Santander blocked my account and my daughters

[mrscsmith]

Today I find out both mine and my daughters account have been blocked by Santander Bank and they refuse to say why, who, what or anything else at all.

The last few months we have had several investigation phone calls about money in our account going back years which I explained all to them.

Its just general banking stuff.
I have saved my whole life for my daughters uni fees so her balance is healthy and they dont seem to like it.

They wont even let me have my benefits or any cash at all.
They refuse to speak to me even when putting in a complaint and just say wait.

How can I wait with no money, soon no petrol and then no food!!!!

I dont know how to get them to see sense.
My credit rating is excellent so no problem, no overdraft, no loans.
I phoned benefits and they know nothing about it either and said I should be given my benefit money but the bank refuses.

Can anyone help before I go out of my mind PLEASE

 

[honeybee13]

Hi.

 

Do you have another account that your benefits can be paid to? That's something you can do now to ease your cash flow a bit.

 

It sounds as if you could have been picked up by their anti money laundering system/alogrithm. This is quite common if you have a look at our banking forums and I think we had a Santander case not that long ago. Barclays and NatWest have cropped up as well.

 

It's normally a case of waiting for them to work through their investigation although they won't tell you what's happening because they would be in trouble under the current rules.

 

You need to contact the CEO of Santander, try the ceoemail site.

 

HB

[mrscsmith]

I have opened up two new bank accounts now and getting benefits changed into them for next month.

I have emailed the CEO with all the details of my account but it is picked up by a worker in the office who has replied with WE DO NOT NEED TO TELL YOU ANYTHING AND NO TRANSACTIONS IN OR OUT.  We dont know how long it will take and they still refuse to give me my benefits money.  My direct debits will start to bounce now and my credit file will be ruined.

[mrscsmith]

I have still no reply from the bank except complain to the Ombudsman, done a complaint to them and now had a reply that it may take 4 months for a response even though I marked it urgent.  

My benefits will be paid into a new bank account later this month but I only have a loan of a friend for food and cant pay the direct debits that Santander are now returning.  

I still have no idea why they are doing this to us and what is supposed to be suspicious to freeze the account?  Nobody seems able to help or pass on any information as to whats happening.  No contact from police or nobody sure this is not correct way for a bank to carry on??  I am so frustrated and worried.

 

18 days now - just nothing.

Any advice please?   

[dx100uk]

we have seem some take 1 month+

 

there is other than doing what your have done, not much you can do than provide any info they may ask and wait.

 

as pointed out barclays are a favourite for doing this and well as starling bank i too

 

what do you think triggered this?

are you transferring large sums in/out the country or to other bank a/c's?

 

dx

 

 

 

[mrscsmith]

Main issue is the bank hasnt asked for anything.
I dont do cash or international banking.
I have been doing a kitchen renovation and ran out of money so borrowed some from my daughter.
I told her mark it as loan as I will be paying it back.

Nothing more than that.

 

Had £5000 then asked for another £2000 but dont think that is extreme as told bank kitchen renovation going on so will be spending more than usual.

 

 

Would it be worth sending a SAR to the bank?
If yes can you link me to a template one please that I can copy.
Still dont have a clue why this has happened.
Thank You

 

[dx100uk]

gotta be the reason then.

its an A1 automatic thing that takes a real human to simply investigate and undo the block.

 

can be upto 1mts.

 

dx

 

 

 

 

 

[unclebulgaria67]

Just click on SAR for a letter template.

 

As has been advised already, Santander computer has detected issues for someone to investigate.

 

When you make deposits into the account, do you pay these into the account in cash ? Or are most of the transactions electronic debits/credits, where they can see where the money has come from.

 

Banks do not like lots of cash deposits and withdrawals. Causes them to have to investigate.

 

This problem could be on your daughters account, which has then been linked to yours due to transactions.

[mrscsmith]

I never do cash, all payments can be followed through.  Only took £500 cash out at start of kitchen to purchase items locally 2 months previous.
I gave my daughter the money in the first place but just needed a loan to get a kitchen finished.
All payments are done via electronic transfer so traceable, nothing strange at all.
Cant defend nothing when bank wont get in touch to ask anything, have even sent CEO email stating what was going on with kitchen etc.

Thanks for the SAR link will send this off.

[Ethel Street]

Send the SAR and see what you get back but don't expect to get much, if anything, about why your account has been frozen.

 

Information held by a bank that relates to a potential criminal investigation - eg what triggered a suspicion of possible money laundering - is exempt from SAR disclosure so they won't give it to you.

[unclebulgaria67]

I find these situations totally bizarre !

 

You wonder what transactions have been picked up that merit these investigations.

 

Santander appear to be one of the most complained about Banks going by number of reports in online forums.

 

To suspend Bank accounts stopping all transactions should be a last resort action, where the Bank has no choice but to take this action.

 

 

[mrscsmith]

Update:
My daughter got a cheque for her account 2 weeks ago saying We have closed your account and giving no explaination.
Letter was dated 6 April but took 3 weeks to send her cheque out.

Today (28 April) I got the same letter, dated 6 April, Cheque dated 11 April and received on 28th April.  So the bank needs 22 days to send out a cheque in the post.

What is more disgusting is NO REASON GIVEN, blocked my account, destroyed all my direct debits, loads of stress and worry ALL FOR NOTHING.  

There needs to be a change in the law that banks cannot do this to customers and refuse to communicate with them.  
I still have no idea why this has happened????? 

 

[BankFodder]

You could make a complaint to the ombudsman 

[mrscsmith]

Yes I have done so, this behaviour of the bank is so inhumane when  nothing is wrong with an account.

Unfortunately the Ombudsman needs 4 months now to start looking into a complaint.

I lost my workman as couldnt pay him, my house cant be rented out, the damage I have had is unbelievable despite ruining my daughters birthday as she got nothing!!
Will just have to sit tight and wait for Ombudsman now as Santander gave up speaking to me weeks ago. 

[dx100uk]

if they dont want you to bank with them sadly you have not much recourse and they don't have to give a reason esp if they suspect funny business going on but can't prove it, following their AI bot flagging your accounts. 

 

 

however , if they have acted unfairly during the whole process , you might get some form of compensation.