DON'T EVEN CONSIDER A FNB BUSINESS ACCOUNT!

We have opened a business account for a new business with FNB in September 2023. The account was created, and clients deposited payments. Since September 2023, I have requested FNB via email and calls to allocate a profile for the account for online banking and access. In addition, I have requested many times to remove the new business account from my other business' account. In addition, there was a "hold" on the new account for an unknown reason. We have not accessed the account at all since September 2023, so there is no compliance or any service after four months, but we have to pay the banking fees.

So, our next step was to leave our work and visit the branch. We went on various occasions to the Menlyn, Maine branch and was assisted by a lady, Lebo. Lebo called the business account division and requested access for us. Still no compliance. Lebo assured us every time that she is making follow-ups on the matter, but there is just no reply. We had to open an account with another bank to receive payments and to pay our service providers. I find FNB's business account service despicable. And now I am nice to them. Potential entrepreneurs, DO NOT EVER TRUST FNB TO PROVIDE YOU BASIC SERVICES ON YOUR BUSINESS ACCOUNT.

I can also state that FNB has, without any notice, frozen my other bank account because they needed a form with some details to be completed. No email or SMS was received about this. FNB explained that it was communicated to us on the profile's message link ... am I supposed to read hundreds of jargon messages on my profile, directing between all deposits, payments, logins, etc?

FNB's modus operandi is to freeze your account to put the onus on the client to contact them for an explanation. Easy peasy. Please FNB, is it so difficult to send me a normal SMS or email, or even a WhatsApp? What about a call from the business account division?

Secondly, I can also state that FNB freeze your account if they need more SARS information. Be prepared to function for at least 10 days without access to ANY of your accounts after submitting the information. It happened twice to us in four years. We have lost clients because of this.

FNB will bully you. They are puppets of SARS and will not do anything to promote entrepreneurship in SA, whether you are a law-abiding citizen or not.

We will definitely move on to another bank and claim the banking fees back.

I know FNB has a dedicated "Hello Peter" team that will send you an acknowledgement and escalate the complaint. Their response is standard, "one size fits all". Dont believe that your complaint will bear fruit, you will have to escalate the matter to the Ombudsman and social media platforms.