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NatWest banker sorry for chaos
Stephen Hester, the chief executive of NatWest owner RBS has apologised for technical hitches which left customers unable to pay bills or access their money.
NatWest will open branches this weekend after technical problems
Stephen Hester, the chief executive of NatWest owner RBS has apologised for technical hitches which left customers unable to pay bills or access their money.
Announcing that the bank would open 1,200 branches nationwide on Sunday morning to clear a backlog of chaos caused by a problem with computer software, he said it had let down its customers.
Hundreds of customers have vented their frustration over the problems, with some finding payments had gone awry and others observing disappearing wages, or holidays and home purchases disrupted. Account balances were not updated properly overnight, meaning credit and debit payments were not showing up as quickly as they should.
The issues extend to users of Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) and Ulster Bank, which like NatWest are part of RBS Group.
In a statement, Mr Hester said: "I am very sorry for the difficulties people are experiencing. Our customers rely on us day in and day out to get things right, and on this occasion we have let them down. This should not have happened.
"Right now my top priority, and the priority of the entire RBS Group, is to fix these problems and put things right for our customers."
Mr Hester said that for the first time ever, NatWest would open 1,200 branches between 9am and noon tomorrow. The bank said although the original technical glitch which caused the problems had been fixed it was working through the build up of transactions which had not been processed.
Concerns were raised over penalty charges, amid suggestions thousands of customers could be hit with fines if their regular household bill payments - including mortgages - are affected.
Mr Hester added: "I also want to be clear that where our customers are facing hardship or difficulty we can and will help them. Our staff have already helped thousands of customers to access cash and we will continue to provide this service on a 24 hour basis while we work to resolve the problems.
"I also want to reassure customers that no one will be left permanently out of pocket as a result of this, and again, they should contact us directly about this."
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31Comments
23/06/2012 08:51
Getting to be one huge joke this!!!. They can open there branches as many days as they like, but (AND THIS A BIG BUT) what about people who are paid through a NATWEST Buisness Acount???. Im weekley paid, and my wage was due thursday morning, and still NOTHING!!!!. Ive been forced to borrow off family, DUE TO THESE CLOWNS, and i have unpaid direct debits, and moneys run out!.
I want to see these idiots Punished for this, both financially and with a few selected job chops, because i may not be an IT nerd, but even i know that they should be running two seperate systems, side by side, one online, the other used as reserve fail safe, with ability to test new software.
GET THIS SORTED "NOW" you clowns.
Any advice on how i can punish these idiots, please reply post, and I'll try and make it viral via FBOOK. ;-)
23/06/2012 09:42
Talk about a knock on effect!! I work for a company who use RBS who then pay my wages into another bank. Thus my bank are on my back and are not listening to my excuses although the are aware ( and are laughing ) at the shambles at NW.
Surely.......SURELY! this software has been updated many times before and done so correctly. So how on earth could such a simple (yet extremely important) update go wrong??
Who was given the task?
Did they actually know what they were doing? (evidently NOT!!)
Where and when will the ripples end?
What about 3rd party customers of other banks like myself who have innocently been caught up in this shambles?
With that said.......I still have to take Monday morning off work and go to the bank and hope they have not / will not charge me for being overdrawn until my wages "EVENTUALLY" get paid!!
As it stands I have no idea when that will be. NW say no one will be out of pocket, does that extend to other bankers such as ourselves who are incurring charges as a result of this farce?
Surely.......SURELY! this software has been updated many times before and done so correctly. So how on earth could such a simple (yet extremely important) update go wrong??
Who was given the task?
Did they actually know what they were doing? (evidently NOT!!)
Where and when will the ripples end?
What about 3rd party customers of other banks like myself who have innocently been caught up in this shambles?
With that said.......I still have to take Monday morning off work and go to the bank and hope they have not / will not charge me for being overdrawn until my wages "EVENTUALLY" get paid!!
As it stands I have no idea when that will be. NW say no one will be out of pocket, does that extend to other bankers such as ourselves who are incurring charges as a result of this farce?
23/06/2012 08:02
yet again customers lose out thanks to the banks ell its all the pensioners that i feel sorry for as alot of them will not understand bad enough for them when it was ok to understand the system but after this is terrible and i think all of the 3 banks customers should get compentsation and a apology with goodwill gesture without even arguing as its digusting im a single mum of two with a disibilty and thinks its terrible and you should be embrassed with it but your stating above in one sentance
RAFT OF TECHNICAL FAULT AND BELIEVES TO BE FIXED
then u state
TOLD ITV NEWS IT WAS DIFFICULT TO SAY EXACTLY WHEN ALL THE PROBLEMS WOULD BE RESOLVED
which is it as im a customer and my account is incorrect and not been updated clearly says im overdrawn why should customers have to keep records as like i say each customer needs compensation in there accounts straight away
23/06/2012 10:40
Nat West may be helping their customers get money, but what about the people who don't have Nat West accounts. My employer banks with Nat West and my salary, due yesterday, is still not in my account. My mortgage direct debit is due on Monday what happens if its not sorted by then. Not only will I go overdrawn but I'll incur a charge from my mortgage payment for late payment if it is returned.
23/06/2012 11:11
23/06/2012 09:46
23/06/2012 10:12
all those costumers on benifits will be panicking because the gov in their wisdom said every body has to have benifits payed diect into bank account,its safer apparently,what a f****** joke,the banks take the p*** the gov take the p***,and joe blogs gets the grief.all customers affected should get some form of recourse,ie £100 for the inconvieneance and worry caused but i bet we get nothing but the standard appology and told that it wont happen again,i fell like changing banks but that wont help in the long run cos their all the same really ,money grabbing b******* theives
23/06/2012 11:23
23/06/2012 11:23
23/06/2012 11:04
23/06/2012 11:42
23/06/2012 13:40
23/06/2012 17:10
went into my branch and asked why my direct debits have not been paid even though there is money in my account,they said everthing has been delayed by 1 day and any charges i incure will be paid by bank. they also said its all been blown out of context, and not to worry .CHEAK OF IT easy for them to say .
23/06/2012 14:30
23/06/2012 13:41
23/06/2012 18:11
it's understandable that this perhaps might be an accident, but it could have been avoided, I guess. I haven't been able to access over counter cash., just cash amchine cash, as my extra ID required I don't currently have due to up[dates with photos in license and passport being at an ambassy for a visa. I have some cash in there updated last night, but not enough to feed us, buy petrol and electricity and gas for our household, I have a family of 5, and we don;t have enough funds for everything. I'm luckyh enough that I can lend some cash for petrol, but only a small amount of a loan. This is going to drive people to short term loan solutions (i've already contemplated it) and that brings extra charges. I don't think they are coming across as correct, fair enough they are aplogising, but saying no one will be out of pocket permanently, doesn't help. I've had to ring to check balance and also to check about extra ID for counter cash and evidence of funds paying in weekly, and this has totalled 78 minutes, to an 0845 number, so are natwest gonna pay that bill? no. so it IS damage to my funds that I still don't have access to. They need to be giving people a small amount of compensation I feel, not a huge amount, unless things like house moves are affected, but they should be planning something for this catastrophic problem that has left lots of us without funds, or without sufficient funds to survive. I got the text earlier today to say problem solved now its backlog being worked on, yet when I rang they said, no, problem, still there, probably monday. Probably. Famous last words maybe? I have five days before payday and direct debit hell. I am worried and I do think they should be making grovelling gifts to us all, even if they are small. Fingers crossed it gets better soon
23/06/2012 15:22
23/06/2012 18:39
Really can't understand why people only have one bank account with only enough money to live from day to day,,, Has anyone not got savings they can use until this situation is resolved.....
You should be wise and have saved cash for emergencies like this.................Remember next time..
23/06/2012 15:37
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The group has apologised and moved to quash fears over withdrawals, assuring customers their money is "in the system" and staff will be on hand in branches to help them access their cash. It has
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