Santander Online Banking
Hello All,
I am new to this forum but very glad I have found it! Firstly, apologies for the length of this email. I do not live in Spain but have a holiday home in Altea and visited Santander Bank a few years ago when it took over from Banco Popular. Santander needed new KYC (identification documents) for their records which I brought to their satisfaction. I wanted to set up online banking and was given my unique “document number” and was told I just needed to log on and follow the website prompts in order to acquire my “passcode”. To enable me to obtain my “passcode” the website needed my document number which I supplied as well as my Spanish mobile number - here lieth the problem - as explained to the bank worker who was dealing with my updated KYC, as I do not live in Spain, I do not have a Spanish mobile. She said that it was not a problem but when I logged on to their website I could not proceed to obtain my passcode without my Spanish mobile number. I tried to insert my Spanish land line number (which the bank has on my file) but this was not acceptable. Due to the pandemic I have not been able to visit Spain for nearly 18 months now and do not envisage being able to get over for a further year. To cut a very long story short, the bank has said that unless I visit the branch (which I have been told has now closed) I cannot obtain my passcode and that they have posted it to me. I have had my Mail checked in Spain despite me asking them to send it to my residential address and “nada”. As I was worried that funds for paying bills would deplete, I wired money to my account, emailed the bank informing them of the same. I did not receive a response from the bank AND THE WIRE WAS RETURNED WITH NO REASON! After repeated emails from me someone responded saying the wire was returned as my account has a full stop on it as the bank requires updated KYC AND, in order to satisfy the bank of the same, I need to log on to my account and answer certain questions! I CAN’T LOG ON WITHOUT THE PASSCODE and the bank will not assist further, ignoring my emails, which I hasten to add with the help of Google Translate are sent in Spanish. I am beside myself as I am worried funds will run out and utilities will be shut off. Has anyone got any pearls of wisdom apart from closing my account and moving to a different bank? Would be most grateful for your thoughts (or as many email addresses for personnel at Santander that I could try in the hope of some assistance).
Many thanks,
Heidi