Legal Department by far exceeding the grip of their Reach.

After using my cards normally for the entirety of the day, following a visit to my local Pick n Pay my cards suddenly generated an Error 10 - Retain Card on the swipe machines. Confused, but holding up the queue, I told the cashier I'd go draw money. Inserting my card, it was immediately retained and I was told to contact my Bank.

Lo and behold, after 20 minutes holding for the Card Division, a pleasant lady from the Prestige banking division got back to me and told me that "Legal" has stopped both of my cards.

Without a phone call - with no warning, no message, no email, no contact whatsoever, "Legal" - whomever they may be - stopped both my cards.

I am a single father with a 4 year old boy - if I were at a garage in the middle of the sticks trying to purchase petrol, what exactly would have been Standard Bank's recourse. Again, had I known, I would've known, but here I am, 18h00 in the evening attempting to pay for my groceries when out of the blue my cards have both been stopped by "Legal" for reasons completely unknown.

Also, I am informed "Legal" works office hours, and thus were it an emergency, I would have been left by the wayside.

Standard Bank's customer service has rarely been an issue for me, and yet, somehow, the Legal department stopped all my cards for reasons unknown, with nobody contacting me, not a single call made or a single question asked?

Really? After 19 years of loyal patronage?

I was in stead told to "call legal in the morning" to demystify the reasons behind "Legal"s decision to, without any discretion, leave me without any means to access my money.

This is utter nonsense. I expect, at the very least, the courtesy of a phone call should there be anything wrong with my account. How dare you, in your capacity as a legitimate financial service provider, refuse me access to my own money without due process, or even the hint of a warning?

This needs to be resolved before our corporate payroll completes it's run tomorrow, or I am switching banks and moving all my assets away. And I will NOT pay for a new Credit card.