Santander fury over three-week ordeal to register important document | Personal Finance | Finance

A Santander customer was infuriated as they had spent three weeks trying to register an important document at their local branch with no success.

The person contacted the bank over X to voice their frustration, saying: “Please explain why it is impossible to get a response from your branch in my town.

“Trying to deal with Santnader on urgent matter involving an LPA [Lasting Power of Attorney]. Need to escalate concerns over severe lack of efficient customer service or incompetence but who to?”

The bank responded to offer their apologies and asked them to email them at t witter@santander.co.uk so they could help further.

The individual said they would send them an email, adding: ” Hopefully will be more expedient than ringing your branch numbers over 20 times in one day with no answer.

“When head office says it’s difficult to contact branches as they are busy I’d suggest you have a resource problem.”

A representative of the bank again said sorry for the ongoing issue and asked what exactly was the problem.

The irritated person said: “Just trying to get you to recognise an LPA. The amount of conflicting information, ‘no reply’ emails, requests for info you’ve already had, branch telephone numbers that never answer.

“Feels like you have no control leaving us very frustrated. Need someone to take some ownership.”

Santander asked if they had sent over an email with the person responding that they would that day unless they heard back from the branch, saying the problem had been going on for three weeks.

They further explained the difficulties they had faced, saying: “So after two days of trying intensely to contact your Ruislip branch which includes calling at 15-minute intervals over several hours.

“Even your head office are now saying they can’t contact them using their own dedicated number. What’s going on?”

Santander explained that this branch closes at 3pm, so if the head office team had tried calling them after this time they likely wouldn’t pick up.

They also asked if the person was trying to register an existing account with the LPA.

The person continued to vent their anger at the situation, saying: “It’s not just us trying to contact the branch.

“It’s your own head office. They are saying they can’t get through and that no one answers the phone. That’s your own HQ saying that.

“This has been going on for three weeks. Meanwhile we continue to be frustrated in registering this.”

The bank then sent them a link to a page on the Santander website about ‘Will Writing and Lasting Power of Attorney services’.

But the individual said they had already tried this route. They said: “Hopeless. It’s currently not a positive experience being one of your customers.

The bank told Express.co.uk it has a dedicated page on Power of Attorney for customer on its website, as referenced above. This includes a factsheet setting out how customers can register a Power of Attorney.

Customers can also call the Power of Attorney helpline on 0800 414 8414 or can book a branch appointment by calling 0333 207 2899.

For the latest personal finance news, follow us on Twitter at @ExpressMoney_.