Santander

[MILLYMOLLYMANDYMAX]

After being with first Abbey/Santander for 20 years and for the last year putting through my current account 6 figure sums through the sale of a flat, buying another, the renovation, all my monthly salary and living expenses etc I asked them today if I could go £100 overdrawn for a few days as I have had a particularly expensive few weeks (not with anything extravagant but with one off things like my daughter had to be tested for dyslexia, appointment was booked months ago when I didn't know I would be this squeezed for cash, and other stuff that had to be paid like car problems and builders and plumbers last payments etc.) I had crashed through my buffer zone and just needed to cover a couple of dd that were due to go thru in the next couple of days. Money would hit my account Monday so I didn't think there would be a problem.

The computer said NO.

Reason... I haven't been using my account enough and not enough money has been coming into my account.

I don't normally swear but WTF. Even the customer service woman saw how ridiculous the situation was when she scrolled through my account and saw in the last 4 weeks how much money had been coming in and going out. She told me I would be better off at another bank.

Rant over. Just would love to know if anyone's life is like mine where nothing is simple, and no one gives you a break and people say things to you that they would never dare say to other people. (Still coming to terms with parents evening).

It is ridiculous. I can only recommend that you try First Direct who will give you a £500 overdraft, money for opening and I think that the first part of the OD is interest free.

I used to be with Santander too but they also charged a daily amount for using an overdraft.

First Direct are fab. We've been with them for 20 years, and can't find anything bad to say about them. Lovely friendly staff, available 24 hours a day.

Will definitely be switching. Thanks for the recomendation on First Direct. I have never had an overdraft, I have never bounced a cheque, I have always tried to be careful with money and this is the first time I have asked for anything from them. It was just a one off situation. Ended up having to go to a pay day lender, which is a completely ridiculous situation.

My husband has an account with first direct. Apparently, when you call them, you get straight through to a human being!

you do indeed Anything. And what's more its a human being in Britain. And they always have time for a laugh and a joke.

They are also very proactive on getting in contact if they suspect a fraud on the account. They phoned me recently because I'd used a cheque from a chequebook we'd reported as lost, to check that it was genuine. No charge for unstopping the blocked chequebook.

Have also been contacted after having used a debit card at an ATM in foreign country, and when someone started using DH's debit card number to do some online gambling (£1000s) they were absolutely great.

Santander's customer service is dire. I had an account (ex-Alliance and Leicester) and ended up switching. I had two linked accounts, savings and current. They were unable to follow my instructions about transferring money, repeatedly bounced my cheques, and then charged me fees for it. They eventually sent me some expensive-looking flowers to say sorry, but by then I had already opened an account with another bank.