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Original poster

Absolutely livid and petrified

145 replies

RichTeaAreCrap · 01/08/2011 18:14

Bollocks. That's all.

I have just been to the supermarket and had my card declined. One week after payday. I have come home and rang the bank and some bastard has used my card online to the tune of almost 2.5K Shock

I was furious at my bank for allowing this to happen - surely it looked suspicious to them that it was being used abroad and in the UK at the same time.

I am even more furious at the bastard who has helped themselves to my money. I am now absolutely skint for the rest of the month. They did leave me with £19 to live on.....how fucking kind of them.

How embarassing having to walk out of Tesco's without any shopping. Aaaaarggggghhhh. I have been ill recently and wasn't feeling too great today and this just finished me off. I burst into tears at the checkout mumbling to the lady that I had no idea what was wrong and I would call the bank to sort it and come back in and pay. I didn't go back in because I couldn't pay.

Luckily most of my bills have been paid for the month but I've got nothing left at all. No petrol money, no food money and nothing to live on. Sods law too that 3 months ago I cut up my credit card so don't even have one to use.

My bank won't give me an overdraft even though they know that it is obvious what has happened. I have to wait for them to investigate and they will refund the money but it could take 'up to six weeks'.

So......I have 4 potatoes, a chicken, 2 apples and half a pint of milk for the month. Has anyone got any miracle way of making that spread for 25 days?! Grin

Feel free to ignore, I am so bloody angry and just having a rant. I am terrified now of this month and how on earth I am going to manage.

I am ill, my mum is ill and I have been looking after her this month after she was admitted to hospital, she is 300 miles away, I am about to lose my job. Can anything else go wrong for me?

Did I mention that I was pissed off? Angry

OP posts:
nenevomito · 01/08/2011 18:39

I would go into the bank as well. I find them a lot more helpful when faced in person than they are over the phone.

So sorry its happened to you. I'd feel sick to the core as well.

gregssausageroll · 01/08/2011 18:40

Should say, right at the bottom you will find it but this is what it says

Our "Peace of Mind" Guarantee

To give you real peace of mind though, in the unlikely event funds are taken from your account without your authorisation, we would pay you back any loss incurred from fraud, up to the value of the amount fraudulently taken. All we ask is that you have not acted fraudulently or without reasonable care to keep your security information safe. This is the essence of our Peace of Mind Guarantee. Santander.co.uk really is as safe as it is quick and easy.
If you have any problems, remember our Technical Support Staff are here to help you. You can talk to them on 0845 600 4388 seven days a week between 7am and 11pm Monday to Saturday, and 9am to 9pm on Sundays.

Mummalish · 01/08/2011 18:40

Where abouts are you? I am happy to drop off some groceries for you. Really.

thederkinsdame · 01/08/2011 18:41

give them hell. Check the fine print in your Ts and Cs cos it sounds to me as if they have failed in their duty to notify you of suspicious activity on the account, namely you can't be in two places at once.

If you need some clout behind you, go to one of the consumer journalists on the papers. The Guardian ones are fab - the mention of them helped me to sort out a huge problem with my insurance company within 48 hours, even though it had been rumbling on for 2 months before I mentioned them.

www.guardian.co.uk/money/series/bachelor-and-brignall-consumer-champions

Friendlymum67 · 01/08/2011 18:44

Give 'em hell!! That is totally unacceptable. Remind them of their 'mission statement' on their website and also tell them you will complain to the Financial Ombudsman. Have you looked at Martin Lewis money forum site - he has all sorts of advice to offer.

Good Luck!!

HPonEverything · 01/08/2011 18:47

I am shocked by your bank's attitude.
About 5 years ago my Ebay and Paypal were hacked and I lost money. My bank, despite being a telephone/internet bank, refunded it immediately.

I'd be switching banks once it's all sorted if I were you.

Original poster
RichTeaAreCrap · 01/08/2011 18:55

I am going to go in and see them tomorrow. I am not getting anywhere on the phone to them.

I'll take a look at Martin Lewis too, thanks for the suggestion, should've thought of that.

I love how their 'Peace of Mind Guarantee' doesn't say how long it takes them to refund you the money. Bastards.

OP posts:
chickchickchicken · 01/08/2011 18:58

similar happened to me a few years ago. i made a huge fuss with the bank but they said they had to investigate before the money could be put into my account. i needed the money and couldnt wait a few weeks (it was a few thousand pounds) so i rung a solicitor under the free half hour scheme. he said it was his pleasure to ring the bank on my behalf. it was sorted within half hour. it didnt cost me anything. the solicitor said he got a lot of satisfaction taking on banks. the bank then rung me and said there was no need to seek legal advice, we were trying to sort it out blah blah blah.

activate · 01/08/2011 19:00

tell them the issue of fraud is between them and the police now and you expect all your money to be refunded

tell them that you will be contacting the banking ombudsman in the morning if they haven't extended to you adequate finance to get you through the month while they investigate this matter - expect interest free overdraft

SoupDragon · 01/08/2011 19:01

How fucking dreadful! I cant believe any bank thinks this is an acceptable way to behave. having said that, as I read your OP I thought "Santander".

Try writing to one of the money pages on the newspaper - The Daily Telegraph for example has a problem solving page where they investigate bad service and, usually, get the offenders to cough up.

LaWeasel · 01/08/2011 19:01

I had a look at the financial ombudsmans site, but unfortunately they have to give the company 8 weeks to respond to your complaint before they can investigate!! Which is no good to you.

The newspaper consumer experts are a very good suggestion if you have no luck tomorrow, they seem to do very well, and I'm sure they'd be just as appalled as us...

mrsm123 · 01/08/2011 19:02

the exact same happened to us but luckily we were refunded within the week.
fingers crossed for you.
cant you borrow a few hundred from family and friends? hope so.

Illegitimate · 01/08/2011 19:03

Oohh Santander are a right bag of dicks. I got mugged INSIDE one of their branches and they were real bastards. they refused to call the police and pretty much kicked me out.
The policeman who went in to get the cctv said they were deliberately unhelpful.

I'm trying to change banks now. I will never use them again.

Hope you get you money back in good time OP

LaWeasel · 01/08/2011 19:05

That's a great idea chickchickchicken... maybe look up some lawyers as well OP?

chickchickchicken · 01/08/2011 19:07

i dont know if i was just lucky to get a bank hating solicitor but i still remember the relish with which he rung the bank Grin

twoistwiceasfun · 01/08/2011 19:08

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
RichTeaAreCrap · 01/08/2011 19:15

that's a fab idea chickchickchicken. Love your name too, its what I am living on for the week Grin

I will try everything and anything tomorrow, I am so pissed off about this.

I am supposed to go and see my mum on Thursday too but dont have any bloody petrol money now. She is in hospital at the moment so will be gutted. I need to sort this out quickly.

OP posts:
TheOriginalFAB · 01/08/2011 19:16

I ad trouble with them today. I asked for money at the atm. It spat my card out and no cash. I went in and asked someone if he worked there. He looked at his badge, and said er yes Hmm. He said the money would go straight back in. It better had.

MakesCakesWhenStressed · 01/08/2011 19:20

I am in Oxfordshire, on the Berks side (nr. Wallingford) - please send me a PM (I can't seem to get it to work sending one to you) - I'd be very happy to give you some milk, bread, onions etc just to see you through a week or so.

x

MrsBloomingTroll · 01/08/2011 19:21

OP, just wanted to offer some sympathy.

The banks are rubbish - our cards are forever being declined/suspended due to "suspicious activity" when it's nothing of the sort, perfectly legitimate activity by DH or myself. And we are left with red faces in the shops and inconvenienced when we can't buy what we want when we want.

And yet in your case they should have stopped the card!

Why can't they get it right?!

chickchickchicken · 01/08/2011 19:22

hopefully you can still visit your mum on thurs. my money was put in my account under an hour. they can do it that quickly when they want to

tomme · 01/08/2011 19:23

The exact same thing happened to me, I am an abbey (santander now) customer and someone used my card to tune of £2800 the refused to refund even though they knew it was fraud, they also took over 6 weeks to sort, however after creating he'll in the branch they did give me an overdraft.

I hate them yet to my shame am still a customer 3 years later as have big overdraft and it seems too much hassle to change. I am now absolutely vigilant about checking my account for very small incidental amounts cause the bastards who did it to me had charged £2 a few times to my account before going for the kill and apparently this is common practice for these fraudsters. My husband on other hand who banks with HSBC was rung on the same day as £1 was chargedbtonhis card as they thought the company paid was dodgy & it was.

Get into your local branch and refuse to leave until they help, threaten local paper etc.

buggerlugs82 · 01/08/2011 19:36

This reply has been withdrawn

This post has been withdrawn due to privacy concerns.

Original poster
RichTeaAreCrap · 01/08/2011 19:38

Oh god, I hope it doesnt take over 6 weeks to get to me. I will get paid in another 3 weeks though so that is the longest I will be in a mess for.

OP posts:
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