Terrible serice would alredy be a good compliment for FNB: stay away!

My experience with FNB has deteriorated to a point where it is no longer acceptable.

On 24 December, I made a payment to a public recipient that I had already paid the previous day. This was an FNB-to-FNB transaction, which on 23 December reflected immediately. On 24 December, the same type of payment did not reflect at all.

Only after contacting FNB was I informed by a supervisor/manager that, according to the terms and conditions, such payments may take up to 12 hours. While this clause may exist, the issue is inconsistency: if the same transaction reflected immediately the day before, there is no reasonable explanation for it not doing so the following day—especially without any prior warning. Clients cannot be expected to guess when “instant” payments will suddenly stop being instant.

As a result, I was left without access to my own money on Christmas Eve.

This is not an isolated incident. Similar issues occur repeatedly:

Payments are processed inconsistently

Calls drop unexpectedly

Clients are forced to call back at their own expense, wasting time and money

Business and personal commitments are negatively affected

The standard of professionalism is deeply concerning. During calls with managers or supervisors, while I was under severe stress due to not having access to my funds, I could clearly hear background noise, children, laughter, and social activity. Staff are of course entitled to enjoy their holidays, but if a call is taken in an official capacity, it should be handled privately and professionally. That did not happen.

Branch-level service is equally problematic. The Hout Bay branch phone line has reportedly not been working for months (at least four months to my knowledge). Branch management is aware of this and has done nothing to resolve it. As a result, I was forced to discuss private financial matters on speakerphone inside the branch, where other clients and staff could hear sensitive details, including my frustration and account-related information. This is a serious breach of basic client privacy.

While this was happening, the assistant manager was present, occupied with routine administrative tasks, showing little urgency or awareness that a service failure affecting clients was unfolding in real time. This reflects a lack of leadership and accountability at branch management level.

In parallel, I app**** for a personal loan, which was declined despite clearly explaining that recent arrears were the direct result of a theft and burglary at my home, which caused temporary financial strain. There was no meaningful engagement with the context, no flexibility, and no empathy.

I am also still being charged for a “Private Banker” service that is not being provided. I was advised over a month ago that a new private banker would be assigned. This has not happened, yet the fees continue to be deducted. Charging for a service that is not delivered is unacceptable.

A recurring pattern is evident: when issues are raised publicly, responses are often prompt the following day, yet resolution does not follow. Communication fades, and matters remain unresolved. I am deliberately not naming individuals publicly, despite having records, because this is a management and systems failure, not a personal one.

Resolution required: I formally request:

Reimbur*****t of all Private Banking fees charged during the period in which no private banker was assigned

A written explanation for the inconsistent processing of FNB-to-FNB payments on 23 and 24 December

Confirmation of how FNB ensures client privacy when branch communication systems are non-functional

Failing this, I will escalate the matter through the Banking Ombudsman and reserve the right to approach independent media platforms, as repeated internal complaints have not resulted in meaningful resolution.

FNB requires serious management intervention. What I experienced reflects systemic neglect, not isolated mistakes. I cannot recommend FNB—particularly to self-employed clients and small business owners who depend on reliability and discretion.