FNB Has Failed Me Repeatedly – Salary Not Credited, Debit Orders Bounced and Promises Not Kept

I am extremely disappointed and frustrated with the manner in which FNB has handled my account and, most importantly, my salary.

This matter has been ongoing despite me doing everything that FNB has requested from me.

On 30 July, FNB placed a restriction/freeze on my account because they required proof of address for FICA purposes. I submitted the requested proof of address on the same day, after which my account was activated again.

I was therefore under the impression that the matter had been resolved.

Unfortunately, on 6 August, FNB placed the same restriction on my account again and requested the very same proof of address. I explained that I had already submitted the documentation previously and provided it again. My account was subsequently activated.

Despite all of this, I am now facing the most serious consequence of these repeated restrictions: my salary has not been credited into my account.

On the 25th August my salary was rejected/not credited because of the restriction on my account. This has now resulted in my debit orders being returned, despite the fact that there should have been sufficient funds available had my salary been credited as normal.

I am now facing the potential financial consequences of bounced debit orders, additional charges and possible damage to my financial standing, all because of an issue that I had already comp**** with and provided documentation for.

What makes the situation even more unacceptable is the way FNB has handled my attempts to get the matter resolved.

Yesterday, Zanele Monyai, who contacted me regarding the matter, committed to providing me with a letter confirming the situation. The purpose of this letter was for me to send it to my employer so that my employer could engage with their bank and assist in expediting the process of getting my salary credited back into my account.

FNB did not keep this commitment.

Today, Zanele Monyai called me again at approximately 10:00 and once again promised that the letter would be sent at around 14:00.

14:00 came and went, and the letter was not sent.

Instead, I received another call informing me that they were still working on the letter.

At the time of writing this complaint, I am still waiting for the promised letter.

This is completely unacceptable.

My employer has also checked their account to establish whether the salary was reversed back to them. However, the salary has not even been reversed to my employer. I am therefore left in an impossible situation where the salary is not in my FNB account, and it has not been returned to my employer either.

I have cooperated with FNB throughout this entire process. I have submitted the requested documentation, including proof of address, and I have repeatedly engaged with the bank to resolve the matter.

Yet I am the one suffering the consequences.

The impact on me

Because of FNB's handling of this matter:

My salary has not been credited into my account. My debit orders have bounced. I am potentially being exposed to additional bank and debit-order charges. My employer has had to investigate whether the salary was returned. The salary has not been returned to my employer either. I have had to repeatedly follow up with FNB for information and documentation that FNB itself promised to provide. I am being placed under unnecessary financial pressure because of an issue that I had already comp**** with.

What is particularly frustrating is that this is not simply a matter of a delayed banking transaction. This is my salary and my livelihood.

I cannot simply tell the companies to whom I have debit orders that FNB is experiencing an internal process issue. Those debit orders have already bounced, and I am potentially left dealing with the consequences.

I also find it unacceptable that FNB representatives make commitments to a customer and then fail to meet them.

If a representative tells me that a letter will be sent by 14:00, I should not have to spend the rest of the day waiting, following up and eventually being told that the letter is still being worked on.

What I expect from FNB

I am formally requesting that FNB urgently:

Provide the letter that was promised to me without any further delay. Confirm in writing exactly what happened to my salary. Establish where the salary currently is and why it has neither been credited to my account nor returned to my employer. Expedite the process of getting my salary credited into my account. Investigate why my account was restricted again on 6 August after I had already submitted the required proof of address on 30 July. Provide a clear written explanation for the repeated account restrictions. Reverse or reimburse any fees and charges incurred as a direct result of my debit orders bouncing because of this issue. Ensure that this matter is escalated to a senior complaints representative who has the authority to resolve it. Put measures in place to ensure that this does not happen again.

I also expect FNB to take accountability for the commitments made by its representatives. Repeated promises without action are not an acceptable form of customer service.

I have been patient, cooperative and reasonable throughout this process. However, I have now reached the point where this situation requires urgent intervention.

FNB needs to stop passing this matter between processes and people and take ownership of it.

I want my salary credited, I want the promised documentation provided, I want the financial consequences addressed, and I want a proper written explanation of how this situation was allowed to happen in the first place.

If this matter is not resolved urgently, I will have no choice but to escalate it further through the appropriate formal complaints and regulatory channels.

FNB, I am not asking for another promise. I am asking for the matter to be resolved.