FNB’s Masterclass in Buck-Passing: A Customer’s Detective Story

Dear Shiraaj and Naeema (from FNB CSR)

Thank you for your response regarding my unauthorised debit issues with Telkom. I must say, your ability to perform a corporate disappearing act when accountability is required is truly remarkable. If there were an Olympic event for passing the buck, FNB would surely take home the gold.

Allow me to recap your message in simpler terms, just to ensure I’ve grasped the full extent of this bureaucratic brilliance:

Telkom couldn’t provide a mandate – Of course! A well-executed game of “not it.” A true classic. It’s now my responsibility to chase Telkom – the time-honoured tradition of making the customer do the work. Nothing says "premium banking experience" quite like a scavenger hunt for answers I shouldn't have to find in the first place. What’s especially impressive, though, is how effortlessly FNB has sidestepped the rather inconvenient reality that my banking security was breached on your watch. Instead of acknowledging this alarming detail, you’ve handed me a magnifying glass and deputised me as the lead investigator in a case I never signed up for.

So, just to confirm—when did FNB’s ***** prevention policy change to “outsource investigations to the customer”? Was there a press release I missed? A new terms-and-conditions update written in invisible ink? Please do let me know.

In the meantime, I’d appreciate answers to the following: How did this transaction bypass your security measures? What concrete steps are you taking to ensure this doesn’t happen again - fyi it happened again this month on my personal account? When can I expect a full refund of the fees charged to reverse this unauthorised transaction - you promised this would be done and to date it's still not done? And finally, when will FNB stop performing customer service gymnastics to avoid responsibility? I eagerly await your response—hopefully, one that doesn’t require me to don a detective hat again.