Shocking and sloppy service

Recently I tried to apply for a small overdraft. I was declined online and investigated further. It turns out I still had a high credit risk score due to an over indebtedness issue which was resolved in 2018. However, despite the bank as well as credit agencies being the recipients of my clearance certificate in 2018 nothing was done to adjust my score at the time. If the credit agencies could do it immediately why couldn’t the bank?? They’re very quick to demand payment but not so quick to assist a long standing customer who had fully paid up their debt. In these times what’s the percentage of those that default vs pay up in full? Asking for a friend!!

Back to March 2020 where I get declined. I then moved heaven and earth to get them all my paid up letters and clearance certificate which they would have received in 2018. incidentally they were the lending bank in the first place and would know those accounts were paid up and closed. On 4 March I went into a branch to try to get this resolved, as instructed by the call center. I sat in the Rosebank mall branch for almost an hour while no one really knew what to do with me. A consultant finally asked me to email all the above mentioned documents to her. I rush back to the office and do so immediately. There was a lot of back and forth but finally on 16 March she informs me that the risk profile has been amended. Yay for me, or so I thought!!

I try again, I get declined again. Just to be clear, I’m asking for a measly R3000 THREE.THOUSAND.RAND. Perhaps that’s what the problem is? I’m not borrowing enough to incur huge interest repayments? Cause at the end of the day that’s all banks really care about. How can we help them, not the other way around.

I then lodge a formal complaint via email with *** on 19 March. I finally get a response on 25 March from a Shirelle Skippers at CCB Customer Experience saying the following:

“We refer to your complaint regarding your Overdraft application. Kindly be advised that your good standing status has been resorted, and you should be able to apply for the Overdraft now. You can apply via your Online Banking profile, if that declines, please contact our Contact Centre on *** where a consultant will assist you with the application. Please accept our sincerest apologies for the delay and any inconvenience caused.”

So yesterday I try again... only to be declined again! I duly phone the call center. Get passed around and cut off 3 times. Finally manage to speak to someone who tells me that she has to lodge the request with the sales team and someone will call me back. Fair enough!

Ive just got off the phone with a consultant who tells me I can’t get an overdraft now (when I so desperately need the assistance) I have to wait a further 30 days and try again end April. Something Ma Skippers failed to mention in her email. What part of “I need the assistance now“ is not registering?

Surely the 30 day waiting period could be reviewed on a case by case basis but then again we are all just a number to these institutions. Why am I expecting fair treatment from the bank I’ve been with since 2003? The bank I pay monthly charges to for less than adequate service. The bank that should have updated my risk profile in 2018 when they were supposed to, instead of causing me undue stress and unnecessary run around now.

I’m not sure what’s happened to FNB’s excellent service record but I’m disappointed to say the least.