'Computer error' - sorry, bank can't give you your money

[fish5133]

First HSBC now Natwest and RBS experiencing online problems. Are the controllers running some tests to see what effect crashing the system will have.?

I wonder how banks might benefit by temporary "freezing" the system -if only for day ?

Im sure were getting fleeced by the length of time it takes us to go through automated phone systems so i can imagine the ptb thinking up ways in which to squeeze extra pennies/pounds from us.

Just think of all the things you spend money on today that you didnt 20 years ago

[acrobat74]

Unlikely fish, though I dig your being suspicious

[TonyGosling]

I would suggest a boycott of all online banking.
Entrusting ones finances to the internet is obviously not a sensible thing to do IMO.

[TonyGosling]

RBS-NatWest bank meltdown rolls on: Chaos to hit millions all weekend, customers STILL can't get wages - and it may last until next week
By Ed Monk and Andrew Oxlade - PUBLISHED: 08:30, 22 June 2012 | UPDATED: 09:29, 23 June 2012
http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/saving/article-2163048/NatWest-RBS- banking-problems-Millions-wages-meltdown-enters-second-day.html

The computer meltdown at NatWest and Royal Bank of Scotland, which left millions unable to access their salaries, could stretch into next week it emerged today.

The banking group will open 1,000 branches on Sunday, from 9am to midday, as millions of people are unable to receive money or pay bills because of an ongoing technical crash.

Doors were also kept open until 7pm on Friday and until 6pm today because a huge number of transactions failed to go through properly.

The problems with account access now rank as one of the worst technical failures at a British bank.

NatWest online banking meltdown: Millions of customers unable to move money or pay bills as accounts freeze

Up to 12 million people have been affected by the major computer error which was triggered when a software upgrade was being installed to the payment system.

They have resolved the 'underlying problem' but it could be early next week before all the problems have been dealt with and all payments catch up.

Susan Allen, customer services director for RBS-NatWest retail, told ITV News it was difficult to say exactly when all the problems would be resolved.

The systems failure, which the company now says began on Tuesday, meant that payments due to be made on Wednesday night, ready for Thursday, did not appear in account balances.

As a result, some customers were blocked from taking money out of cash machines, while others had internet supermarket food deliveries stopped after payments were rejected.

Some people could not use debit cards at tills, including hotel check-out desks, airports and petrol stations.

Some customers were able to access their money by 4pm Thursday but problems have persisted and customers continued to report being unable to access their cash this morning. It is unclear whether the problem that stopped payments due on Wednesday night have also blocked payments due for last night.

A statement on a NatWest feedback website said today: 'Unfortunately we are once again experiencing technical issues with our systems and account balances have not updated properly overnight. This means where money has gone into a customers account, there may be a delay in it appearing on their balance.

'We can assure our customers that this problem is strictly of a technical nature and we continue to work hard to resolve this.

'We also recognise this is an unacceptable inconvenience for our customers, for which we apologise.'

The company also confirmed the problems were not the result of an external attack on its systems.

RBS, which conducts retail banking under the NatWest, Royal Bank of Scotland and UlsterBank brands, kept 1,000 of its branches open until 7pm last night to let people take out some money, and opened them earlier today, in order to assist customers.

At 8am today, an RBS spokesman said the bank was preparing a new statement to update customers.

[TonyGosling]

This time accounts were debited twice - methinks they take the mick!

NatWest and Nationwide customers hit by account glitches
- last updated Thu 26 Jul 2012
http://www.itv.com/news/2012-07-26/two-banks-hit-by-account-glitches/?

NatWest has revealed that some customers "may be having issues with online banking and their debit cards", Photo: PA

NatWest has revealed that some customers "may be having issues with online banking and their debit cards."

Some customers may have issues with their Online Banking and using their debit cards at the moment. Working as hard as we can to resolve..
-From @NatWest_Help on Twitter: (about 4 hours ago)

Many customers who have experienced problems have taken to Twitter to talk about them.

just had my card rejected yeah good one #natwest sort it out sharpish!
-From @hannahward11 on Twitter: (about 2 hours ago)

Natwest down again, money transfered between accounts missing, can't use my card to make payments. This is 2012, right?
-From @TheRealFrem on Twitter: (about 2 hours ago)

This is the second time in as many months that NatWest customers have suffered from banking problems

In June, the bank suffered major technical problems and millions were left unable to withdraw money, check their balances or make payments.

Nationwide have 'identified an issue' with duplicated transactions Credit: Fiona Hanson/PA Wire

Meanwhile, the Nationwide Building Society has apologised after admitting that some customer's accounts were mistakenly debited twice.

It said the problem was caused by "human error" and meant some customers who used their Visa cards on Tuesday had duplicate payments also taken out on Wednesday.

Nationwide told ITV News' Consumer Editor, Chris Choi that 704,426 accounts have been affected.


“
We have identified an issue where some current account card transactions made on the 24th July were duplicated on 25th July.

This is a one off isolated incident and is down to human error. The duplicated transactions will be corrected overnight.

We would like to apologise for the inconvenience this has caused and we can assure customers that should they incur any related charges these will be refunded in full.
– NATIONWIDE STATEMENT

As some customers discovered their accounts had been debited twice, they voiced their anger:

Paid £400 off my credit card & @asknationwide have taken it twice!!!!!!!!! Are you joking?!?! #givememymoneyback
-From @Vic_Victoria_ on Twitter: (about 6 hours ago)

Can't believe @asknationwide no warning at all and cancel my overdraft and now owe £700...thanks for being useless and ruining my savings!

[TonyGosling]

They've only been using computers for 40 years.
Wonder why this is only happening now.
Running out of cash perhaps?

[Whitehall_Bin_Men]

Disaster for Lloyds TSB customers on New Year's Eve as technical glitch renders cashpoints and debit cards out of action

Credit in customers' accounts also appeared to have been wipedout Lloyds claimed the problems were resolved in an hour Latest glitch caps a calamitous year for Lloyds which was forced to set aside £1.4bn in compensation for mis-sold payment protection insurance
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2255434/Disaster-Lloyds-TSB-cu stomers-New-Years-Eve-technical-glitch-renders-cashpoints-debit-cards- action.html

[Whitehall_Bin_Men]

omments (139)

The New Year’s celebrations got off to a terrible start for many Lloyds customers who were unable to get their money out of cash machines or pay by card. Gremlins in the state-backed lender’s computer systems left many stranded without money as they prepared for the biggest night out of the

Revellers also received a nasty shock when the credit in their current accounts appeared to have been wiped out.

A terrible start to the New Year: Many Lloyds customers were unable to get their money out of cash machines or pay by card

The problems, which kicked off from 4pm, affected those with Lloyds TSB, Bank of Scotland and Halifax bank accounts. Halifax and Bank of Scotland are both part of the Lloyds banking group, which has 22million current account customers and received a £20billion bail out during the financial crisis.

More... Lloyds faces multi-million pound loss on aerospace firm loan TAKING STOCK: And the success story of 2012 is... the big four banks

Frustrated consumers took to Twitter to complain. Steve J tweeted: ‘Cash machines don’t work, debit card refused (so no cashback). What a great time for computer problems. Thanks’. Brendan Clark wrote: ‘Lloyds TSB has gone down again. Completely unacceptable. New Year resolution. Switch to a better bank.’ Christina G said: ‘I’m with #Lloyds (sic) my card was declined at train station, managed to get cash from cash point but receipt said my balance is £0!’ Many also complained about their current account balances reading zero. Rachel tweeted: ‘Lloyds online banking isn’t working and has wiped my balances down to zero. I hope to God this is a late millennium bug and our debt is wiped.’ Lloyds claimed the problems were resolved within an hour. But the creaking computer systems of Britain’s biggest banks have been under the spotlight since millions of Royal Bank of Scotland and NatWest customers were locked out of their accounts due to a technical problem in June. It has set aside £125million to compensate customers. The latest glitch caps a calamitous year for Lloyds, which was forced to set aside another £1.4billion to pay compensation to customers mis-sold payment protection insurance. This takes the total amount set aside to £5.3billion. Lloyds apologised for the problem but failed to explain how it had happened. A spokesman said: ‘For a short period earlier this afternoon some customers experienced intermittent problems with certain functionalities of viewing their current account balances and payment transactions. ‘We were able to quickly identify the root cause and all services were fully restored within the hour. We apologise for any inconvenience caused to our customers.’

[stoneroad]

And if cheques had still been about.....or people hadn't left it to the last minute......maybe another crisis......

Fight the system, don't leave an electronic "paper trail" for them to spy on you!! use cash instead, it is quicker than chip and pin.

[scienceplease 2]

[TonyGosling]

I've transferred money by internet banking – and it's disappeared

I paid Mark One by mistake but can't get my money back
Anna Tims - The Observer, Sunday 13 January 2013
http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2013/jan/13/money-internet-banking-dis appeared

In October I made an online payment for the first time using my Nationwide internet account. I thought I was paying my Marks & Spencer Mastercard bill but, in fact, I transferred £836 to Mark One Mastercard, a card I've never owned. The website has a drop-down menu and it must have flipped up one name without me noticing. Nationwide contacted HSBC, Mark One's bank, and after a month it says it has been unable to obtain a debit authority and therefore the case is closed. CN, Kidderminster, Worcestershire

Your case is uncannily similar to a saga investigated three years ago by my predecessor, Margaret Dibben, in which a NatWest customer paid Mark One instead of M&S because of a drop-down menu. The difference is that back then Mark One Mastercard existed; now, no one has heard of it. HSBC tells me it is no longer the card issuer. Internacionale, the fashion chain which took over Mark One in 2009, is unaware of it, as are the Payments Council, Mastercard and the UK Card Association.

Which raises the question why Nationwide has an obsolete card on its menus. Under Financial Services Authority rules banks and building societies are required to take reasonable steps to recover a customer's money if they have been misdirected, but are not bound to refund it. Prompted by The Observer, Nationwide picked up the phone again to HSBC and had the brainwave of giving the numbers and sort codes for the account which received the transfer. Armed with these new clues it located the money and returned it.

"The trouble was, we were looking for a card or account in the Mark One name," said an HSBC spokeswoman. "Faster Payments, which this transaction was, are irrevocable. Any attempt to reclaim funds as a result of an error are subject to a debit authority from the beneficiary. We contacted the beneficiary on a number of occasions and have now received the authority to return the funds."

Nationwide is liaising with Experian, which administers its drop-down menus, to ensure they are kept up to date. The Payments Council wants anyone who has had funds misdirected to contact it via its website.

If you need help email Anna Tims at your.problems@observer.co.uk or write to Your Problems, The Observer, Kings Place, 90 York Way, London N1 9GU. Include an address and phone number.

[acrobat74]

Probably worth noting that once your money is in the bank, it is legally no longer 'your money', but the bank's.

[Whitehall_Bin_Men]

A new take on the cashpoints freezing up is this massive Bloomberg outage
How about this for a financial warfare exercise?


http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/mediatechnologyandtele coms/digital-media/11544186/Finance-world-in-the-dark-as-Bloomberg-ter minals-go-offline.html


4:30PM BST 17 Apr 2015
Financial workers report global outages on key systems used by hundreds of thousands around the world, with glitch delaying issue of UK debt

Financial markets were thrown into turmoil on Friday as the Bloomberg terminals used by hundreds of thousands of financial industry workers went offline in an unprecedented global outage.

The glitch put the Bank of England and European Central Bank on alert, and saw a £3bn auction of UK government debt postponed for hours.

Bloomberg, which prides itself on its resilience and accuracy

[Whitehall_Bin_Men]

Oooooops! "could last for days"

NatWest and RBS glitch: 600,000 customers missing money - what you can do do if you're affected
http://www.mirror.co.uk/money/natwest-rbs-banking-glitch-5897182

17 JUNE 2015 12:35 PM BY JAMES ANDREWS
A 'technical glitch' means hundreds of thousands of people have been left without money they were expecting in their bank accounts

No cash available: Customers could not access their cash at NatWest and RBS machines
Around 600,000 payments have gone missing from the current accounts of NatWest, Royal Bank of Scotland, Ulster Bank and Coutts customers.

Benefits and wages have not appeared in accounts and some customers have also complained direct debits which were due to leave their accounts weren't processed, prompting fears people would be charged for late payments.


Worse, customers might have to wait until SATURDAY for their payments to appear.

"We have fixed the underlying issue, we apologise for the inconvenience caused and we are working flat-out to get these payments updated for our customers no later than Saturday,” an RBS spokesman said.


"To any customers concerned about the implications of this issue we advise them to get in touch with our call centres or come into a branch where our staff will be ready to help.

"We will ensure no customers are left out of pocket as a result of this issue."

But this response was far from enough for many of the bank's customers.

"Another day, another failure. No I don't want to go to the branch, I don't want to spend hours on the phone. Just want my money," Sam Sargeant wrote on Twitter.


Single mum-of-two Katie Nesbit, 30, from Greenwich, London, was left unable to do her food shop after her £115 child tax credit payment failed to reach her Natwest account.

"I have spent money expecting the money to go into my bank this morning and it is just not there,” she said. "I was going to go food shopping.

"I'll get by, but some people just won't be able to eat or pay their bills or get to work. It's awful.”


It is understood problems began on Tuesday when some customers were unable to use online banking or apps.

Other customers said payments which would usually be expected in the early hours of Wednesday did not reach their accounts.

What to do

RBS has said it's identified the problem, but if you think you're at risk you should call them.

“If you need cash urgently you call 03457 888444, or visit your local branch,” the bank said.

People are also advised to contact anyone they expect money to be sent to.

“If you’re a Natwest, RBS, Coutts or Ulster Bank customer and have a payment coming up, it’s worth contacting the company or person you’re paying so that they’re aware of the issue," said uSwitch.com money expert Nicolas Frankcom.

"This is especially important with credit card, loan or mortgage repayments as you do not want to risk a ‘black mark’ going on your credit report.”

And if that's not enough, you can always switch to a new bank, there are even some rather nice incentives available at the moment.

[fish5133]

several of the DWP automated phone numbers had a reference to Natwest and RBS customers referring them to another number. Obviously people on benefits etc been phoning the DWP a lot.

[TonyGosling]

NatWest and RBS debit cards declined due to technical glitch
Banking group apologises to exasperated customers after shops and cash machines refuse their cards
The RBS group has suffered a string of IT glitches and meltdowns during the past few years.
Rupert Jones
Friday 14 October 2016 16.30 BST Last modified on Friday 14 October 2016 16.37 BST
https://www.theguardian.com/money/2016/oct/14/natwest-rbs-debit-cards- declined-technical-glitch

NatWest and Royal Bank of Scotland customers have reported having their debit cards declined in shops and at ATMs after the banking group was hit by yet another technical glitch.

The problems emerged at around 12.45pm on Friday, just as many people were popping out to buy a sandwich or do some lunch-hour shopping. The problem coincided with payday for many people, and customers voiced their frustrations on the banks’ Twitter and Facebook pages.

David James Brooks tweeted: “When’s it going to be fixed? I’m currently sitting in a tailors feeling embarrassed as my cards keep being declined …”

Emma O’Reilly tweeted: “Cldnt buy my shopping! So had to walk away I just hope this is fixed by tea time so I can at least buy a takeaway for family!”

Meanwhile, John Paxton wrote: “When will this issue be resolved, I am currently in Palma and unable to get cash out! I don’t feel this is acceptable.

Follow
John Paxton @johnpaxton1985
@NatWest_Help when will this issue be resolved I am currently in Palma and unable to get cash out! I don't feel this is acceptable.
4:03 PM - 14 Oct 2016
Retweets 2 2 likes
And George Acquah said: “Fantastic. Just landed in Frankfurt and can’t get cash from the ATM. System down. Bus company doesn’t accept credit cards. Thanks #NatWest”

An RBS spokesman said: “We are aware that some customers are experiencing issues using their debit card. We are working on resolving this issue and apologise for any inconvenience.”

Follow
George Acquah @GKAcquah
Fantastic. Just landed in Frankfurt and can't get cash from the ATM. System down. Bus company doesn't accept credit cards. Thanks #NatWest
3:58 PM - 14 Oct 2016
Retweets 1 1 like
The problems are affecting customers of NatWest, RBS and Ulster Bank, and come a fortnight after Andrew Tyrie, chairman of the Commons Treasury select committee, spoke out about bank IT system failures and the impact they were having on customers.


RBS and other banks have 'creaking IT systems'
Read more
“Banks continue to suffer failures and breaches of their IT systems, exposing millions of customers to uncertainty, disruption and sometimes distress. We can’t carry on like this,” he said. He added that responsibility for good IT systems was often lacking at the highest levels of management, “and ultimately customers pay the price”.

The RBS group has suffered a string of IT glitches and meltdowns during the past few years. On New Year’s Day this year, debit card holders reported having their cards declined at tills and their pins blocked.

In September 2015, NatWest and RBS customers were hit by a technical problem that meant some could not withdraw cash or use their card in branches.

In July 2015, customers were locked out of their online bank accounts for nearly an hour, which RBS blamed on a cyber-attack. A month earlier, many were left without funds over a weekend after 600,000 transactions were delayed for several days.

[Whitehall_Bin_Men]

Natwest online banking crashes leaving customers locked out
https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/bristol-news/natwest-online-banking -crashes-leaving-2027865

The company has apologised

By Lee Swttenham, Daniel Chipperfield
09:30, 21 SEP 2018 UPDATED 10:29, 21 SEP 2018

NatWest has apologised after users of its online banking services were left locked out of their accounts.

It's said to be affecting access to users of the bank's website and mobile apps.

Telephone banking is still available claims Natwest, reports Manchester Evening News.

Natwest online banking crashes



This packed lunch was sent home by a school for being too 'unhealthy'
In a statement sent to customers the bank said: "We are sorry if you are having trouble getting into our online banking or mobile app.

"We are working hard to resolve the issue. You can still access your account through telephone banking or alternatively you can visit one of our ATMs."

Some customers trying to access the website are seeing a code reading 'HTTP Error: 502', or a message saying 'online banking is currently unavailable'.

The glitch came a day after some Barclays customers were left struggling to log in to their accounts due to a technical problem.