FICA *** up

I have never been ***ed around by any bank as I have been by Standard Bank this week.

Applying for my iStore card was simple and painless. Good start, I thought. But it was all downhill from there.

The courier delivered my card at 7:30am on Wednesday and took all my FICA docs. A message from Standard Bank said the card would be active in 24 hours. At 11am on Thursday, I tried to activate the PIN on telephone banking and got every error from incorrect information to invalid card number. A consultant told me I need to go to a branch to activate the PIN. Please dear lord tell me what the point of couriering the card is if you still have to go to a branch to activate it???

Get to Northgate branch at 3pm on Thursday and wait in a queue for nearly an hour. Luckily I took my FICA docs because by the time I was helped, I was told that all my docs were outstanding.

Get to the iStore this morning, put down a deposit for a purchase and try to pay the balance with the iStore card and it declines. Call the call centre and am told that there is a FICA block and have to wait ANOTHER ***n 24 hours!! I had to reverse the entire transaction and had another day wasted by Standard Bank.

Your systems are pathetic and you have seriously inconvenienced me for three days, and now it will be four. I'm expecting to be told again tomorrow that this still isn't sorted out. I have now done the FICA process four times and the card still isn't activated. Get your **** together, Standard Bank. Your customer service is pathetic.