How can we inconvenience you?

My vehicle was sold today and the purchaser banks with FNB and i Bank with Standard Bank. We went to FNB to initiate the transfer and after being asked if we needed assistance, explained to the person that we needed to do an inter-bank transfer with Immediate clearance. we were advised to see a consultant where he would make this happen. the process was to get online banking for the purchaser, add the buyer (me) as a beneficiary and the go to a teller and pay the monies which would be immediate. when the purchaser followed all the steps and went to the teller, the purchaser was then informed that they should rather go to the atm to complete this transfer. The purchaser again said, but we need it to be transferred today and the teller again said, go to the atm. so the purchaser went to the atm, transferred the monies to the new beneficiary and we left. We then went to Standard bank to deposit the outstanding monies in cash where we were informed that no transfer had been done into my account. we went back to FNB and asked why. firstly, after explaining the whole story to someone again, we were told it will take 1 hour to appear. i asked, why then is a word like 'Immediate' used if this is not the case. reasonably satisfied, we were leaving the bank again and i told the purchaser, lets just ask someone else in case. to my surprise, the next person then said it will only show up after 7pm this evening. i was now getting irritated. then another person showed up and asked. we explained the story and the entire process again, where that person then informed us that it would take 2 to 3 working days to appear. I asked why and she said that is was because we transferred it from the atm. but thats what we were told to do!! after quite a heated debate, we were then told that it would now take 3 to 4 working days!!! am i missing the point of the word immediate clearance? the purchaser then asked to reverse the transaction that she had made so that we can start again and do it properly, or rather so the bank can do it properly. we were then told that the purchaser cannot reverse the transaction !!! really? I asked to see the bank manager. the person disappeared to call the manager. we waited and waited and eventually that woman came back out and said that someone was coming soon. then someone else, not the bank manager, came and told us that there is nothing that they can do, we must wait 3 to 4 working days.

i then made myself very clear and asked, Am i correct in saying that the bank whose catch line is how can we help you? cannot help me? cannot reverse a transaction and cannot do it properly like the way that they were supposed to do in the first place? to which the lady answered... yes.

I'm sure not all FNB branches are like this but for a bank that was not that busy today, i think the least that could have happened is that the actual bank manager could have come and spoken with us.

All i left with was a printout of the transaction and a person at the bank saying that they guarantee the money will be transferred... in 2 or 3 days or 3 to 4 days.

i am so glad i don't have to deal with this bank on a regular basis.

P.S. I have a payment to make today with a company transporting a container from one continent to another and because of this, i cant. if any fees are incurred, i will probably take this further.