A daughter's experience of travelling abroad

Standard Bank - South Africa = the most useless bank around... I left for Germany on September 25th, two weeks beforehand I went into the Bedford-Centre branch to get some bank statements and find out information about using my card in Germany. The consultant was so busy flirting with me that he insisted that using my card overseas would incur no extra costs "but you know they don't have standard bank there so it would just cost the same as if you were withdrawing from FNB" was his exact response. I told him I was sure there were conversion fees for withdrawing Euros he told me I was wrong. He didn't seem interested in helping me only in getting my number, so feeling uncomfortable i left. The next day I phoned customer care to be told different information about using my card, it still didn't sound right. I decided to research for myself and in a hidden corner of the website i found a convoluted table explaining the breakdown of fees for overseas use. I told standard bank 3 times: in branch, on the phone and via email that I would be in Germany for 4 months. --- Okay fast forward one month I have been in Germany for 3 weeks and using my card with no problem (except the fees they charge me are higher than anything i was told). 19 September I am at the train station trying to withdraw money for a day in Munich, The ATM says "ERROR service provider will not release funds" I think little of it and I get on a train planning to draw money when I arrive in Munich. In Munich I try withdraw money and it says "insufficient funds", this is impossible, I try a smaller amount and it gives me the money, now I am starting to get a bit worried. An hour later I get a message from my mother back in SA, saying standard bank is trying to get hold of me. I try call the numbers she gave me, none of them work. I'm panicking that the faulty ATM at the train station stole money from my account - its the only think that makes sense. Once i get back to my house in i log onto the internet banking and no money has come out of my account, I am relieved. I still call standard bank wondering what they needed. It costs me €10 and the man tells me for 15 min there is nothing on the system but he is looking until the call just drops. --- Fast forward another week and on the 25th pf October my card stops working with no indication of why. As of today I have sent 4 emails to standard bank and spent €28 on phone calls on top of the €10 i had spent before. The only response I have had from Standard bank was that They apologise for the incorrect debit order... there was never an issue with a debit order, so where they found that I have no idea. So my LONG rant is over and I sit in Germany with no access to money because of the incompetence of a major corporate who doesn't give a flying **** about their customers... WHAT DO I DO? #standardbank #standardbankza #useless #banking #forstandardbank