Standard bank experience

I usually do not write reviews, but I am very disappointed in the service I received from Standard Bank in the last week.

Last Thursday I swiped my card and the card declined. I phoned Standard Bank call centre and they told me my account has been blocked because my FICA documents are not up to date and I need to visit a branch. I live in a very small town so the nearest Standard Bank branch is 150km away. The call centre said all I need to take to the branch is a new proof of address so that they can update my FICA documents and unblock my account. So last week Saturday i visited Standard bank Bothaville branch, when I met with the consultant she told me she needs a payslip, I told her I have the payslip on my phone so I asked her if I can email the payslip to her so that she can print it for me. She said she is not allowed to print anything for me and there is no printing shop open on a saturday that can help me print the payslip. So I drove 150km to the branch and she tells me she can't help me, meanwhile I can't access my money AT ALL. So i drove another 150km back home.

I really hoped I could sort it out on Saturday so that I don't have to take a leave day at work, but now I needed to asked my Manager if I can take a leave day on Tuesday to drive another 150km to Standard Bank Bloemfontein branch to sort this out because now I have been without money for 5 days.

I drove to Bloemfontein branch and met with a consultant. She asked me for my new proof of address so I gave her the proof of address and after a few minutes she said everything is updated and my card should work now. I exited the branch and order me a coffee at a coffee shop I tried to swipe my card it STILL declined. I drove back to the branch and met with the same consultant and I told her my card still declined. She told me she does not know why and I should keep trying.

So I exited the branch AGAIN. Thankfully my aunt works at the Standard bank Bloemfontein branch so before I drove back home I phoned her and told her the whole story. She said it doesn't sound right I should come back and she asked someone else to help me.

I drove back to the branch for the 3rd time. Thankfully the person my aunt asked to help me could figure out whats going on and she fixed everything. Thank you to my aunt and her ****orker for their effort in helping me to access my account again.

I've been with Standard Bank my whole life but this really disappointed me and it cost me alot of money just to sort it out. I will be cancelling my account with Standard Bank and join another bank.

The best of all is when I met with the first consultant at Bloemfontein branch she did not even ask for my payslip so that tells me the consultant at Bothaville branch could've helped me on Saturday and spared me the drive to Bloemfontein.

Very very disappointed.