UK Banks

[keithkarmann]

Had a phone call last night from Santander UK.  The caller said the call would take about one hour and he started asking security questions. So I told him that I did not have one hour to spare. I have seen in the past in this forum that someone similar to me had contact with Santander and Santander were going to close their account as their UK dominicity was in question. So I am thinking that Santander may want to question my dominicity. Why would anything else take a one hour phone call. I have kept a UK address and I also have another UK bank. I would be greatfull if anyone has had a similar problem to let me know how they proceeded with the problem if it happens. I can transfer all Santander transactions to my other bank but I like to keep Santander for savings.

[The Fugitive]

Thanks for the information. This is the reverse of my experience (albeit now several months ago). Santander Customer Services told me that I was permitted to have an abroad address and they would send renewed/replacement cards to Thailand. Halifax Bank permit abroad addresses but will not send cards to Thailand.

[keithkarmann]

3 minutes ago, The Fugitive said:

Thanks for the information. This is the reverse of my experience (albeit now several months ago). Santander Customer Services told me that I was permitted to have an abroad address and they would send renewed/replacement cards to Thailand. Halifax Bank permit abroad addresses but will not send cards to Thailand.

Thanks for that Fugitive, maybe I will find time for the phone call next time before I start moving transactions.

Did Santander contact you about this or was it instigated by you?

[The Fugitive]

1 minute ago, keithkarmann said:

Thanks for that Fugitive, maybe I will find time for the phone call next time before I start moving transactions.

Did Santander contact you about this or was it instigated by you?

I phoned Santander. To notify about an abroad address they require you to download, fill out and post a change of circumstances form. You could also inform them by going into a branch next time you return to U.K. Halifax are more modern, you can change everything on-line. 

[Kwasaki]

1 hour ago, keithkarmann said:

Thanks for that Fugitive, maybe I will find time for the phone call next time before I start moving transactions.

Did Santander contact you about this or was it instigated by you?

Be careful if I were you I would telephone them and ask if they did ring you.

[keithkarmann]

59 minutes ago, The Fugitive said:

I phoned Santander. To notify about an abroad address they require you to download, fill out and post a change of circumstances form. You could also inform them by going into a branch next time you return to U.K. Halifax are more modern, you can change everything on-line. 

Thanks for that. The only way I got my Santander card was to go into a branch in the UK, which I did in June. I need to keep my UK address, so do not need to change to Thailand. Was just a bit worried if they had intentions to close my account. Once addresses start changing to Thailand its gets a bit complicated as all financial institutions are connected and probably the tax office as well.

[keithkarmann]

48 minutes ago, Kwasaki said:

Be careful if I were you I would telephone them and ask if they did ring you.

I can only assume the call was genuine as the guy on the phone gave me the option of phoning Santander with the phone number on the back of the debit card. 

[Kwasaki]

57 minutes ago, keithkarmann said:

I can only assume the call was genuine as the guy on the phone gave me the option of phoning Santander with the phone number on the back of the debit card. 

Well best to call them and ask them to call you back.

[hotandsticky]

5 minutes ago, Kwasaki said:

Well best to call them and ask them to call you back.

UK banks do not seem keen on doing that - I am also not sure what it achieves over just calling them.

 

 

There is no risk in calling the number on the card......you can also Google to find direct numbers for fraud departments.

[Kwasaki]

2 hours ago, hotandsticky said:

UK banks do not seem keen on doing that - I am also not sure what it achieves over just calling them.

 

 

There is no risk in calling the number on the card......you can also Google to find direct numbers for fraud departments.

My bank calls me back if requested.

[nigelforbes]

Don't rely on the phone number matching the one on the back of your card, you may have read recently about the vast sums lost through spoofing?

 

The call is not about domicile, your domicile is quite hard to change and can only be assessed after you have died.  The call is about your sources of wealth and where you live etc, lifestyle question relating to money laundering etc. Many people have already been through it, I did so with HSBC over ten years ago....it's not onerous, just be truthful.

[Chivas]

You should have put the phone down within 10 seconds

Call them back on the number Monday either from branch address or back of debit card etc etc and find out what they want without red flagging the call to you at least initially

 

No bank whatsover says they are about to have a 1 hour call with you !!

Edited November 26, 2022 by Chivas

[DezLez]

9 minutes ago, Chivas said:

No bank whatsover says they are about to have a 1 hour call with you !!

Of course they will if you have applied for a loan or mortgage or other application that requires an interview etc; 

 

You then arrange a mutually agreed time for the call at the Bank's expense.

 

I agree however that you never accept a cold call from ANY organisation and do NOT use any phone number suggested by them as a call back, even if it is a number you recognise.

 

Always call back onto a main switchboard/call center number from their website who will connect you to the legitimate caller, if there was one!

 

[In the jungle]

I have accounts with Santander UK. 

 

In fact I have had the same current account and account number with Santander and prior to that Abbey National for forty years.

 

I have been through the process I suspect you are undergoing three times.  Each time they threaten to block access to your account and request a lot of paperwork.  Based on my experience I suggest they are less concerned about where you live and are more concerned with whether you can prove the source(s) of your money and that it is legitimate.

 

In my opinion it is unreasonable for some muppet in their call centre to ring you out of the blue and hit you with these issues which may be complex.

 

Here is an email address that may be of help to you:

 

[email protected]

 

You will not get a reply from the CEO but you will get a reply from Executive Communications at Santander who deal mostly with complaints of which there must be many.  The people there are a bit smarter and more experienced than some random call centre agent.  If you choose to go down this route the great advantage is that there is a written record of what was discussed.  Be fairly subtle about it but do not hesitate to leave the impression that you might pursue a formal complaint/banking ombudsman/legal action.  All those three avenues create more work for the people you are dealing with. 

 

Last time I went through this process, earlier this year, I emailed them literally every other day about the issue while it remained unresolved.  This was, to a significant extent, because I just wanted to pile up the paperwork in the event that the matter went to the ombudsman or legal action.

 

After I went through this process, which took lord knows how many hours of my time, they compensated me for the poor handling of the matter.  Thanks for the lousy fifty Quid Santander.

 

I would love to move my accounts to a better UK bank but as a non UK resident I know of no options.  I plan to fix that problem in 2023.      

Edited November 26, 2022 by In the jungle

[Chivas]

14 hours ago, DezLez said:

Of course they will if you have applied for a loan or mortgage or other application that requires an interview etc; 

 

You then arrange a mutually agreed time for the call at the Bank's expense.

 

I agree however that you never accept a cold call from ANY organisation and do NOT use any phone number suggested by them as a call back, even if it is a number you recognise.

 

Always call back onto a main switchboard/call center number from their website who will connect you to the legitimate caller, if there was one!

 

lol talk about moving the goalposts for a snipe and then using the "deflection" tactics to roll back.

[Phnom Penh Trader]

Why don’t you open an online bank account with multi-currency facility such as Revolut?

Just download the app on your phone and away you go!

[hotandsticky]

5 minutes ago, Phnom Penh Trader said:

Why don’t you open an online bank account with multi-currency facility such as Revolut?

Just download the app on your phone and away you go!

"Revolut, in common with traditional financial institutions, uses algorithms to identify money laundering, fraud and other criminal activity, but unlike the rest of the banking industry, Revolut's algorithms additionally trigger an automated suspension of accounts. Revolut explains that "the system is programmed to temporarily lock an account and place it in a queue, until one of our compliance agents can review the case".

 

 

In September 2022, Revolut confirmed a cyber attack exposed personal data of tens of thousands of users.

 

 

 

The above should not deter anyone from at least considering the likes of Revolut as a banking option.

[Phnom Penh Trader]

2 minutes ago, hotandsticky said:

"Revolut, in common with traditional financial institutions, uses algorithms to identify money laundering, fraud and other criminal activity, but unlike the rest of the banking industry, Revolut's algorithms additionally trigger an automated suspension of accounts. Revolut explains that "the system is programmed to temporarily lock an account and place it in a queue, until one of our compliance agents can review the case".

 

 

In September 2022, Revolut confirmed a cyber attack exposed personal data of tens of thousands of users.

 

 

 

The above should not deter anyone from at least considering the likes of Revolut as a banking option.

You do realise that Elvis Presley is still alive and well on the internet I take it?

As long as you are not money laundering,committing fraud or other criminal activities what’s the problem?

Show me any large institution that hasn’t been hacked these days and I will be amazed!

[hotandsticky]

5 minutes ago, Phnom Penh Trader said:

You do realise that Elvis Presley is still alive and well on the internet I take it?

As long as you are not money laundering,committing fraud or other criminal activities what’s the problem?

Show me any large institution that hasn’t been hacked these days and I will be amazed!

 

Are you on commission for them.

 

I was just pointing out their algorithm approach. These pseudo 'banks' can be quite ruthless. I had an issue with Starling a few years back when they closed a business account for no justifiable reason.

 

What has The King got to do with anything? Silly comments like that just dilute your credibility further.

Edited November 27, 2022 by hotandsticky

[Phnom Penh Trader]

1 minute ago, hotandsticky said:

 

Are you on commission for them.

 

I was just pointing out their algorithm approach. These pseudo 'banks' can be quite ruthless. I had an issue with Starling a few years back when they closed a business account for no justifiable reason.

 

What has The King got to do with anything? Silly comments like that just dilute your credibility further.

So you were up to no good with Starling Bank and they,probably rightfully,closed you down no wonder you are having banking problems!

Are you from Nigeria and a romance scammer or something?

[hotandsticky]

5 minutes ago, Phnom Penh Trader said:

So you were up to no good with Starling Bank and they,probably rightfully,closed you down no wonder you are having banking problems!

Are you from Nigeria and a romance scammer or something?

Your credibility drops by the second.

 

As a retired bank manager I obviously would not involve myself in such Shenanigans....................................????

[Phnom Penh Trader]

28 minutes ago, hotandsticky said:

Your credibility drops by the second.

 

As a retired bank manager I obviously would not involve myself in such Shenanigans....................................????

I have never had an online business account closed down so where does that leave your credibility,please enlighten us as to why that happened it wasn’t for no reason,was it?
Ah the old retired bank manager ploy the oldest chestnut on the chestnut tree!

[hotandsticky]

6 minutes ago, Phnom Penh Trader said:

I have never had an online business account closed down so where does that leave your credibility,please enlighten us as to why that happened it wasn’t for no reason,was it?
Ah the old retired bank manager ploy the oldest chestnut on the chestnut tree!

 

There was less than GBP 1,000 pm going through the account - and all receipts were from DWP or government agencies. All transfers out were to my personal account.

 

Starling also did the same to a friend; his activity was much higher as he was buying and selling motor parts. No discussion or kiss my butt, they froze his account for 14 days whilst they 'reviewed' it, then closed it....GBP 75,000 of Kosher money in there. Starling were/are a bunch of amatuers.

 

 

As for credibility - I pitch my ASEAN NOW reputation rating of 4048 against your 35 any day.....

Edited November 27, 2022 by hotandsticky

[The Fugitive]

13 hours ago, In the jungle said:

I have accounts with Santander UK. 

 

In fact I have had the same current account and account number with Santander and prior to that Abbey National for forty years.

 

I have been through the process I suspect you are undergoing three times.  Each time they threaten to block access to your account and request a lot of paperwork.  Based on my experience I suggest they are less concerned about where you live and are more concerned with whether you can prove the source(s) of your money and that it is legitimate.

 

In my opinion it is unreasonable for some muppet in their call centre to ring you out of the blue and hit you with these issues which may be complex.

 

Here is an email address that may be of help to you:

 

[email protected]

 

You will not get a reply from the CEO but you will get a reply from Executive Communications at Santander who deal mostly with complaints of which there must be many.  The people there are a bit smarter and more experienced than some random call centre agent.  If you choose to go down this route the great advantage is that there is a written record of what was discussed.  Be fairly subtle about it but do not hesitate to leave the impression that you might pursue a formal complaint/banking ombudsman/legal action.  All those three avenues create more work for the people you are dealing with. 

 

Last time I went through this process, earlier this year, I emailed them literally every other day about the issue while it remained unresolved.  This was, to a significant extent, because I just wanted to pile up the paperwork in the event that the matter went to the ombudsman or legal action.

 

After I went through this process, which took lord knows how many hours of my time, they compensated me for the poor handling of the matter.  Thanks for the lousy fifty Quid Santander.

 

I would love to move my accounts to a better UK bank but as a non UK resident I know of no options.  I plan to fix that problem in 2023.      

Very helpful suggestion thanks. I too have had Savings plus Current Account, Credit Card and latterly Investment Hub with Santander and predecessors for 40+ years. Fortunately, I have never been subject to the investigations you mention. Once, a lady Call Centre agent shouted at me for "putting a lot of money through these accounts". I was buying and furnishing a house abroad at the time. I suppose now the cash has been spent they have no interest in my affairs. Fortunately, I maintain my U.K. address and was able to open two new accounts with 'Neo Banks' whilst in the U.K. earlier this year. However, they warn you that you are not permitted to operate the account if you move abroad.    

[In the jungle]

The reason why I have not moved from Santander to another UK bank is because such banks invariably require that when opening an account you confirm that you are a UK resident.  

 

I cannot honestly make such a declaration and I am not prepared to perjure myself by making a false declaration.

[nigelforbes]

8 minutes ago, In the jungle said:

The reason why I have not moved from Santander to another UK bank is because such banks invariably require that when opening an account you confirm that you are a UK resident.  

 

I cannot honestly make such a declaration and I am not prepared to perjure myself by making a false declaration.

A person can be resident one moment and not resident the next so that shouldn't be an issue. Also, resident for what purpose, for tax, domicile?

[Phnom Penh Trader]

32 minutes ago, hotandsticky said:

 

There was less than GBP 1,000 pm going through the account - and all receipts were from DWP or government agencies. All transfers out were to my personal account.

 

Starling also did the same to a friend; his activity was much higher as he was buying and selling motor parts. No discussion or kiss my butt, they froze his account for 14 days whilst they 'reviewed' it, then closed it....GBP 75,000 of Kosher money in there. Starling were/are a bunch of amatuers.

 

 

As for credibility - I pitch my ASEAN NOW reputation rating of 4048 against your 35 any day.....

Pretending to be a retired bank manager and basing your reputation on “likes” on a nameless forum,seriously?

You just couldn’t make this stuff up! ????

[In the jungle]

1 minute ago, nigelforbes said:

A person can be resident one moment and not resident the next so that shouldn't be an issue. Also, resident for what purpose, for tax, domicile?

Yes.  I argued exactly that point with Santander early this year.  My only recent experience with UK banks is with Santander who are remarkably sloppy and imprecise in their use of such terms.

 

 

[hotandsticky]

15 minutes ago, In the jungle said:

The reason why I have not moved from Santander to another UK bank is because such banks invariably require that when opening an account you confirm that you are a UK resident.  

 

I cannot honestly make such a declaration and I am not prepared to perjure myself by making a false declaration.

I can understand that.

 

 

Make sure you protect that Santander account  - and maybe consider something like WISE as a back up.

[hotandsticky]

1 minute ago, Phnom Penh Trader said:

Pretending to be a retired bank manager and basing your reputation on “likes” on a nameless forum,seriously?

You just couldn’t make this stuff up! ????

I think you can......

 

 

A trader from Phnom Penh, posting on a Thailand forum .....................................come on.