I am a UK citizen living in Greece but domiciled in the UK. I have a Santander current account and in December asked for a new pin number for my internet banking. “No problem,” it said. “It will be in the post soon”. After many subsequent phone calls I was told that Santander will not post me a new pin because Greece is deemed too dangerous. It also refused to supply me with one if I visit a branch in the UK. This means I cannot access my account in Greece, check my statements and standing orders, or transfer money. My wife is in the same situation with her debit card for which they also refuse to give her a pin number. Can a bank cut me off like this? AW, Messinia, Greece
Greece’s economy may be in a perilous state, but it will be news to many that that earns it a place on the list of no-go countries. Santander is mysteriously reluctant to admit to its view of our EU friend. When pressed, it says customers living abroad can collect their pin from any nominated UK branch, although you were refused this.
On my third attempt at enlightenment, Santander decides you were not allowed your pin because the address it had for you did not match the one to which you wanted the pin sent. It hasn’t come up with this excuse before, not even to the Financial Ombudsman Service whose help you invoked at the same time you contacted me.
To the FOS it repeated what it had told you – that Greece is “high-risk” for security details. The FOS says that banks are within their rights to decide which countries are risky, but it persuaded Santander to make an exception and let you collect your pin in person along with £50 compensation for the run-around. Santander then tells me the address was the problem, after all. I ask if, in that case, they can send the pin via post. Because of your “poor customer experience” they say they will make an exception and do so.
