Santander issues warning to 75,000 customers after they were paid salaries TWICE four years ago
THOUSANDS of Santander customers could be in for a nasty shock as the bank has confirmed it is still recovering cash paid out by accident more than three years ago.
On Christmas Day 2021, around 75,000 customers were accidentally paid twice by the bank in a major blunder.
Around £130million was paid twice from 2,000 business accounts, although Santander footed the bill for the second payments.
The bank tried to claw the cash back at the time, but as most customers’ payments were sent to rival bank accounts, it wasn’t easy to recover the money.
Customers at Barclays, HSBC, NatWest, Co Op Bank and Virgin Money were among those affected.
According to The Times, which first reported the error at the time, some banks were reluctant to return the money where customers may have been pushed into their overdraft as a result.
But anyone thinking they are in the clear now could be in for an unpleasant surprise as Santander has confirmed that it is still recovering the money.
A spokesperson for Santander told The Sun: “We worked collaboratively with recipient banks immediately after the issue occurred in order to recover a majority of the funds, but some recovery activities remain in progress.”
What are my rights if I’m paid twice?
If you’re paid twice by accident, the party that sent the money has the right to attempt to recover it and you are not legally entitled to keep the cash.
However, it may not always be possible for the overpayer to recover the funds automatically.
If you’re overpaid by your employer, they may balance it out by deducting the overpayment from your future wages.
But if this isn’t an option, the party that overpaid you may write to you asking for you to pay it back. If you are contacted, it’s best to arrange repayment as soon as possible.
You should be able to discuss an affordable repayment plan if you can’t pay the money back all at once.
How to complain if your bank treats you unfairly
IF you think your bank has treated you poorly, there are steps you can take to complain.
Your first port of all should be complaining directly to the bank.
They should have a formal complaints process, but if you’re not sure how to begin, contact the bank and ask.
Put your complaint in writing and explain how you want the bank to make things right.
Your bank should investigate your complaint and respond within eight weeks.
If you don’t hear back by then or you aren’t happy with the outcome, you can take your complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS).
Make sure to get a “final response” letter from the bank. You must take your complaint to the FOS within six months of getting the final response.
Keep a record of any correspondence with the bank and anything that backs up your complaint such as letters and emails documenting the issue.
If the FOS agrees with your complaint, it will outline how the bank should put it right. You need to accept the FOS decision first.