You want loyalty... get a dog and don't call him Standard Bank.

I have been a loyal SB customer for more than 20 years. No more. SB has let me down in a big way for the 2nd time now. Time two: I app**** for a home loan for my business with SB. The following issues arised: 1) It took 6 weeks since I submitted all the requested documentation just for SB to give me an answer. I sent numerous mails to numerous SB mail addresses asking 'why is it taking so long?', 'why do you keep asking me to submit documentation that was submitted on the 29th of August already?', 'why is nobody responding to my mails?'. Till today SB keeps saying that the system says they were waiting for documentation from me, documentation that was all submitted on the 29th of August and again after that, every time they asked for it again. 'Home loans' has to date not responded to any of my mails. SB is not taking any responsibility, just keeps saying that 'the system' says they were waiting for me. I even send them all my mails, proving that they were in fact not waiting for me (certain documentation I had to submit three times), still no responsibility taken and no apology. The offer to purchase had already expired due to SB's running in circles, and the seller is now fed-up and is looking to sell to someone else. FNB is now trying to help us and is giving us great service, still I fear it might be too late. 2) Today, after six weeks, I was informed that they will only give me a 80% loan. This allegedly due to me having a poor 'credit rating' with them. I inquired why this was. The answer: because my Vodacom debit order was returned unpaid. Just some clarity: I have an old savings account that I've had since high school, and then I have my Cheque account. I switched all my debit orders to my cheque account years ago, all exept Vodacom. That was simply because the process through Vodacom was too difficult and I eventually gave up. Now I have this 'savings' account that gets used for nothing except paying Vodacom. So being human I sometimes forget to transfer money into this account so that Vodacom's debit can go off. I however pay Vodacom by EFT whenever this has happened, and I pay them extra for any inconvenience that it might have caused. I have never been in trouble with Vodacom and they have never even suspended my account because I ALWAYS pay them. Just like I do all my debtor's. So SB refuses me a 100% loan for R600 000 on a property that they themselves valued at R6 000 000. Me, a loyal customer of theirs for 20+ years. Me, that has never been in bad debt, under debt review or blacklisted. Me, who has another home loan with SB that has R16 000 extra paid into it. Because of one company's debit order, a company that I pay nonetheless, a fact that SB should be aware of as they have access to my accounts. Even after explaining it to them today the response simply was that they cannot change their own credit rating of me.

I am glad this happened because I realized 2 things about SB today: 1) I am just a number, they cannot and will not treat you like an individual. The will not look at the whole picture and my stellar financial reputation means less than their self imposed rules. My business's stellar financial reputation means even less. Loyalty only goes one way, there is none from their side. I am withdrawing my loyalty as well. 2) Refusing a 100% loan of R600 000 on a property of R6 000 000: they have no vision, no foresight and no understanding of business. Why should I trust them with my money when they can't identify the 'deal of the century' when it hits them in the face.

As to their poor service and ignoring of customers queries and mails: they should change their name to sub-standard bank, as 'standard' service is not even achievable for them.