Not upheld: Account administration errors complaint against Santander UK Plc

Decision detail

Summary

Mrs U complained about how Santander handled her credit card following a failed balance transfer attempt on 11 August 2025 where she mistakenly used her own card number as the destination. After the funds were returned and a successful balance transfer was completed, Mrs U disputed a £750 fixed direct debit payment arrangement she claimed was set up in error, requesting refunds of multiple payments. Santander refunded £1,450 but declined to refund the final £750 payment as it would exceed the credit limit, offering £100 compensation for incorrect timescale information. The ombudsman upheld Santander's position, finding call recordings confirmed Mrs U requested the £750 arrangement and that all transactions were processed correctly according to her instructions.

The Ombudsman's reasoning

The ombudsman examined the credit card statements across two statement periods to understand the full impact of the failed balance transfer and subsequent transactions. The evidence from call recordings demonstrated that Mrs U explicitly requested the £750 fixed direct debit on 14 August 2025, contrary to her later assertion that she requested £50. The ombudsman found that all transactions were processed correctly in accordance with Mrs U's instructions and that the account balance calculations were accurate. The decision to decline the 3 November refund was reasonable as it would have breached the credit limit. The £100 compensation for incorrect timescale information was deemed appropriate.

How this compares

Source

Read the original decision on the Financial Ombudsman Service website