Consumer complaint received 2017-03-18
Company: SANTANDER BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
State: NY
Product: Credit card
Issue: Customer service / Customer relations

Complaint:
In in XX/XX/XXXX, I applied for a Santander " XXXX '' card at a branch in XXXX, MA. I also signed up for a checking account with them. I used both for a few months, and quickly realized the service was terrible and they were using deceptive business tactics. Just one example, the man who signed me up said there would be no annual fee whatsoever, yet there was. I closed the debit account, but continued using the card in certain circumstances so my credit would not be destroyed. In XX/XX/XXXX, I left for XXXX to work for a year. Before leaving, I paid off everything on the card. I pride myself for never being late on a payment for any card I have ever owned, I know the extreme consequences. After 2 weeks in XXXX, I checked again. There were no charges. Everything had been paid. After a couple months, I went to check on the account using the online banking system. After logging in, the system would automatically log me out after 5-10 seconds. I could enter all my information correctly, but the system would simply log me out. I am well versed in tech, and tried from different browsers, different computers, even my phone. Nothing worked. The error was with their system. I did not worry, since I had double checked all payments months before, and never used the card since. In XX/XX/XXXX, I applied for another credit card and was sent a message that my credit score was poor and I was not accepted. I was bewildered, because I 've never missed a payment. I checked my XXXX card ( which I had no trouble logging in to ) and it was at XXXX $ balance. I tried to check Santander again, and encountered the same error - the system would boot me after 5-10 seconds. It was very difficult for me to call customer service, being in XXXX, so I tried every possible method to sign into the online banking. Nothing worked. Finally, I had to spend more money to call them internationally. I finally got an agent on the phone, and he was VERY slow in helping me, dragging out my international calling time further. He did not even realize what the problem was. After about 20-30 minutes I was finally able to glean that a charge had been added on in XX/XX/XXXX, over a month after leaving for XXXX. It was a motel charge from the USA for {$49.00}. This had never been paid and had ballooned into a charge of {$360.00}, destroying my credit in the process. To boot, I had never been notified by Santander via email, mail or anything else. I had never received any correspondence from them whatsoever, even a billing statement. I explained the whole story to the agent and he said there was NOTHING he could do. I was forced to call a second time, spending more money. The second time, they told me all they could do was apply a credit of {$35.00} dollars if I payed it right away. Fearing that they would be happy to throw on more extraneous fees if I did not pay it, and fought without payment, I payed the money. After paying the money, my online banking seemingly magically began to work. I do want to say it was a malicious act to earn them extra fees, but it seems awfully convenient that the banking system did not work, as they completely ignored sending me any statement simultaneously as a charge was added over a month later of paying my balance to XXXX. I am happy to pay the {$49.00} motel charge, but I feel I have done everything I could as a responsible consumer, and the fault lies with Santander 's service for not informing me, or even allowing me to view my account. The total charge ballooned to XXXX, of which XXXX $ is the annual fee I was lied about, and {$49.00} is the motel fee. After subtractacting the {$49.00} and the paultry {$35.00} they gave to " make up '' for their extensive mistakes, I am owed {$270.00} by Santander. They also owe me for the destruction of my credit score. I will end by not recommending their services to anyone, and that I have cancelled all cards and connections with them.

Company public response: Company has responded to the consumer and the CFPB and chooses not to provide a public response
Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation