FNB IT Shortcomings and Shoddy Processes

I am extremely annoyed and disappointed with FNB. Having frequently presented itself as being the bank that is innovative and forward-thinking, FNB has been unable to process a personal loan application, for the astonishing reason that it has been unable to process my bank statements from another bank – because they are understandably password protected. Even though I have given them the password. As a result, my pre-approved loan application, which is intended to buy a small pre-owned car and help me to save on my current astronomical fuel costs, has been declined. I went to the branch in person on Saturday 15 August (a full 9 days ago as of today) and received the welcome news that my requested loan was actually pre-approved. I sent through all the required documentation then and there via email from my phone: banking statements (my salary is paid into another bank), salary slips, proof of residence and my ID. On the day that I was there, the bank’s systems were apparently playing up and the consultant, who was extremely helpful, was battling to get them loaded. It seemed that he was eventually successful. Then the ‘Debicheck’ wasn’t coming through onto my FNB app, so the consultant made another plan and got it working via the ATM. I left the bank thinking that the money would be deposited into my account within 24 to 48 hours from the following Monday morning. However, the next week, my loan money still wasn’t in by midday Wednesday and I was obliged to contact the call centre, when a consultant informed me that my required banking statements had not been loaded onto the system. I immediately emailed these through to his personal (rather than a generic) FNB account. He let me know that he had received the email. However, a short while later, he emailed me to let me know that he had been unable to open the documents, even though he had access to the password. To say that I was astonished is an understatement. Since then, I have been jumping through hoops trying to send these documents through, both with multiple calls to the contact centre and follow-up emails, as well as a repeat visit to the branch on Saturday 22 August to once again talk to a branch consultant in person. Also, I would like to confirm that at no time that I am aware of did the personal loans department actually email me to clarify the problem. Instead, I received a message on my app that ‘documents had not been received’, but the message did not clarify which documents, and this only left me further in the dark until I was able to phone in to the contact centre. As of today, Monday 24 August, I have been given telephonic assurance that the documents are now loaded on the system (after my second in-person visit to the branch on 22 August) but that they are still sitting ‘locked’ behind the password. In addition, it now seems that the system has also 'purged' my application because FNB's systems cannot get around the fact that the bank statement documents are password protected. I am now in danger of losing the good car deal that I hunted so long to find, in an effort to acquire a car that is both reliable, affordable and fuel-efficient. It seems that the only option is to go back to the branch, and it is very difficult to take time off work. I am also unable to phone the branch directly because the line is constantly engaged. I am deeply disappointed in FNB’s systems and processes. This is meant to be the digital and innovative 'Big 4 / Big 5' bank that ‘leaves the rest in the dust with its IT systems and forward thinking’, but definitely not in my case so far, I am afraid. I look forward to hearing from someone who can sort this out as soon as possible.