Not upheld: Card / payment disputes complaint against Santander UK Plc

Decision detail

Summary

Mrs A, represented by Mr A, complained to Santander after £1000 in cash withdrawn from a branch was stolen. The cash had been provided in a sealed, pre-counted wallet, but Mr A chose to open and count it at the counter and again in another area of the branch, where it was subsequently stolen. Santander declined the complaint, noting the cash was verified as correct and Mr A could have asked staff to count it securely. The ombudsman upheld Santander's position, finding it unreasonable to hold them responsible for theft occurring after the customer left the counter with the money, particularly when secure alternatives were available.

The Ombudsman's reasoning

The ombudsman found it would not be fair or reasonable to hold Santander responsible for theft that occurred after Mr A left the counter with his money. While sympathising with Mr A's situation, the ombudsman noted that Mr A had the option to ask staff to count the cash in the safety of the counter or a secure room. Mr A's decision to move to a more open area of the branch to count the funds again was his own choice. The ombudsman also could not hold Santander responsible for the apparent distraction scam that preceded the theft, as this was an unconnected criminal act.

How this compares

Source

Read the original decision on the Financial Ombudsman Service website