Absolutely shocking service from FNB

To Whom It May Concern:

I am writing a letter of complaint about the absolutely shocking service I have received over the past couple of weeks from FNB. On 8th August I phoned into the FNB card division to activate my new credit card. I spoke to Linda Nghla. He proceeded to ask me a few questions for verification purposes. He asked me if there were any subsidiary cards on my account. I told him that my son S. Wainer had a card on my account. He asked me what about R L Wainer. I told him that she hadn’t used the card in nine years. He asked if he should cancel the card. I told him there was no need.

Then on 22nd August my son called me from overseas to say he was trying to hire a car and was told that his credit card was invalid. I called FNB and was on the phone to them for nearly an hour during which time they managed to establish that Linda Nghla had cancelled his card. I asked that it be reinstated and was told this was impossible. I explained to them that my son was overseas and was dependent on the card. Linda advised me that my son should use my credit card. He told me to send my son a photograph of my credit card on whatsapp. I spent several minutes trying to explain to him that the car hire company would not accept a photo of a card and that he needed to swipe a card in the car hire company. He then told me to go online and order the car on the car hire company’s website with my card and my son would just need to collect the car. He refused to believe that the car hire company required the actual card. Linda called me back nine times that day. He took full responsibility for the error and told me that he would organise an emergency card to be delivered to my son that day (22nd August) or the next day (23rd August) in Jerusalem, Israel. He took down my son’s address and telephone number in Jerusalem and promised that the emergency card was on the way. I called the credit card division later that day and verified that the card had in fact been ordered.

On Friday 25th August I received a call from FNB’s courier company to tell me that the card would be delivered to me in South Africa on Monday 28th August. I queried why it was coming to me when it in fact should have gone to my son in Israel two days earlier. When I realised that the person I was talking to would not be able to assist in this regard I agreed to accept delivery of the card on Monday and try to find somebody to take the card to him in Jerusalem. I received sms notification on Monday 28th August that the credit card would be delivered between 9 and 11 am. By that afternoon when I had not received the card I phoned the courier company and was told that the courier had forgotten to take my card and that it would be delivered on Tuesday 29th August between 8 and 10 am. I received three sms’s confirming that the delivery would take place on August 29th between 8 and 10 am.

That afternoon when the card had not yet arrived I called the courier company and after holding on for 52 minutes I was told that the credit card was “still in the safe”. I then called FNB card division and asked to speak to a supervisor. I was put through to “team leader” Vashkalin to whom I told my story. He told me that he would see to it that my credit card would be delivered if possible still that same day, “even if it’s at 7 o’clock tonight” or tomorrow (30th August). Needless to say the credit card was not delivered either on the 29th or 30th August. On the 30th August I called the card division and asked to speak to Vashkalin. I was put on hold for about 20 minutes, after which time I was told that Vashkalin was on the line to the courier company trying to find out what had happened to my card and would call me back. He did call me back and told me that he had expedited the matter and the card would be delivered to me. He told me that FNB was having a lot of trouble with their courier company and that the card would now be delivered personally by FNB, as the courier company was giving FNB a bad name.

This morning (31st August) I received an sms to say that my new FNB credit card has just been personalised and to expect further notification within 48 hours. Is that what “ expedite” means at FNB??

At 4.15 this afternoon I received a further sms which says that CCD couriers (the original courier company) will be in touch to arrange the delivery of my son’s credit card.

Your adverts all say “How Can We Help You”? I’ll tell you how – by delivering my son’s credit card and explaining to me how a bank the size of FNB can make such a total mess of things and not see fit to call and apologise or try to rectify the mess that your employees have made.

I look forward to hearing from you as a matter of urgency.

Yours faithfully

(Mrs) Joan S Wainer

I emailed the above letter to them on the 31st August to the email address supp**** to me by a “team leader” in the credit card division. The email bounced back as the email address supp**** to me does not exist. I then posted the letter on the FNB website complaints division on 31st August. I have received no response to date. Since sending the letter a courier delivered my son’s credit card to me in Johannesburg on Monday 4th September. The name on the card is incorrect. Today, 5th September, my son received another credit card via courier in Jerusalem, Israel. The card was sent to Amsterdam, Netherlands; then to Leipzig, Germany; and finally to Jerusalem, Israel. The card is addressed to Mr S Wainer, however once again the card is in the name of Mr S Warner. I am at the end of my tether. I just don’t know what else to do. How do I get a credit card re-issued by FNB when they are the ones who cancelled the card in the first place? HELP! HELP! HELP!