FNB ruined my credit record

<p>Dear #SouthAfricans banking with #FNB who intend on working abroad. It has taken me a very long time to post this as I was warned not to challenge the banking system because they are as powerful as the government. May I start by saying DO NOT open up a foreign currency Global account. For the majority of my life as an Actor, Presenter, MC, Comedian, Entertainment professional doing work for worldwide clients, I run myself as an independant contractor who pays taxes as a good citizen should and I have worked very hard to ensure a clean credit record. When I took the step to work abroad for long periods and also do work back home I was advised by FNB to open up a US Dollar global account to make it easier to transfer funds between accounts in order to pay my debit orders, etc. while abroad. This was not the case. Last year when I got my first deposit into my global account the funds were not accessible to transfer and after contacting FNB they did it for me. For the rest of my months abroad, the same problem was experienced, except this time, no funds were transferred by FNB. They asked for a number to call, despite me telling them over and over again I am at sea and there was no way of speaking to them. There was obviously no communication between their departments. FNB eventually came back via e-mail and said transfers are not allowed despite the fact they did it for me before and due to this EVERYTHING that I built up in my life from a credit point of view was lost. This included my apartment, my car, my medical aid, my life insurance, my retirement, etc. When I came home for some Entertainment work in January this year, I was met by MANY lawyers letters of demand and a credit record ruined. I put in a case against FNB with the Ombudsman for banking and they came back saying there is nothing they can do and FNB have more power even though it was their fault. No debit orders or monthly transactions happend despite the money being there. FNB didn't stick to their agreement of allowing access and 'easy' transfers. According to all creditors, their hands are tied and I have to pay for the shortfall on my car which was auctioned, medical aid, any loans, overdraft facility that went into negative, etc. etc. So to all fellow South Africans planning to work abroad, a word of advice. Either open up an account abroad as an Alien in transit or just pay the banking fee to transfer straight into your South African bank account. You do not want to go through what I did and am still going through. The most friendly and helpful people were the people disguised as @RBJacobs on Twitter, the Ombudsman for banking who says they tried everything, and also FNB Pretoria who helped me open another account where transactions are now suddenly allowed. I take my hat off to the above for putting up with all that has happend. Just giving advice for #LessonsLearnt. Love and Light to All.</p>