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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:
SoupDragon · 02/08/2011 19:16

"Somewhere along the line you gave your card details away via a dodgy site or you clicked an errant link in an email and gave them away."

nonsense.

SoupDragon · 02/08/2011 19:17

My credit card was cloned in a Shell garage and used to buy tickets to Singapore.

twoistwiceasfun · 02/08/2011 19:18

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Naoko · 02/08/2011 19:19

That's dreadful! This happened to me last September and my bank (HSBC) were really helpful. I had the money back about 5 days later, so why Santander think it needs to take 6 weeks I don't know.

And while it's possible your details got stolen via a dodgy site or link, it's equally possible your card got cloned in a shop via the chip&pin machine, or even via a cash machine. I had never - not once - used the card that got cloned in September online.

LaWeasel · 02/08/2011 19:22

My dad's was cloned in a petrol station too. It happens much more regularly than anyone realises!

TheOriginalFAB · 02/08/2011 19:24

I suggest you go back in tomorrow and keep going in refusing to move until they help. If you find yourself making cards saying "santander are ....", "santander won't..." then so be it..

ChristinedePizan · 02/08/2011 19:25

That is appalling. Have you rung their Central Complaints Department? Their number is 0845 600 6014. I would also ring the Financial Ombudsman Service on 0800 0 234 567.

Oh, and according to Which?, "New European laws, which came into force on 1 November 2009 on the same day the Financial Services Authority (FSA) started to regulate banking, will make it harder for banks to refuse refunds in these situations. They say that banks must immediately refund any money a customer claims was taken fraudulently unless the bank can give a good reason why it needs to investigate further."

So they need to immediately refund your money.

And I second whoever said that firstdirect are good - they contacted me because my card had been used to buy a monthly Oyster card in Hammersmith and I had never done so before!

suzikettles · 02/08/2011 19:42

I've been the victim of card fraud twice. Both times it was the physical card being skimmed/numbers copied. Once in a restaurant and once in a hotel, so it definitely does not follow that the op has clicked on a dodgy link.

Both times RBS caught the fraudulent transactions pretty much straight away and I was refunded.

Original poster
RichTeaAreCrap · 02/08/2011 20:00

I have spoken to the complaints department myself - they are useless.

I cant open another account until I get paid because I dont have any money to open one with!

I'll definately close this account though and get another one with a different bank when I have had this money back from them.

Bastards

OP posts:
ajandjjmum · 02/08/2011 20:09

What a dreadful time you're having - and all you want is your money, that they gave away without your authorisation.

Won't help you RichTea, but as someone who regularly moans about banks, I was impressed with Barclays who immediately refunded £200 to DS that had been incorrectly taken on a phone transaction. So maybe some banks are starting to behave more fairly.

I would sit in their office and not move until they give you your money back, and tell everyone who walks in why you're there. And make sure they know you'll be charging them for your wasted time.

ajandjjmum · 02/08/2011 20:11

And get your local paper to come and take of photo of you sitting there!!

TheNastyBank · 02/08/2011 20:39

Good point Christine dePizan, was going to suggest it myself after our own horrible experiences with Santander.

They are utterly, utterly, utterly disgusting.

When we had our problem with them, it was unbelievable what they were telling us.

Please, please, please take them to the financial ombudsman. I know it won't get you the refund immediatley but the regulators need to know that they are flouting European directives.

I also heard recently that every organisation referred to the financial ombudsman gets an automatic fine of a few hundred pounds whatever the outcome. I know a few hundred pounds in itself is nothing to them, but just think if everyone who had been treated badly by Santander did that, it would start to have an effect and get them to start acting with some humanity.

Original poster
RichTeaAreCrap · 02/08/2011 20:58

I will be contacting financial ombudsman too, I am so angry and will ensure that I expose their terrible service as much as I can.

OP posts:
PhyllisDiller · 02/08/2011 21:02

I've just opened a new current account with a nil balance Richtea, rather pleased details came through today, funnily enough I am escaping Santander also! They were more interested in income/outgoings than the £ that I was going to pay in right away.

Ormirian · 02/08/2011 21:04

What? What do they think you are supposed to eat? Angry

NoWayNoHow · 02/08/2011 21:09

Haven't read the whole thread, but I'm not even remotely surprised to hear that it's Santander.

I would go into your branch tomorrow, sit down on a chair and tell them that you're not moving until someone sorts out a way for you to live this month - it was their lack of attention to fraudulent use of your card that has out you in this position in the first place, and it is their responsiblity to sort it out.

As soon as you get your money back from them, swap your account over to Nationwide - after all the shit the banks have put us through, a building society is the only way forward! Wink

lazarusb · 02/08/2011 21:13

My late Grandad had an account with Santander. The only place he used his card was to make withdrawals at the bank. His account was stolen from to the tune of about £700. When I realised what had happened they sorted it out & refunded him pdq Hmm

If you go into your bank tell them you have sought legal advice. They have a responsibility to alert you to fraudulent activity surely? Go and see the CAB, they have fabulous people who can help...and it's free!

Mrsxstitch · 02/08/2011 21:16

Please report them to the ombudsman. I know they won't deal with it in time to help your current financial situation but Santander can't be allowed to get away with it. I reported them a couple of months ago.

They kept sending my bank stuff to previous address. After I complained to them they sent my new bank card to my old address. I only needed a new card because they accidentally cancelled my card because the delivery address didn't match what they had on file.

I am about to report them again. I got married last month, they have sent me a new card (right address this time) to Mrs Hmm.

As to cash flow problem, find a solicitor who will do first half hr free, contact your local paper. Get together all relevent information and take it into your branch. e-mail someone as high as possible in Santander they cannot justify you going without food etc.

mirai · 02/08/2011 21:22

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

twoistwiceasfun · 02/08/2011 21:26

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

NoWayNoHow · 02/08/2011 21:33

Have just red the whole thread through now, I'm GOBSMACKED that they're pulling the whole "we can't give you your money back now".

That's total and utter horseshit. On my old FIrstDirect account, they had our money back into our account within 24hours when it was removed fraudulently.

Santander themselves are acting fraudulently if they refuse to give you your own money as a result of their inability to monitor illegal activity on accounts.

I would kick up such a flaming stink if it were me. I'd also go to someone else immediately an open a new account (if you take payslips to show your previous month's earnings, you may not need to have funds to actually open it - they may do it on the promise of your future salaries being paid in as your direct debits beikng switched over form someone else)

FYI - Nationwide are offering 3 months' interest free overdraft to a maximum of £1,200 for people switching their current accountt o them

I know I keep going on about them, but dealing wit a company that's a mutual has been a whole different type of banking experience, and I can't recommend it hightly enough.,

BerryLellow · 02/08/2011 21:34

Barclays don't require a deposit to open an account either.

NoWayNoHow · 02/08/2011 21:36

I also think if you go in to somewhere to open a new current account and explain WHY you are doing it (i.e. Santander are bastards, you don't have any money, but you'd love to give them ALL your future business) then they'll be biting your hand off to open something for you. Most place do all the switching of the direct debits etc for you, so you don't need to do it yourself.

Original poster
RichTeaAreCrap · 02/08/2011 21:40

oh thats good news - I will try and open another account tomorrow then and see what happens. I can't get an advance from work so need something quick. If I can open another account with an overdraft it will help a lot.

OP posts:
Bogeyface · 02/08/2011 21:50

I dont know if this has already been suggested, as I was skimming, but do you have anything of value that you could pawn?

You do have to pay a charge to get it back obviously but from a brief look, the charges seem to be less than a payday loan, I assume because you have left your item as security. There are quite few Cash Converter type places that will take phones, laptops, games consoles, as well as jewellry.

I am utterly disgusted at the way you have been treated, take this to every newspaper and website you can!