FNB Administrative Negligence: Holding R3,207.86 While My State Applications Face Cancellation

absolute administrative chaos and lack of professionalism at FNB Commercial Service Recovery (***). My business account has been effectively suspended, yet FNB is selectively allowing certain transactions while blocking my most critical state payments.

The Facts of FNB’s Selective Processing: FNB has successfully processed my Discovery Vitality payment and my Naked Insurance installment via EFT. These were not card transactions; they were direct transfers from the account. If my account was truly "suspended" or lacked liquidity, these EFTs would have failed. Instead, FNB processed them while simultaneously sending me an email claiming other merchants (Department of Home Affairs) haven't been paid.

The Refusal to Take Responsibility: When I questioned why my Home Affairs payments are sitting in "Pending" despite me holding successful teller receipts (Cashier: Rochelle Elaine Makhasane), I was told to "contact the merchants directly." This is an insult. I have fulfilled my duty at the point of sale; FNB is the party holding the R 3,207.86 and refusing to settle it.

The Bedworth Park Incident: The only time my card legitimately declined was at the Bedworth Park Shopping Centre filling station in Vanderbijlpark. I immediately realized the balance was low and performed an Immediate EFT of R 500 from my TymeBank account. Despite the transfer being immediate, FNB still declined the transaction. When I went to the FNB teller inside the shop, I was told the account was "Suspended."

Zero Justification for "Pending" Holds: This is a startup business account with NO debit orders and NO debichecks. I use it as a secondary account and fund it manually from TymeBank. There is no reason for "ghost" holds to be sitting on this account for days on end.

The Real-World Consequence: Because of FNB’s inability to settle authorized transactions, I am now facing the cancellation of my Passport, Unabridged Birth Certificate, and Marriage Certificate applications at DHA. If these are cancelled, it will cost me R 600.00 to restart, plus the fuel costs (R 8.81/L increase) to drive back to the branch.

I have already engaged the Banking Ombudsman (OBSSA), the NCC, and the NCT. This is a startup business; I do not have the time or money to waste on a bank that cannot handle basic settlement. The moment these holds are released and my merchants are paid, I am closing this account and taking my business to an institution that actually functions.

Frans Roodt ID: ***