guardian.co.uk,
Lisa Bachelor, Thursday 7 March 2013
 |
| Helpful banking? NatWest has declined to elaborate on the cause of its latest IT woe. Photograph: Bloomberg via Getty Images |
NatWest is
facing a growing backlash from angry customers who claim they will shut their
accounts after another IT problem at the bank left millions without access to their money on Wednesday night.
Customers
were unable to withdraw cash, pay for goods and services, or carry out
telephone and online banking on Wednesday 6 March and into the early hours of
Thursday 7 March after an apparent IT error caused the bank's systems to crash.
NatWest
said in a statement it was "disappointed" with the disruption but
that the problem, which it declined to elaborate on, had been resolved.
However,
some of its customers were still reporting problems this morning. At 9am on
Thursday Daniel Adkins tweeted: "Still can't access my online banking.
#Natwest statement says everything was fixed at 1am."
Another
customer, stigbeater, tweeted Natwest to ask: "When will online banking be
back on? Try to login = ssl connection error!"
It is not
the first time the bank has been hit by IT problems. In June 2012 a botched
software upgrade at the Royal Bank of Scotland group meant millions of NatWest,
RBS and Ulster bank customers were left without access to their money for more
than a week in some cases.
It now
appears the latest technical problem has proved the tipping point for many RBS
customers, who took to Twitter on Thursday to say this time they would shut
their accounts.
Phil, who
tweets as @wheatear9 said: "Why oh why have I stayed with #naffwest I
should know better and will depart." Andrew Bissett, meanwhile, tweeted:
"Disgraceful service. Am moving my banking to Santander! You cannot be
trusted with our money!!!"
Anthony
Gray said: "No money on my Oyster card last night. No way of getting money
out. Had to walk home. Will now spend today changing banks."
Following
the previous NatWest computer meltdown, and other banking problems including Barclays
Libor-rigging scandal, millions of people switched their accounts to co-ops, building societies and credit unions.
The Co-op
saw applications for its accounts increase by 25% in the week following the
last NatWest IT debacle; Charity Bank, which lends its savers' money to
charities, saw a 200% increase in depositors; the Ecology Bank had a 266% jump
in applications; and Triodos, a Bristol-based "sustainable bank", a
51% increase.
Speaking
about NatWest's latest problems, Laura Willoughby of the campaign group Move your Money said: "This is like groundhog day. Could RBS make things any
worse for their already battered and bruised customers?
"What
is for certain is that RBS customers already seething from news of Libor fines,
bonuses and last years meltdown will not be as forgiving a second time
around."
A
spokeswoman for RBS was unable to say what caused the latest problems and
whether or not affected customers would be compensated. However, the bank does
not appear to be offering any additional assistance to customers. Those who are
tweeting it to complain of fees incurred because of failed direct debits are being told by the bank to "speak to the charges team".
Related Article:
NatWest 'glitch' leaves victims without pay (June 2012)
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