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

Decision detail

Summary

Mr A and Mrs R complained that Santander unfairly restricted their joint account and blocked Mr A's debit cards after he queried why both his old and replacement cards were active simultaneously. Santander identified security concerns during Mr A's call and required him to attend a branch with identification to complete verification checks. The restrictions were lifted after Mrs R phoned Santander. The Ombudsman found that Santander had reasonable grounds for security concerns, did not err in allowing the cards to overlap temporarily, and acted fairly in restricting the account and requiring branch attendance, which was later waived. The complaint was not upheld.

The Ombudsman's reasoning

The Ombudsman found that Santander had reasonable grounds for security concerns following Mr A's call and was entitled to restrict the account and block cards under the account terms. The overlapping card situation did not constitute an error or cause financial loss. The requirement for branch attendance was consistent with security procedures, and the restrictions were lifted promptly after Mrs R's call. Confidential security information was appropriately relied upon to reach the decision.

How this compares

Source

Read the original decision on the Financial Ombudsman Service website