

Try Nationwide. It's still a building society and its bloody brilliant.

Original poster
NameChanger22 · 30/03/2019 23:36

I don't bank with Santander, so I will just stick to the same bank I've been banking with for 30 years.

It is impossible to get an email address for Nathan Bostock. No surprises there.

OP posts:
Original poster
NameChanger22 · 30/03/2019 23:38

I have contacted his sister too. I'm not sure what good that will do either. I just asked her for his last address.

If I just ignore this problem will it go away? I have a massive pounding headache now with all of this.

OP posts:
Original poster
NameChanger22 · 30/03/2019 23:40

I think I will go back to my local branch on Monday too and make another complaint in person. So much time, effort and stress wasted on this nonsense problem, created by a bank.

OP posts:
ShorelyKnot · 30/03/2019 23:41

The Financial Ombudsman only deals with complaints which you have tried to resolve with Santander where Santander don’t agree your complaint is valid.

You need to phone or contact the Financial Conduct Authority ASAP. They do not intervene in individual complaints but they will intervene where Santander are breaching the rules. Harassment is a big no no in their eyes. Give them details, emphasise that you are being harassed over a debt which has nothing to do with you and give them examples of Santander’s unreasonable behaviour. They will get in touch with Santander If they feel they’re not behaving as they should and bring them into line. xx

Original poster
NameChanger22 · 30/03/2019 23:43

I have already completed an online complaint form with the FO. I did this tonight, so I will wait and see what they say.

Now Santander have probably sold the debt to a third party, it confuses it all.

OP posts:
edwinbear · 30/03/2019 23:44

OP they haven’t sold his debt, you are not liable, you are frankly being a bit over dramatic. I work in banking, they have an old address for him, that’s all, probably because he didn’t update his records with them. You just need to explain to Santander’s agents they have the wrong address.

WiltedDaffs · 30/03/2019 23:45

Glad you've contacted the Financial Ombudsman OP. When we had trouble with a company, it was resolved within an hour of said company becoming aware the Ombudsman was sniffing around.

As "Personal Representative" is a legal term for the person who is an executor/administrator of an estate, the letter isn't really for you. Neither are the previous ones, it's just on a computer system somewhere as his address.

They are on a fishing trip. No one's going to come after you. All they can do is send letters. You do not owe them any money. Keep complaining, adopt the broken record technique of "I am not his personal representative. I do not know who is. Stop sending letters to my house, it's nothing to do with me."

Original poster
NameChanger22 · 30/03/2019 23:51

The thing is I'm pretty sure there was a couple of years, maybe 3 when I didn't get his post from them. I assumed he had changed his address. Then I started getting it again. They must have had a different address for him at some point. I told my ex lots of times to change his address and he told me had, but he lied about everything so who knows?

edwinbear - Santander have told me to deal with Phillips & Cohen Associates instead of them. I am assuming they are now the debt collectors. Does this mean they sold the debt or not? I don't know anything about debt. I've never been in debt.

I have had 12 years of this, I'm worried because it's a problem that isn't going away, it's a problem that is snowballing. I have seen minor things turn into major things more than a few times in my life. I'm trying my hardest to resolve it. I feel like I am being treated very unfairly, I hate injustice.

OP posts:
SosigDog · 30/03/2019 23:53

You need to write to the financial ombudsman who will tell them to stop hassling you.

VanGoghsDog · 30/03/2019 23:53

Honestly, just send the letters back 'not known at this address' and after you've done that a few times just start binning them.

I'll find you an email address for the CEO office tomorrow.

Original poster
NameChanger22 · 30/03/2019 23:53

WiltedDaffs. It is hard to know what the right thing to do is. I will write to the bank on Monday explaining I am not his personal representative. I will give them the name of his last girlfriend and sister. Thanks.

OP posts:
edwinbear · 30/03/2019 23:54

OP I can absolutely assure you that Nathan Bostock will not read your long, ranty e mail. Nobody has broken the law, you are not liable for anything and the FOS will not give a shiny shit. This is a simple case of your ex not updating his contact details and the debt collector, once you explain all this, will disappear. You really need to calm the fuck down.

Original poster
NameChanger22 · 30/03/2019 23:55

Honestly, just send the letters back 'not known at this address' and after you've done that a few times just start binning them.

Thanks, that is what I've been doing for 12 years. It hasn't worked.

Thanks so much if you manage to find me a correct address.

Thanks everyone for your help. I will try and rest my headache now and forgot about it until Monday.

OP posts:
ShorelyKnot · 30/03/2019 23:55

The Financial Ombudsman will not tell them to stop hassling you. You need to report them to the Financial Conduct Authority.

VanGoghsDog · 30/03/2019 23:56

Santander have told me to deal with Phillips & Cohen Associates instead of them.

No, they have not. They have told his representative that. You are not his representative, you opened a letter that was not for you. They can't tell you to deal with anyone, it's nothing to do with you.

Stop stressing, stop going into the branches, just return the letters saying you are not his representative and you don't know who is.

It's actually really simple.

VanGoghsDog · 30/03/2019 23:56

@ShorelyKnot

Nope, it's not an FCA issue at all.

Original poster
NameChanger22 · 30/03/2019 23:57

Edwinbear - it's not very nice to tell someone who suffers with stress and anxiety to calm the fuck down when they are really worrying about something.

OP posts:
edwinbear · 30/03/2019 23:59

edwinbear - Santander have told me to deal with Phillips & Cohen Associates instead of them. I am assuming they are now the debt collectors. Does this mean they sold the debt or not? I don't know anything about debt. I've never been in debt.

Yes, they are debt collection agents,for most high street banks. Very reputable and once you explain he hasn’t lived there for 12 years will disappear. £1,200 is a minuscule debt for a bank to write off, it’s nothing, but you need to work with them to enable them to fill in their forms to write it off.

Original poster
NameChanger22 · 30/03/2019 23:59

Santander wrote in a letter sent to my address:

"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 am going to bed now. Good night all.

OP posts:
edwinbear · 31/03/2019 00:02

Edwinbear - it's not very nice to tell someone who suffers with stress and anxiety to calm the fuck down when they are really worrying about something.

I work for Santander. Please read what I’m saying. I’m sorry you are feeling so stressed but you really have no need to be.

VanGoghsDog · 31/03/2019 00:07

Not all letters sent to your address are for you! This was clearly NOT for you. You shouldn't have opened it.

I also work for Santander. (Waves at Edwin) but I have no need to defend them as I am also a customer and I know they are crap. But in this issue you have simply misunderstood the situation and need to take notice of what people are telling you.

Send the letter back saying 'not at this address'. Any others, put straight in the bin.

Original poster
NameChanger22 · 31/03/2019 00:08

Why have Santander passed on this information and my address to Phillips & Cohen when I have already proved to Santander that my ex hasn't lived at my address for many, many years. They wanted proof, I gave it. Now this.

Anyway Edwinbear, I really am going to bed now and I will stop thinking about it.

OP posts:
ShorelyKnot · 31/03/2019 00:11

@VanGoghsDog

www.handbook.fca.org.uk/handbook/CONC/7/14.html

This covers disputed debts. The harassment aspect adds other offences too

Swipe left for the next trending thread