The only way you can adjust your contactless card is to download the Santander app to your phone - this insistence to use mobile app’s seems to apply to many banks now.
I complied for Santander and have turned off contactless - remembering my pin number is easy so I’ll stick with that.
I am with Santander and have not as yet experienced the problems you write of. However, coincidentally I have to phone the bank about something else so will let you know how I get on. Santander have always been good for communications, perhaps that has changed due to the pandemic like a lot of other organisations? Time will tell on that one now though.
Santander no longer have online chat with a human - only with a bot, so you’ll be subjected to the “wait times will be longer than usual” message!
Good luck
Thanks for the advice and warning, I will post as to how I got on.
My Westpac app on my phone has a facility to cancel or report lost cards or report suspicious activity. As a last resort I can call into a branch. Bugger phoning them.
I’ll take a look at that Westpac app. As for calling into a branch to report a lost card - I’ve now chosen just one credit & debit card to use (from a choice of six bank accounts) and the nearest branch is at least a 30 minute drive.
Just down the road then?
Half way across the island!
@Lindyloo You were exactly right about the telephone service to be expected. I was offered the services of their ‘digital bot’ – ‘Sandy’, but no good as I needed to make a query about my account, details for using my mobile phone rather than the Debit Card, as it seemed to offer more security. Plus whether or not I had to make any arrangements to deal with another money matter. In all that took well over an hour, 45 minutes of this was just waiting on hold, with the same ‘apologetic voice’ every 25 seconds.
The telephone service used to be very good, answering within usually five minutes maximum, obviously that is no longer the case. There used to be a secure messaging system, that has now gone. All in all Santander is no longer as good as it once was. The only good point about them is their website for online banking, that has always been good and still remains that way.
Everything seems to be geared towards online or mobile banking, as with many other financial organisations. I reckon it’s not for the better either, other than of course better for the banks – less staff more profits!
Yes - Customer Service no longer matters. It’s as though people are of no concern any more. Tory party policies have infiltrated every aspect of our lives and were just sitting ducks waiting for every penny to be squeezed out of us! We really really need to massive complaints about this! Back to the subject of contactless payments - if your card is stolen and used by the thief - how long do you think you’ll be on hold to report your card stolen? If ever you’re on hold to a bank but can say one word to direct you to a human - say “fraud”…it’s the buzz word that gets you connected faster than anything else!
I’m just off the phone to my bank, Nationwide, and connection took less that 2mins. I solved a potential problem and my instructions will be confirmed by letter. I changed from Barclays to Nationwide when an in-branch transaction started to become impossible. No such faffing from Nationwide and I’ve been happy since the move about 4yrs ago. Considering I was a so called Barclay’s premier account holder, I expected better treatment than I received. Nationwide now hold all of my accounts and very professional they are too 
That’s about what it comes down to isn’t it, it’s appalling the way we are treated!
I am seriously considering using my mobile phone rather than the Debit Card now for payments, there’s a another layer of security using that. With luck that will rule out having to ever make contact with the bank for loss of that card.
That’s the type of service I used to get from Santander, no complaints at all for years. Now they seem to have gone the way of most I have used in the past. To be honest I am really sick of trying to live my life in retirement dealing with all these obstacles. None of this was ever envisaged 10-15 years ago, sadly though it’s very evident nowadays.
1 Like
It it wasn’t for my pensions and those for my wife needing some kind of a bank to receive the payments, we could manage well without a bank. Every bill we have could just as easily be paid in cash at the PO, but alas, so such cash payments from our pensions 
That’s what I mean @LongDriver, it’s all obstacles which are definitely not wanted when retired.
A peaceful life is what I wanted in retirement but …
Also the ‘Bots’ on here really are getting a bit much, another one this time, is this a ‘chat’ forum or is it not?:
"You’ve posted more than 20% of the replies here, is there anyone else you would like to hear from?
Share"
Not a good day, my apologies, rant over!
1 Like
Oh yes, I get those 'kin intrusive bots too, but I completely ignore all of them and carry on regardless. What puzzles me about OFF is how is it funded? Nothing is free in this life, so this OFF cannot be the exception. I keep a very tight control over all cookies and only allow the session type needed for posting, so OFF doesn’t make sense to me 
You can stop contactless payments on their mobile app…think I posted on this previously.
Feedback feedback feedback and massive complaints are what’s needed.
BUT if you want to get your own back at banks treating you so badly, try doing some bank switches for cashback. HSBC is STILL advertising £125 switch reward provided you pay in £1750 per month! The then put (Eq to £21K pa) which is stating the flipping obvious. BUT here’s the catch - they DON’T say you MUST have an annual income of £21K! So go ahead and apply online and you’ll be turned down unless you state £21K or more for an annual income. Once I got my “you don’t qualify” notification I phoned and when asked why didn’t qualify, was told my annual income isn’t enough.
I then escalated my query to an official complaint, which resulted in my complaint being upheld and given a further £250 compensation and a “thank you” for showing them the error of their ways (which they obviously haven’t learned from).
Their error was: You cannot imply a condition in a contract. It must be stated in full. Sale of Goods and Services Act / Law of Contract.
1 Like
I am now with one of our big four banks and I can’t complain about their customer service at all, their app does most things that Iwant and when it doesn’t their phone service is prompt and helpful. They will call you back if there is any delay so you never have to hang on the line.
A while back I was in a branch and I mentioned to the girl that my credit card had split (didn’t affect its use), she immediately said they would change it and sure enough a few days later a new card arrived in the post. Apparently it is a common problem with men keeping cards in their wallets.
Won’t whinge at all about my bank either.
I hate contactless payments and luckily don’t need to use them much doing most of my shopping online.
Last year when I was paying at the vets standing in a long queue of people outside, I put my card in the machine ready to add my pin and the receptionist screeched at me ‘Don’t touch the machine contactless only’’ it was very embarrassing I had never used one before.