Phone calls re neighbours debt....

[kyotokate]

My landline number is ex directory and I hardly use it. From Jan/Feb 2013 I started to get calls from a group of numbers at least three times a day.

It eventually become clear the calls were for my neighbour and from Santander.

I informed Santander by letter and email in late April 2013. The calls stopped but restarted in mid May 2013 so I changed my landline number.

This MUST be illegal? This practice which appears to be widespread needs investigating.

Any suggestions for taking this further??

yes. Put yourself on the telephone preference service, if you haven't already.

report Santander via this link:

www.ico.org.uk/for_the_public/topic_specific_guides/marketing

or raise an official complaint with Santander.

Registered with TPS for years. Already made complaint to Santander and result was me being accused of giving my neighbour my phone number!!!!

I did not give my neighbours my landline number why would I??

I now discover this is very usual practice by Santander and claiming the customer who is being pursued by Santander gave them the neighbours number is Santander's usual response.

I'm not sure how Santander would know the phone numbers of their customers neighbours? Especially as you're ex-directory?

The TPS and the link above both relate to marketing phone calls, specifically. Neither will prevent phone calls chasing debt.

It seems really bizarre that Santander would chase you for someone else's debt. What on earth do they think they'll gain from it?!

Put in a formal complaint to Santander and, when they fail to resolve it, you can take it to the Financial Ombudsman. There may be some data protection issues - i.e. the bank should not be telling you about the financial status of someone else, even just that they're in debt - as well as the harassment you've experienced.

I have put in a formal complaint to Santander and included the possible data protection issues re use of my personal data and letting me know about my neighbours financial problems. Basically my formal complaint has been met by little else but a £25 cheque and a claim that a third party (my neighbour???) gave them my phone number. This did NOT happen. Since all I have had is a series of email closing my complaint.

I think I know how they got my number.... I was an Abbey National Shareholder and I did have accounts with Abbey National in the past but I sold my shares in 2005 and closed my accounts before then.

Of course Santander gain nothing unless of course they want me to cover my neighbours debt!!!!

I have also reported the calls to the Information Commissioner's Office.

I had a problem like this quite a few years they wanted to contact my neighbours daughter and did I have her contact details. I knew she had she had left her husband but that was all the Building Society which was Abbey in those days had repossessed the flat and they were chasing her for the shortfall. Neighbour is ex directory and we are not they also contacted another neighbour two houses away.

Neighbour was absolutely furious that they had given me that information also kept asking for her by her first name which she hates and never uses and didn't want anyone to know, I didn't ask for it so I told her to take it up with them. I suppose it went on for about 18 months in all.

So this kind of behaviour by Santander and other Banks is probably not unusual but what is the point?? It raises Data protection issues and gets the bank no nearer to getting money they believe they are owed.

The only thing I could do was to change my phone number which is also ex directory and complain formally through as many channels as possible.

Message on Facebook to me

Our previous offer to help still stands. If you email [email protected] we will contact you. We only attempt to contact a customer on the phone number they provide, so we?d like to look into this for you. Nicole

As mowbraygirl and I know the above is NOT true...

I could go to the banking ombudsman but they have a very poor reputation for dealing with banks misbehaviour. Santander will continue to hold onto to the lie that they only use phone numbers given to them by their customers. Proving otherwise would be an uphill struggle to say the least.

I have now removed my messages from the Santander Facebook page.

We're constantly getting calls for a Mr. Babba from Barclays and Halifax. I have explained nicely for over two years. I now put the phone down.

Why do Banks do this?? It gets them no nearer getting the debt cleared up.

In my case I know who they are looking for as she is my neighbour and we share a front door!! I was getting 3 + calls a day so I had no choice but to change my number.

Please note I have not spoken to anybody on the phone at Santander re my complaint.

Complaints Santander UK PLC
PO Box 1125
Bradford BD1 9PG
Telephone: 014
Text Relay: 014

Date: 31 May 2013
Ref: 2091347
Dear ?kyotokate?,

Thank you for highlighting your concerns and giving me the opportunity to investigate this matter.

My understanding of your complaint is that you are unhappy as you have contuined to receive telephone calls to your home telephone number ending in ?last three numbers of my previous landline? for a ?Neighbours name?. I note you have raised previous complaints clearly stating that ?Neighbours name? does not live at the above address and the number ending ?last three numbers of my previous landline? is registered teiephone number for your address. I note this matter has caused you significant amount of distress and inconvenience and have urged for these telephone calls to be stopped.

Thank you for taking the time to talk to me today. I write to further confirm and clarify the content of our conversation.

Customer service is extremely important to Santander and if there is an occasion when our service does not meet our customers' expectations, it is important that we are made aware of this. I am particularly grateful for the time and trouble you have taken to make me aware of your experience.

Having reviewed your complaint, I note you have previously been advised that the telephone number ending ?last three numbers of my previous landline? which is registered on ?Neighbours name? account would be removed. Unfortunately, the number was not removed which is the reason why you continued to receive telephone calls from our credit card collections department. Please accept sincere apology this was not actioned when you first raised your complaint, I can also assure you that training & feedback has been provided to both the advisors who dealt with your previous complaints and their managers to ensure mistakes such as this remain isolated to this instance.

Upon liaising with the Credit Card Collections department, I am pleased to confirm that your telephone number registered on ?Neighbours name? account has been permanently removed. Going forward you will not receive any further telephone calls from Santander in regards to any dealings for ?Neighbours name?.

It is also apparent, had we handled your enquiry in an appropriate manner in the first instance, matters would not have become so unnecessarily protracted and caused you such inconvenience. I understand this situation has caused you annoyance and frustration and I hope you will accept my sincerest apologies. Santander aims to provide a high level of customer service and I am sorry you feel this has not been reflected during your recent experience.

While I realise it will be of little consolation to you, the number of errors which have occurred throughout the handling of your particular enquiry are exceptional. However, in view of all that has happened, I enclose a cheque for £130 in recognition of the distress and inconvenience caused.

I hope that my letter has helped to clarify the situation and we can draw this matter to a close.

At Santander, we put the customer at the heart of everything that we do. Please be assured that we do listen to our customers' views and take corrective action where appropriate, to ensure that Santander is constantly improving the service experience for our customers

If you remain unhappy following my response, you can refer your complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service. I have enclosed a leaflet that explains how you can do this. If you decide to contact them, it should be within six months of the date of this letter enclosing a copy of it, as they would need this for their investigation.

I hope I have explained the reasons for my decision and that it offers a fair resolution to the issues you have raised. If you feel there is an element of your complaint that we have not considered, or if you feel we have not dealt with your complaint appropriately, please call me, or one of my colleagues, on * *968 we are open Monday-Friday 9am-5pm.

Yours sincerely
"Name"
Customer Resolution Manager Central Complaints

Santander are lying here. They have phoned family friends previous houses and neighbours for recovery of an account that I closed that they left 'open' and charged an 'underfunding' fee on every month without informing me.

On the call to my mum they just said ' hello..hello please help and call me' in a muffled voice. My mum freaked out thinking I was in trouble but luckiliy called me on my usual number before calling back.

No wonder they pay a large compensation so that you don't complain officially. This is all very dodgy.

Just as long as I never have to have any contact with Santander again I will be happy to pocket the £130!!!!