WORST SERVICE FROM PRIVATE BANKER EVER!!!!!

If I could score this review at minus 100, I would! We have been clients of FNB for many, many year and have NEVER experienced such bad service from the Private Banker allocated to us! We app**** to access funds from our current homeloan on 19 January 2026. The Private Banker, Mr Nico Smit is the person allocated to deal with our account. Documents were sent to us to complete, which was done and sent back on 21 January 2026 to Mr Smit. Mr Smit acknowledged receipt of the documents on 21 January 2026 @ 14:17pm. He advised that he would keep us up to date with the application. I asked Mr Smit how long it would take to process our application but did not get a reply from him. On Monday, 26 January 2026, my husband emailed Mr Smit again when the money would be available and Mr Smit advised that it takes 3 weeks for the money to pay out as the application has to go through a credit vetting process. He again advised that he would keep us up to date. On 27 January 2026 at 15:31, Mr Smit sent through another document for us to complete. It was completed on the same day and sent back by my husband at 15:51pm. On 4 February 2026 Mr Smit sent an email advising us that the bank is busy with the restructuring of our loan and that he was still waiting for feedback. I again asked him how long it would take as we desperately need the funds. No reply from Mr Smit. On 9 February 2026, we received a structured loan application form and an approval in principal, but for a higher interest rate than what we currently have. I contacted Mr Smit telephonically, questioning the higher interest rate. He told me that he is fighting with the credit department for a lower interest rate. I told him that we will not be signing anything until he comes back to us with a lower interest rate. He said it would take about 2 days to give us feedback. My husband contacted him on 10 February 2026 via email questioning the whole process as it seems as if the bank is processing a whole new loan for us. We asked for feedback which we did not get. On Friday, 13 February 2026 I emailed Mr Smit again asking for feedback regarding the interest rate which he was supposed to have given us feedback on. On 27 February 2026, I contacted Mr Smit telephonically, voicing my frustration with is service and again asked for feedback. He promised to give me feedback later the day. AT 16:18pm, TWO WEEKS AFTER MY REQUEST FOR AN ANSWER, we received an email again saying that the application is with the credit department and that he would give feedback as soon as he hears anything. Mr Smit also advised us somewhere during these discussions with him that the bank would be sending out a property valuer to evaluate our property... This also makes me think that a new application was in process as the valuer is only needed if you want to increase the actual loan over and above the amount it is already valued for! And this is not what we wanted. We just wanted to access funds already paid off. On Monday, 2 March 2026, I contacted the bank directly at 11:51am, wanting to speak to the credit department myself to find out what the hold up was. The homeloans department advised me that they are not in power to discuss the loan with me as it is a "structured loan" and that I have to talk to my personal banker. I told the person that I spoke to that he service we are getting from Mr Smit is terrible and that I did not want to to speak to him. I also asked for Mr Smit's manager's details and left a message for this manager, who I was told is Ms Katlego Nkosi, to phone me back urgently. I am still waiting for her to phone me back too...Seems as if it is too much to ask the employees of FNB to return a call.... On the same day, at 12:15pm we agian received an approval in principal from Mr Smit, asking us to approve so that he can then arrange for the funds to be paid to us. My husband approved it and told Mr Smit to go ahead with the request for the money to be released. Today, on 5 March 2025, my husband tried phoning Mr Smit, he avoids us and does not answer our calls, and when my husband sent him a whatsapp, his reply on email was that the lawyer will contact us to sign documents for the bank to then pay out the money. WHY IS THERE A LAWYER INVOLVED IF WE DO NOT WANT TO REGISTER A NEW BOND BUT JUST ACCESS FUNDS WE ALREADY PAID?!?!?! I can not believe that this is the service we are getting, after all the years we have been clients of FNB!!!!! I am sooo over FNB and want to move all my facilities with them to a bank that actually wants to have our business!!!!!