Until recently Alliance & Leicester and Abbey were household mortgage names, together responsible for extending home loans large percentage of UK homeowners.
This is no longer the case and neither Alliance & Leicester mortgages nor Abbey mortgages are available any longer.
Like many recent disappearances from the British banking scene, the economic crisis is to blame.
Both brands were hit hard by the downturn and were left with no choice but to look at merging with a more secure parent in order to survive.
Spanish banking giant Santander was deemed the best suitor and both Alliance & Leicester and Abbey succumbed to the merger, signing away their standalone brand identity in the process.
Relatively unknown in the UK at the time of the takeover, Santander maintained the visual presence of both A&L and Abbey on the high street for a short while.
A&L mortgages and Abbey mortgage deals continued to be offered to new customers for a short while, as did savings accounts, credit cards and other financial products.
When the time came it was Abbey that underwent the transition first.
Abbey branches, Abbey products and Abbey mortgage advice were all rebranded to Santander and existing customers of the building society were switched to Santander.
Alliance & Leicester followed suit shortly after, with A&L lending, savings accounts and other financial products being rebranded into the Santander family. A&L branches were rebranded and refitted, and Alliance & Leicester mortgage customers became Santander mortgage customers.
Once the transition was complete it was no longer possible to take out a new mortgage deal with Alliance & Leicester or Abbey.
Existing Alliance & Leicester mortgage customers and existing Abbey mortgage customers at the time of the switch now have Santander as their mortgage provider.
