THE ULSTER BANK ‘glitch’ that has seen its customers accounts severely disrupted, and/or, inaccessible is entering its third working week. (Or ‘not working’, as might be more appropriate.)
The Central Bank has called the delay in resolving the operational failure as “unacceptable”. Businesses have been badly hit, as have personal account holders, and ISME went so far last week as to say that the bank should waive fees.
Many of you affected by the ongoing difficulties have been relating your experiences in TheJournal.ie‘s comments section and on social media. The following is a selection from just the past few days.
If you want to update us on progress – or not – or if you have tips to help others in your situation, please leave us a comment with your advice/experience.
Friday, 29 June:
Leon B Cosgrove: I spoke to a person who has arrears yesterday and he received a nasty letter from the Legal Dept of Ulster Bank, even though he has set up an agreement to pay them, so how can they issue these and they can’t tell him what is in his account, and he has been paid a week and no sign in his account, they are a disgrace and and a embarrassment of a Bank…
Katie Does: I’ve been waiting for transfer of a payment made (online) via an Ulster Bank account on June 20th to my account in another bank. Getting pretty sick of it now.
Paul Ryan: RBS and Ulster Bank are full of crap!! My wages should have gone in on 20th June and still no sign.
Henry Shields: My wages from last night didn’t go in. Who are they trying to fool. Had to go into the branch to with draw money for the weekend and there was only 2 working on the desks.
Nicola Monaghan: my landlord doesn’t accept “unreserved apologies” as rent!
Chris Lynch: Now waiting on Two weeks wages, my better halves monthly wage and two checks to appear in my account.
Thelma: I’m waiting on my salary and my husband is waiting in his since last week mortgage to be paid and car insurance ulster bank apology is just not good enough. Maybe we should start put money under mattress again!!!
Steven Leslie: waiting for wages 21st and 28th mortgage and loan due out monday,not to mention my TRS payment to go in on monday,absolutely pathetic at this stage
Saturday, 30 June:
Laura O’Sullivan: Still waiting on last weeks wages and yesterdays wages – going on holidays monday and now have limited money till this is cleared grr!!!!!
Mick Coady: No money again today, rang the 1-800 number, told you have to go to one of the extended hours branch’s (very nice of them to open). What is in place for the people that are working over the weekend also the people who work shift. The media and and people with some influence have been disgraceful. I know they can not solve the problem but some info and help might be calming. Ulster bank are stating that most salaries are up to date, I dont think so, but this is being read by the media and been reported as true. Millions of accounts cleared in the UK in two days, a 150000 in Ireland still not done. Central bank have told them they are “naughty” woo hoo, feel they are trembling on that one. we have the internet to our disposal, e-mail your local goverment rep, keep doing it also what would happen if a 100,000 people marched to UB headquarters???? “Rant over.”
Go to this site and start filling in the forms. http://www.financialombudsman.ie/
Alien8: Just off the phone and they are at the end of the automated transactions from Thursday the 21st – I.e. Thursday before last!. This is incoming payments, it will be another week before they are visible online, but the branches can see them. No hope of salary going in as both employer and I have UB accounts, but if either is non-UB, they are handled faster. Can take cash out of branch, but this is an IOU only (i.e. wont be seen on account either!) Shocking handling of this affair, must have been easier alternative – retry the missed automated transactions, and cancel any repeats? I it wasn’t for the cheap banking and mortgage discount, I’d go back to cash!
Richard Mason: We have never really been told what the real issue is and why it’s taking so long to sort our accounts in Ireland. I’m taking this as an opportunity to move and revamp my finances. I feel sorry for the branch staff who have always been first class. 27 years of loyalty is now over.
Sunday, 01 July:
Shinny K: I was in Ulster bank today and staff told me they think it will be Wednesday at the earliest. They said they had stopped trying to clear the back log as the system was down again. When I tried to lodge cheques the lady told me not to bother as it would be weeks before they were cleared. she then forgot to give me my atm card. So now I have no money n my bank and no ATM card. :(
Monday, 02 July:
Alan Quirke: There was activity over the weekend in small amounts hitting accounts but this morning that has reverted back to normal(or abnormal really). I’m still waiting on 4 wages, 2 wages x 2 weeks worth. I can’t even leave the bank because I cannot access my money. I have to go off now today and check who got paid and who didn’t get paid from my account. I knew we couldn’t trust banks and bankers but never thought to this extent!
Amanda Moore: I am making a formal complaint to the financial regulator today. I still have not been paid and this nonsense is going on 2 weeks. I’m concerned that Ulster bank needs to be held accountable and this will only happen if customers affected make that complaint.
Nejra Mrkonja Mesinovic: This is a disgrace!My upc,my car insurance,esb,gas was meant to go out two weeks ago. I lodged money in but nothing is showing, I am just waiting to be cut off, already got a letter from the insurance and instead of 80 I now have to pay a 100. Went to the bank Fri and they told me all my direct debits were sorted out,so I guess they told me that to get rid of me.
Anna Lark: I have borrowed money off everyone at this point, and I know at some point I am going to need to buy tampons *blushes* I may just head in to Ulster Bank Q for 2 hours then ask the girl behind the counter for a spare lilet.
Wolfgang Schmitt: In addition to making a formal complaint, I am also ending my banking relationship with Ulster Bank this week, Sorry, but almost two weeks to sort out a technical glitch is unacceptable. In addition to this, other than the continued “hope to”‘s and “sorry for the inconvenience”‘s, we have yet to hear how they will make sure a “glitch” like this doesn’t happen again in the future. Plus, I’ve been in a branch on Saturday… I know one employee is not representative for the entire organization- but I was treated with absolute disgraceful contempt. Sorry, but if your employer causes a massive mess up like this, you need to dial down the attitude dear behind-the- counter staff.
Sarah May Hamilton: This is just absolute madness. My accounts showed bizarre and totally random amounts over the weekend which are not at all representative of what should be there. They should contacting each affected customer by email or text to keep us updated, why is the onus on us to go looking for information, like we’re begging for scraps off the table.
Aoife Quinn: I too haven’t received my wages in two weeks, I went to the UB in Galway on Saturday and withdrew the whole lot, she asked if I was covering my direct debits, they are due out on Friday after I’ve been paid so I wasn’t going to leave money to cover them, it SHOULD be sorted by then. I have to say I was in and out in 10 minutes on Saturday and the staff were great. We cant take our anger out on them. Will be leaving UB once this is sorted. Complete madness.
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