Deposit and withdrawal methods: Santander puts account on hold - help please (Page 4)

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Dear Mr. *****

thank you for your message. Unfortunately, we are currently unable to accept new mandates for capacity reasons. I am sorry not to be able to give you any other information. However, it is important to us to provide you with the best possible tips and advice on how to proceed, which you can do without us and therefore without incurring any costs. If the information is helpful to you, I would be very pleased to receive a positive review . Please do not mention in the evaluation that the advice was provided free of charge; legal advice is generally subject to a fee.

We are therefore happy to provide you with the following information and tips:

In the event of an account blocking, related severe delays and/or lack of information from your bank, you should contact the management board of your bank. Write a letter addressed to the board of directors, describing your circumstances in brief and requesting a review. You can find the address of the bank's board of directors on your bank's website under "Imprint". We generally recommend maintaining a polite tone, even if a blocked account can understandably be very stressful. Experience has shown that it can take some time to hear back from them.

If you do not receive a positive response from the bank manager, or if you do not receive a response at all, you can take the following steps yourself without having to instruct a lawyer:

1. Complain to the ombudsman of the banking association

You can apply for proceedings via this ombudsman's office. Describe the circumstances of your problems with the bank and ask for a review and mediation. Information and the specific procedure for such a procedure can be found here:

https://bankenombudsmann.de/

Ombudsman proceedings serve the purpose of consumer protection by settling disputes between disputing parties without the need for cost-intensive court proceedings. An ombudsman is an arbitrator with extensive practical experience in the relevant area of law - in this case banking law.

2. Complaint to the Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin)

As the financial supervisory authority, BaFin is responsible for monitoring and regulating the banking sector. It also checks compliance with statutory regulations by all banks with a German full banking license, including your bank. Any unresolved account blockages can be easily reported to BaFin. Experience has shown that BaFin will then want to consult with your bank, which can and will put additional pressure on your bank. Information and the specific procedure for contacting BaFin can be found here:

https://www.bafin.de/DE/Verbraucher/BeschwerdenStreitschlichtung/BeiBaFinbeschweren/BeiBaFinbeschweren_node.html

You must be prepared for several weeks of processing time by these authorities. In our experience, however, you will always receive an answer.

In the meantime, a personal appointment with your bank's customer advisor could be useful. It may be easier to unblock an account in a direct conversation than by telephone, email or letter. This option is only available to a limited extent at so-called neobanks, or unfortunately not at all in some cases due to the lack of a branch network.

If you find this information helpful, I would be delighted to receive a positive review at . Please do not mention in the evaluation that the advice was provided free of charge; legal advice is generally subject to a fee.

Thank you in advance for your efforts and all the best for the future.

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