DO NOT choose Standard Bank when looking for a bank in South Africa!
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UPDATE The issue has still not being resolved and today is the 7 June 2017. After a few tweets on Twitter on Saturday 3 June 2017, someone from Standard Bank's social media team sent a message to private message them. Now if you read below one of my complaints was that I couldn't have my query looked into whilst on the phone because "I failed the security check". But the most "secure bank" asks for my banking details and contact details in a private message on Twitter, and the Twitter account I was using was @ilovezacom not even my personal account - shows how secure Standard Bank are. So I was told that my issue had been escalated and someone would contact me via e-mail, which the did. I responded to the e-mail and there was no further communication. Once again on Monday 5 June 2017 I had to go back to Twitter to tell the world that my problem had not been resolved before Standard Bank decided to do anything. They responded to my e-mail but held no accountability for their actions and basically blamed me for everything.
I'm not sure when this minor issue will be resolved but I will repeat my statement, DO NOT BANK WITH STANDARD BANK, AVOID THEM AT ALL COSTS! |
A very strong statement, but when you have had issues with them repeatedly you begin to see why I say this.
About a month ago I decided to open a Standard Bank account but I now remember why I closed my last one and switched to FNB.
Just some points about the bad service I have received from Standard Bank over the years.
A few years ago when I was still banking with Standard Bank, Planet Fitness decided to debit my account for a membership I had closed more than 5 years ago. When I tried to stop it and informed Standard Bank of the issue, they told me that I would need to get a letter from Planet Fitness to say that my membership was closed. How absurd, I must ask the company that is fraudulently debiting my account to give me a letter to say that they shouldn't be debiting my account?!
Anyway there were countless other problems with Standard Bank including them updating my personal details for FICA, but let's "move forward" to the present problems.
So, about a month ago I opened this account and without notice a few days later (not a month) I was charged a bank charge, which they call a "fixed monthly service fee". The charge was R8.28, and I was fine with that as there was sufficient funds to pay for it.
Yes I was charged for opening my account, as I had opened it on the 18th April 2017 and I was charged on the 29th April 2017. I was not informed of the charge but I let it slide. FNB on the other hand charge you a fee, exactly a month from the day you opened it, and it is always the same date, every month, and the same fee.
A few days later when I wanted to do an internet transfer, I find out that there was no limit set on my account and I had to go into the branch to set a limit. I've banked with FNB for years now and I hardly go into the branch, everything can be done over the phone or online, that's why one would choose to bank with "the big 4".
Besides their archaic internet platform that requires your card number, a customer selected pin, and a password, Standard Bank is definitely not "moving forward".
So when I went to the branch on 11th May to set my limit I decided to pick up my card as well. Needless to say on the 19th May I received an SMS to collect my card and a call a few days later from DSV to tell me to collect my card which I had already collected. This is the efficiency at Standard Bank. Not to mention that I received an EFT from a Standard Bank account to my Standard Bank account which took a day to reflect, FNB is instant, just saying.
While at the branch I wanted to switch my debit orders and asked the consultant to do so, to which he replied it will be easier for me to do it as the bank takes days to update and it might only reflect next month. Here again FNB switches everything, your salary, and your debit orders for you, something I'm not sure Standard Bank are equipped to do.
I managed to switch the debit orders myself and the first month, April was fine, but this month was a disaster. I had made provision for all my debit orders and bank charges, but Standard Bank decided that this month they would charge me R20 for my "fixed monthly service fee", without any notice, and was charged before my debit orders went off, so naturally there was not enough funds for the extra charge, and one of my debit orders was returned. My account had gone into overdraft for about R10, but since I don't have an overdraft facility, the debit order was returned as unpaid. I was subsequently charged R115 for a debit order that was R140, because I was R10 over my cheque account.
When I phoned the call centre today, 3 June, to enquire about this (after waiting almost a half an hour on the phone), the agent Shaqeel said he will look into it, but needed to ask me some security questions for verification. Shaqeel started asking me questions about property I owned and my bank accounts which were not at Standard Bank. When I told him I was uncomfortable with the questions he responded to tell me that it was the bank's new security system.
I immediately asked to be transferred to a manager and explained my discomfort (as this sounded very phishy) to which she, Sashni responded that I would need to go into a branch if I were not comfortable with the security questions.
I now have to resort to social media and this post to actually have my concern heard by Standard Bank.
