Not upheld: account closure, delayed fund return, poor service complaint against Santander UK Plc
Financial Ombudsman decision DRN-6231419 of 2026-05-19T00:00:00+00:00. account closure, delayed fund return, poor service complaint against Santander UK Plc. Outcome: Not upheld.
Decision detail
| Reference | DRN-6231419 |
|---|---|
| Decision date | 2026-05-19T00:00:00+00:00 |
| Firm | Santander UK Plc |
| Product | current account |
| Claim type | account closure, delayed fund return, poor service |
| Outcome | Not upheld |
| Remedy | No compensation, interest, or other remedy ordered. |
Summary
Mr G complained that Santander failed to return his funds following account closure in June 2025 and provided poor service. After requesting proof of entitlement, which Mr G provided in October 2025, Santander incorrectly logged his transfer request and later processed a cheque request against the wrong account. The funds were eventually returned in February 2026 after significant delay. The ombudsman acknowledged the service failures but declined to award compensation, citing confidential information under regulatory discretion, resulting in the complaint being not upheld.
The Ombudsman's reasoning
The ombudsman acknowledged that Santander provided inadequate service and delayed return of funds, but determined that awarding compensation would not be fair or appropriate in the circumstances. The ombudsman exercised discretion under DISP 3.5.9R to treat certain information in confidence, which informed the decision not to award compensation or interest despite the service failures.
How this compares
| Group | Decisions | Uphold rate |
|---|---|---|
| Santander UK Plc, all decisions | 14,413 | 22% |
Source
Read the original decision on the Financial Ombudsman Service website