Santander issued 16-25 Railcard

[RJ]

My 3 year standard 16-25 Railcard expired in October. Given I am a student, I decided to sign up to Santander so I could take advantage of the free railcard offer. I thought it was supposed to be simple - open the student account, activate online banking and wait up to 5 days for a code to exchange for the railcard, as detailed in their publicity.

In my case, the code never turned up and getting Santander to issue me with one is proving to be a headache. The cynical side of me wonders how this has been messed up, seeing as it's an advertised service that must have been taken up by thousands of people. Has anyone else had one of these railcards? If so, did the process for getting one go smoothly?

 

[tony_mac]

Spot the obvious loophole!

I am over 25 years old and in full time education - can I order a Santander 16-25 Railcard?

Yes, as long as you have opened a new Santander Student Account and fulfill the eligibility criteria above.
Do I need to renew my Santander 16-25 Railcard each year?

No, the Santander 16-25 Railcard is valid for 4 years. The expiry date is printed on the front of the Santander 16-25 Railcard.

 

[Julian W]

RJ

I am a student and have had a student account with Santander for a few years. Upon introduction of the benefit they simply sent me a code to apply for one on the 16-25 railcard website and it was received a couple of days later.

It seems strange that they are being funny with it for new customers - normally it is the other way round with banks!

 

[trentside]

It seems strange that they are being funny with it for new customers - normally it is the other way round with banks!

That actually lines up with my experience of Santander - went in to enquire about moving my account to them a couple of years ago, and was treated with such indifference I just walked out. Obviously could've been just a couple of bad apples, but my custom obviously wasn't wanted!

As for the Railcard, there seem to be a lot of them floating around now - so clearly most people have managed to get the code without a problem. I know a couple of people who had similar issues with Natwest that took quite a significant time to resolve, but first I've heard of this from Santander.

 

[Tetchytyke]

I'd suggest you go into branch and stamp your feet a little. We have a Santander on campus at my university and they tend to listen to in-branch complaints from students, given that they're always trying to get students and staff to sign up to their accounts.

 

[andrewkeith5]

I tried once to get one of the Natwest railcards. What they didn't tell me was that there was an expiry date, and that conveniently nobody was available in branch to open my account until the day after the expiry Hopefully this isn't a situation like that!

So I took the full overdraft they gave me (at 0%!), bought a 3-year railcard anyway and put the rest in a high interest savings account for the 4 years I was at uni. Paid it back and closed the account when I joined the working world, with a reasonable profit, and will now never bank with Natwest. Further reinforced by their proven inability to run computer systems! Their loss...

 

[RJ]

Well, I now have a dispute with Santander. I was signed up for a Student Current Account by an in store advisor. I went through the full application and verification process and the computer said yes. I've got the paperwork and everything. Online banking set up and ready to go.

Unless anyone can see otherwise anywhere, once you have the Student Account, there are no futher stipulations to be eligible for the railcard. Shortly after I created this thread, I got a message in my online banking to say that I was not eligible for the railcard, because I'm in my 3rd year of study and did not switch over a student account from another bank.

So I turned up at the store where I was given the account today, no appointment. I really don't like talking, but these people were giving me reasons to talk. After attempting to fob me off telling me that the message I got was correct, I said that I'd concede if they told me where in the T&Cs it said anything to that effect. I knew full well that it didn't and watched them desperately thumbing through the leaflet and checking the T&Cs online. They tried to say that as I was informed after I set up the account, I should accept it. I said that they can't just capriciously make up T&Cs after I signed a contract. They conceded this to some extent.

After making a phonecall, they claimed that according to their knowledge of the Student account T&Cs, it should never have been opened. They didn't know how I passed the stringent computer process which is usually effective at declining those not entitled to the account. They ended up telling me that I can keep the student account and the free overdraft, but they would not give me the railcard unless I shut my current account (not even a Student account) elsewhere and transfer my money and DDs to them. Sounds like they're bending the rules.

It seems to me that they are trying to renege on the contract that I signed at no inconvenience to themselves. I am not going to tolerate this. I was standing up at that greetings desk talking with these people for over 40 minutes of my lunchtime. The queue behind me was spiralling round the store, going out of the door, because my complaint was apparently resource intensive and needed multiple staff to deal with it. I'm going back there tomorrow and won't be leaving until it's fully dealt with.

 

[ainsworth74]

Oh RJ if only you stopped reading the T&Cs and just accepted what they told you everything would be so much simpler. Don't you know that's what your supposed to do?

Good luck as always!

 

[sheff1]

I was standing up at that greetings desk talking with these people for over 40 minutes of my lunchtime. The queue behind me was spiralling round the store, going out of the door, because my complaint was apparently resource intensive and needed multiple staff to deal with it.

Just imagine the scenes if everyone read the T&Cs and didn't stand for being fobbed off. Never mind out the door, it would be well down the street.

Of course, we are regularly told on here that passengers should read the NRCoC & ticket T&Cs before travelling and, if they don't understand anything, ask fior clarification at the booking office. If people actually did that and wouldn't budge until they were dealt with satisfactorily similar secenes would be commonplace. I know from experience that its takes three staff some time to answer a simple query at Sheffield, for example.

 

[TEW]

Unless anyone can see otherwise anywhere, once you have the Student Account, there are no futher stipulations to be eligible for the railcard. Shortly after I created this thread, I got a message in my online banking to say that I was not eligible for the railcard, because I'm in my 3rd year of study and did not switch over a student account from another bank.

That sounds odd. I'm in my 3rd year of study and received my code recently. It did take quite a while for it to come through though. I'm putting off activating it for now as I still have a 3-year Railcard and want to get the maximum use of the free one.

 

[island]

RJ: suggest you lodge a formal complaint with Santander and if they do not sort it, complain to the Financial Ombudsman Service. This will cost them £550

 

[Julian W]

I'm in my third year of study and had no issue getting it. They offered it to me after removing the previous benefits of contents insurance (which I never used anyway) so really don't see why you wouldn't be eligible, RJ.

Best of luck.

 

[Tetchytyke]

RJ: suggest you lodge a formal complaint with Santander and if they do not sort it, complain to the Financial Ombudsman Service. This will cost them £550

If only there was a like button.

Santander are crap and like making the rules up- in my case I had a dispute about a £100 joining bonus that they claimed I wasn't entitled to- but a complain to FOS seemed to jog their memory a bit. Funny how a bill for £500+VAT tends to do that.

NB: Don't mention the FOS fee, but do mention you'll be taking it up with FOS.

 

[RJ]

Thank you all for the advice - I have taken it on board and am about to head off to get it sorted. If anyone sees a queue emanating from the Victoria Street branch in the next couple of hours, it'll possibly be me at the head of it again.

 

[Be3G]

Oh RJ if only you stopped reading the T&Cs and just accepted what they told you everything would be so much simpler. Don't you know that's what your supposed to do?

A bit off-topic I know but I think it's quite important advice: bank T&Cs are an important read, in this day and age of mostly ignoring T&Cs. I once opened several accounts with Metro Bank purely because I was told by the advisor that one of the accounts would have a certain facility I needed, but after pressing him to show me that in writing in the bank's T&Cs, it transpired the facility wasn't available. So I closed all the accounts. (Though the staff at Metro Bank were very helpful so the experience was less annoying than RJ's seems to be.)

In another case, I requested something from First Direct and they initially said no – until I quoted their terms back at them verbatim, which stated my request was valid. They were very quick to apologise and set things right though.

Point being: everyone should read their bank's T&Cs.

 

[bicbasher]

Years ago when I was 16, I wanted to open an account with the Abbey, which is now Santander with £4k to deposit. They weren't interested.

Natwest got my custom instead, they didn't offer me a railcard though, I paid for my own Y-P's.

 

[Goatboy]

Years ago when I was 16, I wanted to open an account with the Abbey, which is now Santander with £4k to deposit. They weren't interested.

I do love pointless internet anecdotes. They 'weren't interested'? What, so you said 'I would like to open an account please' and they said 'go away'?

 

[bicbasher]

I do love pointless internet anecdotes. They 'weren't interested'? What, so you said 'I would like to open an account please' and they said 'go away'?

Basically yes. I also like pointless anecdotes from you too.

 

[Goatboy]

Basically yes. I also like pointless anecdotes from you too.

Sounds like you were applying for an account for which you didn't meet the eligibility criteria then.

 

[maniacmartin]

I was on the phone to Santander's fraud department today, trying to tell them one of their customers had posted a picture of their card online, with all details visible, and the billing address easy to find. But they weren't interested in my telling them the card number of the compromised card as I wasn't a customer...

 

[sheff1]

Sounds like you were applying for an account for which you didn't meet the eligibility criteria then.

What a strange idea. I had exactly the same experience as bicbasher when I tried to open an account with Bradford & Bingley. Their lack of interest meant I took my custom elsewhere. As I belive B&B are now also part of Santander, looks like I had a lucky escape.

There was also the well reported case of an early National Lottery 7-figure winner who tried to open an account somewhere only to be brushed off. They, too, went elsewhere.

 

[Goatboy]

What a strange idea. I had exactly the same experience as bicbasher when I tried to open an account with Bradford & Bingley. Their lack of interest meant I took my custom elsewhere.

I don't understand how there can be a 'lack of interest' from a bank when you wish to open a current account for which you meet the criteria. It's almost entirely automated anyway, fill in the forms and your account gets created.

It's like suggesting Tesco 'wasnt interested' in selling you some food.

 

[sheff1]

I don't understand how there can be a 'lack of interest' from a bank when you wish to open a current account for which you meet the criteria. It's almost entirely automated anyway, fill in the forms and your account gets created.

The conversation, in branch, went something like:

"I have £xx and would like to open an account please"

B&B "Have you got an appointment"

"No"

B&B "You must make an appointment to open an account"

"OK, when is the next appointment ?"

B&B "We are fully booked"

"There must be an appointment sometime - next week would be OK"

B&B "No, we only book x days in advance and they are all full. You could try coming in again next week, but I can't guarantee there will be any appointments free"

"OK, I will go elsewhere"

I did, got an appointment for later the same day and have been with that organisation ever since.

 

[bb21]

Sounds like someone was just reading from a script than trying to help his employer gain more customers.

 

[island]

I was on the phone to Santander's fraud department today, trying to tell them one of their customers had posted a picture of their card online, with all details visible, and the billing address easy to find. But they weren't interested in my telling them the card number of the compromised card as I wasn't a customer...

I remember someone posing for a photo in the Sunday Times with a Halifax debit card with all details visible when I worked there. I got onto our fraud unit in pretty short order and they sorted it out. But being staff probably helped.

 

[extendedpaul]

My son turned 16 just before Christmas so off we went to Santander with his birthday money to open an account and get him a 16-25 Railcard.

Unfortunately the account linked to the railcard is currently only available to persons over 18 which I think is unhelpful to put it mildly. "We have other accounts for your son, sir, if you'd like to come into my office ..." We left.

I appreciate that it costs the train provider the same to carry a 16 year old as any other adult but even so with so few under 18s even allowed to work these days a bit more flexibility would seem reasonable

Anyone know of any discounts to purchasing a YP Railcard ?

 

[Mojo]

The best discount for a 1625 Railcard is to buy the three year one via the website; this works out at £70 for the three years compared to £30 for a one year (in reality £27 as nobody should pay full price because there is a near-permanent 10% off the yearly ones bought online with the discount code Save10).

You can also get one for £15 of Tesco Clubcard vouchers, although there are better deals than this if you have other things to spend your Clubcard vouchers on.

 

[andrewkeith5]

My son turned 16 just before Christmas so off we went to Santander with his birthday money to open an account and get him a 16-25 Railcard.

Unfortunately the account linked to the railcard is currently only available to persons over 18 which I think is unhelpful to put it mildly. "We have other accounts for your son, sir, if you'd like to come into my office ..." We left.

I appreciate that it costs the train provider the same to carry a 16 year old as any other adult but even so with so few under 18s even allowed to work these days a bit more flexibility would seem reasonable

Anyone know of any discounts to purchasing a YP Railcard ?

This is a perfectly standard restriction for this type of account. The account is not a standard current account, it is specifically advertised as a Student Account, designed for University students who are, in the exceptionally large majority of cases, over 18 or will be over 18 when they start. The railcard is simply a bonus feature of the account which Santander could stop offering tomorrow if they so wished without any affect on the account itself.

As your son is 16, I think he will have great trouble opening anything apart from a Young Persons account, which if he's lucky might mean a Debit Card (which for reference he won't be abe to use on board trains as it will be online only) and not much else - at most banks a Debit Card is a big ask at 16.

I don't know how genuine your comment about working under 18 is, but AFAIK there is nothing stopping anyone working under 18, apart from a proposal by government that they must be studying also until 18. I'm 23 now and have been working since about the age of 13 (it may have been earlier, I think 12 was the youngest you could be for a paper round...) whilst studying for GCSEs, A-Levels and my degree...

 

[RJ]

Update: I put this on the back burner for quite some time owing to having more pressing ticketing related matters to spend time on. This drama has been ongoing since I started this thread, so I decided to complain a couple of days ago.

From last year, I opend a new student account, signed up for Online Banking and deposited the required amount - their website and all publicity relating to the promotion lists these as the only eligibility criteria. Santander acknowledged that I did meet the published criteria, but weren't prepared to provide me with the code at this point owing to a stipulation I didn't meet which they agreed was not published anywhere in the public domain.

As a goodwill gesture, they offered me a three figure sum which more than covers the cost of four years worth of railcards and also advised what I need to do in order to get them to send me a railcard code. I'm satisfied with the outcome.

 

[WelshBluebird]

advised what I need to do in order to get them to send me a railcard code

And I am guessing you are not able to put that into the public domain?
Doesn't affect me but interesting that they have admitted they were in the wrong, while still I am guessing not updating their literature to include the additional condition?