PATHETIC SERVICE FROM FNB FOREX

FNB Forex Department is the worst compared to any other bank!!!!

Let me share my experience over a 2 week period.

First Forex payment: Application was done online on the 9thy May 2023 at 4pm, no call, no notification, no email nothing. 10th May, whole day passed still no response from FNB. They say for international payments it takes 2 working days so i wait patiently. 11th May, i start getting worried as to what is going on with my payment, i told my supplier that i have processed the payment and they were waiting in order to release my goods. Also bare in mind, the dollar rate from the 9th May to The 11th May went up by a whole R1 which in turn costed me R5000 more because of this useless FNB bank. I called the forex department Thursday morning at 8:30am (1st Call) waited 30 mins to speak to a consultant only to be told that the payment is still being processed and they will escalate it and someone will call me. 1pm now, still nothing from FNB, no call, notification, email nothing . I call forex department again (2nd Call) on hold again another 30 mins before i can speak to some *********** person, I asked to speak to a manager, now getting really frustrated because i have business to run, not waste my time doing FNB job! I spoke to gentleman Jacob Isidor who told me the manager is in a meeting and he will get him to call me. Few minutes later, Jacob Isidor has the nerve to send me an email saying that he tried to call me on the 10th May to cover his case before i could speak to the manager(All Lies). 4pm still no call from any manager, i call again (3rd Call) wait again 20 mins to speak to someone, now i am furious, a lady by the name Yolandi now(Bear in mind every time i call i have to go through all the security checks and explain the whole situation. She tells me that the payment is still being processed and she will escalate, same ****py excuse. At 4:30pm the manager finally calls me, a gentleman by the name of James Tutty, i explain the situation to him and he immediately pushes the payment off my account. I think to myself all is well and my supplier will get their funds soon. 12th May, still no email of the payment, proof of payment nothing. Thinking the payment was completed, i make arrangements with my transportation company to collect my goods on Monday 15th May which they arranged a flight back to South Africa for the 16th May, bear in mind they have to do their custom checks before the flight. On the 15th my supplier sends me an email stating the funds are still not in their account so they cant release the goods to the transportation company. Now i am furious as FNB took my money from my account on the 11tjh May already. I call FNB Forex again, (4th Call) wait again to speak to someone, i ask to speak to James Tutty and he was unavailable, they left a message for him call me. When called he checked and said the payment was being held by compliance for some reason and he will send them an email. Im at the mercy of these circumstances and accept the processes. 16th May still no notification, no funds in the suppliers account. Now i have missed the flight that was booked for the goods and also losing time and money because of FNB. I try to get ahold of James again and he tells me that compliance has requested the invoice which he sent to them. Now compliance says they have sent my payment for approval to my BUSINESS BANKER. Im confused as i have never heard of my business banker before, never called me or contacted me before.I dont understand why do they need to go through this business banker when they can call me directly, im not living on the moon. I wait for this business banker to call me, she calls me around 3pm on the 17th May, asking so dumb questions like what am i importing and for the invoice again, bear in mind when doing your payment online the invoice is uploaded so what is the point uploading it if they going to still ask for it multiple times. I tell her what i am importing(like it is not on the invoice). I tell her that if she is my business banker then why am i only hearing from her now. She has no response. On the 17th May still no funds in my suppliers account. FINALLY on the 18th May i receive the notification FNB with the proof of payment and the funds are now in the suppliers account. Almost 10 days to do a Global Payment!!! How ridiculous, and FNB says they are the best bank, i moved from ABSA last year after being with them for 17 Years, i have never has this experience. I lost a total of R5000 because of the exchange rate, about 3-4 hours of my time where i could have been doing things in my own business instead of running after FNB and doing their business for them. I lost a flight that was booked, now wasted the time of my transportation company and time that i could have received my goods and could have been selling it already. Now i can only get a flight on the 25th May for my Goods, Thank You FNB!

Second Forex Payment: From A different Business Account Application was processed on the 15th May at 1pm, again notification, no email, no call, nothing. When speaking to Mr James on the 16th May i gave him the reference for the 2nd payment and again he pushed the payment immediately and then the whole process of fighting and phoning FNB has started again. I call James on the 18th May and he said the payment is with compliance and they requested the invoice and he sent it them and was awaiting their reply. On the 19th i called him again and he said that compliance has sent for approval to my business banker, again never heard of this business banker, i took her details frim James and tried to call her but the number did not go through. I call FNB Business Banking to see if i can get a hold this business banker, he gave me same number and her email. I call James again and he said he is going to try and get a hold of her manager to tell her to call me. James Tutty is the only person at the FNB forex who was willing to help and do their job. About 30 Mins later on the 19th May My Business banker calls me ( Thobekile Purity Sangweni) she tells me that she is my business banker, this 2nd business account is open with FNB since 2018, in 5 years this is the first time i am hearing about my business banker. Before she can say anything i interrogate her. I ask her how long has she been my business banker, she says from last year October, i tell her that from October to now she has never introduced herself, gave her details, let me know to call her if i need anything nothing. Absolutely pathetic really!!!She says that she has a list of 3000 business profiles to go through and she hasnt reached my name as yet, what a joke really. my Global Payment was on hold and my business is in the hands of FNB staff like this., honestly im on the verge of moving all my FNB accounts to anther bank! I mean i cant blame this women if she has 3000 business customers to look after, clearly FNB needs to hire more people to look after their clients unless we are not valuable enough for them. They do not need our business clearly! She then apologizes and i ask her when did compliance email her for the approval on this payment? she says they sent her an email on the 18th May buy she only calls me on the 19th May, that is after James called her manager to tell her to call me(don't think she would have called if the manger did not tell her) she has the nerve to still tell me that she is calling within the 24 hour period so she is not wrong. Jokes really, she then goes on to ask what am i importing and asks for the invoice to be emailed to her. I send it to her and finally on the 19th May at 7pm at night i receive the payment confirmation from FNB. She send me an email at 9pm at night saying that the payment has been assigned to the payment office for release. I dont understand why does a business banker need to give approval for a payment and needs to check and verify what you are importing. That is SARS and Customs job.

Really pathetic service form FNB Forex department and processes.

Reference for first payment: R023EJJKB0 - Al Zahraa Trading ***

Reference for second payment: R023ZZG3G0 - R1 Auto Wholesalers ***