How to damage your business reputation by TRYING to open a FNB Business Account

<p>I began my Business banking application with FNB on the 18th of May 2016 and to date the account is still not fully functional. Admittedly some of the delay is due in part by me but the last four weeks have been a demonstration in ineptitude, gross lack of communication, poor process and frustration and I would seriously stress to the reader to consider any other bank than FNB Business.</p> <p>After incorrectly filling in the first GAD forms an updated version was sent to me on the 16th of July which I duly filled in correctly only after several calls to FNB Business to try determine what was wrong with the original documents. FNB the continually sent me additional GAD forms to fill in stating the documents submitted were incorrect. I would then call the FNB business opening desk to try and find out why the documents were wrong to be told by several agent that the documents were filled in correctly and they couldn’t understand why they were not being accepted. After three weeks I finally spoke to a manager who on initial contact told me the documents were correct and that they would personally sort this issue out. With no communication from the so called manager I called in the following day to find out where we were in the process to be informed that FNB had incorrectly populated those the GAD forms and I had to get them resigned once again.</p> <p> </p> <p>At this point I lodged a complaint with FNB complaints department and received a call 48hrs later to find out what the problem was. I explained the situation and was put onto a team leader who stressed they would sort the problem out. Another 48hrs later I was informed that the account was now open and to log on and set up my online banking. When trying to register an error occurred and I was unable to register for online banking. Another call ensued to FNB online banking tech support only to be told that my profile had been erased from my Business banking account and to call the person responsible on a land line number given to me by the agent. I duly called the number but it was no longer in service, at this point I emailed the team leader for the complaints department once again to explain the situation to which I received a call back to discuss the missing details from my online profile.</p> <p> </p> <p>From that call I was informed that they would contact the relevant people and sort the situation out. On the morning of the 12th of August 2016 I received a call from FNB Business banking informing me that I now needed to fill out additional mandate forms to access the online banking. By the agents own admission these should have been sent out to me with the initial opening forms and it was a problem they are trying to address internally.</p> <p> </p> <p>Over all it has taken 3 months to try and open a Business banking account, but here is the overall problem. My newly formed company is now not able to invoice and receive funds from business already conducted as well as not being able to pay my creditors damaging my reputation with them before I have even built a solid relationship with them. Secondly my VAT registration is being delayed and my invoices are piling up costing me money on every one of them as I am not able to charge VAT but have to pay VAT. Lastly the amount of time and effort I have had to put into rectifying what is essentially the bank error also has a financial implication as this is time that could have been spent on building my business.</p>