Not upheld: Service failures generally complaint against Santander UK Plc

Decision detail

Summary

Mr B complained about poor customer service from Santander after requesting urgent confirmation that his credit card balance had been settled for employment vetting purposes. Santander initially sent conflicting information showing both a zero balance and an amount owed of £194.50, and later sent a duplicate error containing the same conflicting information. Although Santander provided a clear confirmation letter dated 25 November 2025 and acknowledged their errors, Mr B sought £500 compensation. The ombudsman found that while Santander's service was poor, the £150 compensation offered was fair and reasonable given that Mr B ultimately received adequate confirmation and Santander had acknowledged and apologised for their mistakes.

The Ombudsman's reasoning

The ombudsman acknowledged that Santander provided poor customer service and compounded errors by sending duplicate conflicting statements. However, the ombudsman found that Mr B had received a clear confirmation letter dated 25 November 2025 showing a zero balance, which should have been sufficient for his vetting purposes. Although there was a delay and confusion caused by the duplicate response, Santander accepted their errors and offered compensation. The ombudsman considered £150 fair compensation for the distress and inconvenience caused, noting that the FOS does not have power to fine or penalise businesses and compensation awards must be proportionate.

How this compares

Source

Read the original decision on the Financial Ombudsman Service website