Update on technical issues: significant progress
27th June 2012
As confirmed yesterday, the major backlog of account balance updates cleared on Monday for RBS and NatWest customers. This means that account balances have registered as normal for the vast majority of RBS and NatWest customers over the last two days. We can also confirm that the small amount of outstanding unprocessed transactions continues to reduce, and significant further progress is expected today.
As previously cautioned, however, progress towards a completely normal service is likely to be affected by the significant stress on the system over recent days.
The Group has already announced that the significant problems facing Ulster Bank are likely to continue for the remainder of this week, however the solution applied in NatWest and RBS has been successfully applied to Ulster Bank overnight, increasing our confidence that we will restore a full service by Monday.
We apologise once again for the unacceptable service customers have experienced and thank them for their patience. Our NatWest, RBS and Ulster Bank branches remain open for extended hours all week and our call centres have double the number of staff. All customers experiencing problems are asked to contact us on the following numbers:
RBS and NatWest
- 0161 931 9959
- 0800 656 9639
- 0845 777 7766
Overseas:
- NatWest +44 (0) 8705 88444
- RBS +44 (0) 13154 98888
Ulster Bank
- Republic of Ireland 1800 205100
- Northern Ireland 0800 231232
RBS will provide regular updates throughout the week as the Group works through these issues and develops its plans for customer redress.
What do you think about this?
Success – Your comment is now with the moderator. We aim to moderate comments within 1 working day. Our posting guidelines provide more details.
59 comments
what is your maintenance policy and what have you put in place to avoid a repeat of this outage?
0 Replies » Reply
What is DTA clearing in RBS bank statement
1 Reply » Reply
Hi, To get help on specific details please call one of the following RBS customer support numbers, 0161 931 9959, 0800 656 9639, 0845 777 7766 or if you are overseas +44 (0) 13154 98888. Alternatively follow and DM @RBS_help on Twitter
Again we apologise again for the significant inconvenience we know this incident has caused.
Again we apologise again for the significant inconvenience we know this incident has caused.
0 Replies » Reply
I am an Ulster Bank customer and have just heard that they have issued a statement saying they cannot guarntee that this will be fixed by the END of JULY. This is a total disgrace. We have been treated like second class citizens. I fullt appreciate that technical problems can happent o any bank but it is how they are dealt with that can make the difference.
I am so angry that my husband and i cannot get any of our wages, we are made to queue for over an hour to get some money from a cashier but have to be interrogated before we are allowed to get any of our money.
I am so angry that my husband and i cannot get any of our wages, we are made to queue for over an hour to get some money from a cashier but have to be interrogated before we are allowed to get any of our money.
0 Replies » Reply
I am an Ulster Bank customer (for now) and for the past TWO WEEKS I have been lied to, had no help to sort out this huge finanical mess I am in because Ulster Bank has my money (salary due to go into Ulster Bank 25th June 2012 not showing) and I am having to fight with HSBC where all my direct debit are taken out (mortgage, council tax, elec & gas, TV licence etc). My HSBC is now showing over the overdraft limited, I am having to spend hours trying to sort this out which is taking me ages, I am now having to take money out of a credit card to put good my HSBC account and I feel I am having a meltdown both personally and financially becuase of ULSTER BANKS FAULT. I need help and no one is helping. This needs to be rectified and it is not. ULSTER BANK HAS MY MONEY and I cant get it.
1 Reply » Reply
Hi JR, Please contact us directly so we can discuss your personal situation, Ulster Bank Republic of Ireland 1800 205100, Northern Ireland 0800 231232.
Customers have our commitment that they will not be left out of pocket from this issue. We will publish further details on how we will ensure this.
Customers have our commitment that they will not be left out of pocket from this issue. We will publish further details on how we will ensure this.
0 Replies » Reply
Unfortunately it looks like the Ulster Bank customers affected, including me and my son, will not be corrected until the end of week beginning 1st July 2012. The Ulster Bank branches have advised that they will be open late until Friday 7th July so that does not seem to me that Ulster Bank is anywhere near ready to provide a service. Meanwhile I am still waiting on approx 6 credits (including 3 payments from my husband's pension) being applied to my account and I don't know where I am with regard to what has been paid by DD and what impact this will have on me.This whole situation is a fiasco and I think that RBS should be providing more support to Ulster Bank customers since it looks like it will be 2 weeks plus until things start to return to normal. It's really unacceptable.
0 Replies » Reply
I think that the branch staff in Stony Stratford have become a little blasé with the situation, they talk about the problems affecting everyone and there is little that can be done. No sorry Nat West, you have failed to process 36 transactions properly and I expect to be compensated 35 for each transaction. They could not advise on how to ensure the credit rating agencies could be corrected.
0 Replies » Reply
Those making excuses for these problems should consider this is not the first time this has occurred. Nor should those people ignore the crooked manner in which banks have been run for years.
At the customers expense.
The real facts are that banks are criminal organisations. Running fraudulent deals EVERY day and swindling its customers routinely in interest, shares, and charges.
These are facts and will come out.
Those making excuses are either incredibly stupid or more likely PR agents for the companies concerned and being paid to make such statement.
At the customers expense.
The real facts are that banks are criminal organisations. Running fraudulent deals EVERY day and swindling its customers routinely in interest, shares, and charges.
These are facts and will come out.
Those making excuses are either incredibly stupid or more likely PR agents for the companies concerned and being paid to make such statement.
0 Replies » Reply
A Tesco ( RBS ) ATM has ' swallowed ' my N&P building society cash card. Note cash card, not debit or credit card. This was in Pembrokeshire , Wales.
As a journalist I am very concerned about this. apart from being a Sunday night and I cant get cash ! This means that RBS software problems are affecting other peoples accounts and even those with cash cards from other companies.
Very worrying indeed.
K. Wright-Brown
As a journalist I am very concerned about this. apart from being a Sunday night and I cant get cash ! This means that RBS software problems are affecting other peoples accounts and even those with cash cards from other companies.
Very worrying indeed.
K. Wright-Brown
0 Replies » Reply
been an ulster bank customer for 12 years wont be when they finally get my account sorted. RBS is quick enough to update my account when i take money out but still waiting on my wages to go into my account. is this all just a con for ulster bank to hold our money for longer to make money with it as the bank lost 1bn last year and are making a 1000 staff redundancies
0 Replies » Reply
what about businesses using streamline we still have not received money that should have been put into our accounts including money taken after monday.
I find this entire situation disgraceful. It is bad enough that this has happened, but it is made worse by the fact that RBS group appear to appreciate their customers on the mainland more than they do their customers here in Northern Ireland! How is it fair that RBS and Natwest are sorted out before Ulster Bank!? Surely all parts of your company should be treated equally?
RBS group needs to remember that without customers they will not have a business. The complete lack of total, honest information in this whole situation is scandalous, and the continued pleas of just a little more time are not acceptable by any stretch of the imagination!
Other banks are offering people cash incentives to switch to their banking service....what are Ulster Bank offering their customers to remain with them? It is time for RBS to show how sorry they are and that we,as the customers who keep them in business, are important to them! Ulster Bank need to realise that their existing customers are the people who they will be relying on for some time to come, because given the massive amount of negative publicity surrounding this entire scandal I very much doubt Ulster Bank will be seeing a significant increase in clients for the foreseeable future. Indeed I would very much expect to see Ulster Bank experience a significant loss of customers as a result of this fiasco....
RBS group needs to remember that without customers they will not have a business. The complete lack of total, honest information in this whole situation is scandalous, and the continued pleas of just a little more time are not acceptable by any stretch of the imagination!
Other banks are offering people cash incentives to switch to their banking service....what are Ulster Bank offering their customers to remain with them? It is time for RBS to show how sorry they are and that we,as the customers who keep them in business, are important to them! Ulster Bank need to realise that their existing customers are the people who they will be relying on for some time to come, because given the massive amount of negative publicity surrounding this entire scandal I very much doubt Ulster Bank will be seeing a significant increase in clients for the foreseeable future. Indeed I would very much expect to see Ulster Bank experience a significant loss of customers as a result of this fiasco....
0 Replies » Reply
I am with the Halifax but my pay was due on the 27th from an Ulsterbank account. No pay given went to Ulster bank and was told I am not a customer of theirs and I was to go to my employer and to get all staff to go to employer even though the money has left his account. 80+ staff going to my employer instead of everyone that is with another bank going into Ulster bank where there was only 4 members of staff on! Other solution is to get Halifax to give me money- news flash for Ulster. Halifax do not have my money as Ulster bank are holding it without my permission. I do not expect Halifax to give handouts they have allowed me to go into an overdraft to pay my bills.
0 Replies » Reply
RBS are holding their hands up and apologising for the technical difficulties and working on the backlogs. From my point of view the members of staff are doing a great job and couldnt be more helpful to correct these errors. Bit disappointed that Ulster Bank systems are still down until Monday though
0 Replies » Reply
As one of the many made redundant last year as a result of the decision to offshore hundreds UK IT jobs all I can say is we told you so. This never happended when the systems were managed by UK based staff. I see today that Stephen Hester has decided not to accept his next bonus - surely no bonus should ever have been considered. The Director of Technology Services should be held accountable for the decision to offshore UK based IT jobs,this was an accident waiting to happen - sack him now. Responsibility for this huge failure is not with the poor indian technician who has probably been sacked already.
0 Replies » Reply
The company I work for, none of us have recieved our wages yet due to the delays, this is putting vulnerable people at risk as I work for a care company and a number of our carers have no petrol left and cannot afford to get any more at the moment and that is putting our clients at risk as we are not able to cover the calls, incredibly frustrated, I wonder what the banks suggest we tell the elderly and frail who rely on people like us to help them out of bed or even make breakfast for them; that they can go hungry and not have their meds and stay in bed all day in urine soaked sheets because 'they are working on it'? That the problem happened with the banks is fair enough, things happen, what isnt acceptible is that there is no efficient contingency plan for health and emergency professionals who care for those most in need, it is not just a case of people's rent, bills and so on, that affects us all, but the people it really hits hardest are the vulnerable out there who need support, who do not have money for food, and so on.
0 Replies » Reply
Absolute shambles. Last website update is 27 June referring to 26 June saying "backlog ... cleared ... account balances ... normal for the vast majority of ... customers.
Today 29 June no transactions on my Ulster bank accounts since before 20 June.
Great communications lads! Ever hear of disaster planning or even the adage - "under promise and over deliver".
Today 29 June no transactions on my Ulster bank accounts since before 20 June.
Great communications lads! Ever hear of disaster planning or even the adage - "under promise and over deliver".
0 Replies » Reply
over a week and the same message at ulster bank,the service is just short of criminal,how have nat west and rbs been fixed and just left ulster bank to get on with it.the company is a disgrace to its customers and also to its front line staff who are face to face with angry people
1 Reply » Reply
Ulsterbank update 1st July 2012
"We do not now expect to be fully up by Monday 2nd as promised. we know this disruption is unacceptable and we continue to do all we can to help our customers"
How is the RBS group going to compensate their customers stealing our monies for close to two weeks and still no explanation as to what the problem is!! How can anyone trust this group moving forward?
"We do not now expect to be fully up by Monday 2nd as promised. we know this disruption is unacceptable and we continue to do all we can to help our customers"
How is the RBS group going to compensate their customers stealing our monies for close to two weeks and still no explanation as to what the problem is!! How can anyone trust this group moving forward?
0 Replies » Reply
There is no mention of what has happened to Virgin One accounts. I have payments missing and duplicate direct debits showing on my account. When will these accountsb be addressed?
Credits that should have appeared on accounts at the end of last week - still not showing, money paid in at cash machines in branch this week- still not showing, Cheques paid in over branch counter this week - still not showing.
Your claim that there is just a small amount of unprocessed transactions is rubbish & I feel sorry for the staff in the branches who are struggling to deal with angry & frustrated customers still a week after the original problems.
I have spoken to Natwest staff in my local branch and some are having to work 7 days in a row & work longer hours because of this - not acceptable
Your claim that there is just a small amount of unprocessed transactions is rubbish & I feel sorry for the staff in the branches who are struggling to deal with angry & frustrated customers still a week after the original problems.
I have spoken to Natwest staff in my local branch and some are having to work 7 days in a row & work longer hours because of this - not acceptable
0 Replies » Reply
I've been an RBS customer for 20 years, until ths weekend I've alway had high thoughts of the bank, but last week's IT blunder shattered 20 years of trust.
It's not your money, your trusted with it and we get treated like this.
Mr Hester, step down and walk away!
The staff at branches & direct banking where so helpful!
It's not your money, your trusted with it and we get treated like this.
Mr Hester, step down and walk away!
The staff at branches & direct banking where so helpful!
0 Replies » Reply
look on the bright side, RBS got the best app of all the bsnks...systems people..
0 Replies » Reply
what a mess wages not paid into accounts has affected four members of my family?going on too long one of my family in England waiting on her wages to be paid into her account weekly no money for food or petrol for her car to go to work? very stressful!!! enough is enough long enough to sort out mess no more excuses!!
will be leaving ulsterbank when they get it sorted 7 accounts in our family. very very stressful!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
will be leaving ulsterbank when they get it sorted 7 accounts in our family. very very stressful!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
0 Replies » Reply
I work for a major IT Services Company and was not paid today - slightly irritated by that. We act as both a service provider and manager of given outsourced services.
What has happened here from an IT Service Delivery perspective is not just unacceptable - It is ineptitude and exhibits several layers of total incompetence in YOUR IT Department - With the buck stopping at the CIO.
Yes, you can outsource critical systems. Yes, you can outsource responsibility.
Fact: Accountability is always yours as the contract holder!
When outsourcing you have to ensure that controls are in place that are appropriate to the criticality of the system and in line with your businesses core functions.
- Where are your SLA's for service restoration?
- What is your business continuity plan?
- Disaster recovery scenarios?
- KPI's to detect potential failure early?
- System monitoring?
- Redundant failovers?
- Change Management practices?
- Back out plan if the change fails?
- Cloud based virtualisation of the system prior to change?
What has happened here from an IT Service Delivery perspective is not just unacceptable - It is ineptitude and exhibits several layers of total incompetence in YOUR IT Department - With the buck stopping at the CIO.
Yes, you can outsource critical systems. Yes, you can outsource responsibility.
Fact: Accountability is always yours as the contract holder!
When outsourcing you have to ensure that controls are in place that are appropriate to the criticality of the system and in line with your businesses core functions.
- Where are your SLA's for service restoration?
- What is your business continuity plan?
- Disaster recovery scenarios?
- KPI's to detect potential failure early?
- System monitoring?
- Redundant failovers?
- Change Management practices?
- Back out plan if the change fails?
- Cloud based virtualisation of the system prior to change?
1 Reply » Reply
No progress AT ALL for Ulster bank customers! And no explanations as to why!!
When will the payments due last week be made in the accounts?
When will the payments due last week be made in the accounts?
0 Replies » Reply
Note RBS shares have collapsed to 6.4p today. Board having defrauded investors again in June 2012 by revaluing shares 1 new for 10 old shares. This is a Penny Share company, and doesnt deserve to act as a bank in the UK. They should be shut down and good riddance
Instead applying pressue of staff to sell products and paying false bonuses, the bank should be investing in its cusomer service offering and systems. Every time I ring the bank or visit a branch its like "do you want a free review". Why would I take advice from a bankrupt?
0 Replies » Reply
You might have "applied a solution" to NatWest but the money I paid into my NatWest account last week is still not showing. The same applies for my wife with her account, my collegue with his account.........
Why are you trying to pretend that NatWest issues are fixed?
Why are you trying to pretend that NatWest issues are fixed?
0 Replies » Reply
This is not good for bank reputation..I am a liable customer of bank...I think they need to improve there technical staff.
One time we can tolarate the issue but if this will happen again in future...this is ashamed for bank.
One time we can tolarate the issue but if this will happen again in future...this is ashamed for bank.
0 Replies » Reply
Well....it is too easy to abuse an organization sitting on the comfy couch in your house, but the reality is...banking systems are very complex systems and sometimes a simple humar error can lead to catastrophy.....this can happen with any organization...it is just a bad day for RBS and I would expect it to come out of it in flying colours...thereby restoring the trust of its customers...
0 Replies » Reply
Oh my lord, whinge whinge whinge, tell me when will I get my wages? tell me when will I get my benefits?! Have none of you been listening or reading reports?? THEY DON'T KNOW when all will be fixed. I too am affected BIG time but there'n no point in bollocking anyone and threatening to leave the bank, where will you move to HSBC? Again with all call centres in India?! This is simply a first hand example as to why outsourcing is no good, everyone is getting fed up of operatives not being able to say our names and having such a strong accent that we can't understand them, let's just hope it's a lesson but I doubt it. There's enough anger in this world so if a direct debit bounces, so what? It's national news so companies are being understanding, it's the people who are using this as an excuse we've got to worry about!
My son can not transfer me his rent money to myself as he is still waiting for his pay to appear. The knock on effect is that I now have to juggle my own personal finances to accommodate RBSs mess up and enable me to meet certain financial commitments I have this time of the month. I bet I won't get any compensation! I pray my pay arrives tomorrow as my company is a RBS customer, i will be in serious financial turmoil if not.
0 Replies » Reply
I have banked with NatWest since 1967 and have always had excellent service from them.
I have every sympathy with any business these days who rely on computer technology to operate their services.
It was inevitable that one day a computer system would totally fail. Haven't we all had some sort of major failure in our home computers at some time??
I just hope there isn't a catastrophic failure in the computer systems that control such things as food transportation or air traffic!! BUT ONE DAY IT WILL HAPPEN!!
Best of luck to the banks - but I do hope they will sympathetically compensate clients who have genuinely suffered as a result of this incident.
I am remaining anonymous as I do not wish to receive abusive or threatening responses to my e-mail - which I expect will happen as a result of my comments.
I have every sympathy with any business these days who rely on computer technology to operate their services.
It was inevitable that one day a computer system would totally fail. Haven't we all had some sort of major failure in our home computers at some time??
I just hope there isn't a catastrophic failure in the computer systems that control such things as food transportation or air traffic!! BUT ONE DAY IT WILL HAPPEN!!
Best of luck to the banks - but I do hope they will sympathetically compensate clients who have genuinely suffered as a result of this incident.
I am remaining anonymous as I do not wish to receive abusive or threatening responses to my e-mail - which I expect will happen as a result of my comments.
3 Replies » Reply
Its good to see someone with some common sense, this issue could have happened with any bank and by moving your money elsewhere do you think any of the other banks can give you a guarantee that this wont happen to their systems. I for one am pleased with how NatWest/RBS have handled the situation by extending the opening of their branches and placing more staff on the phones to answer calls and help us, their customers. Promises have been made that no customer will suffer any financial loss from this and you cant say fairer than that!
1 Reply » Reply
That is all very well for you to say as an RBS/Natwest customer but what about Ulsterbank customers. We are into our third week of this and it is a complete disgrace. Only some branches have stayed open late and they continue to open at the normal time.
It could indeed happen to any bank but Ulster Bank customers have been treated appallingly.
It could indeed happen to any bank but Ulster Bank customers have been treated appallingly.
0 Replies » Reply
its all good for natwest, for you it was only a glitch. What about Ulster Bank?? We have become 3rd class in this whole problem with no access to are accounts 3 weeks into the 'glitch'. All I want is for someone to communicate and tell us honestly what happened and why there were no fail safes or back ups
0 Replies » Reply
Will businesses never learn? Outsourcing is not the answer. You get what you pay for : cheap labour gets cheap results - and it costs more in the long run! Not exactly a difficult concept is it?
0 Replies » Reply
RBS backlog sorted(ish). NatWest backlog sorted(ish). Ulster Bank backlog being sorted(ish). What about he non-UKPA / APACS building societies and banks who use RBS as a clearing house for their transactions... My pay date 25-06, still no funds in my Cumberland Building Society account... why? RBS handle the transaction *facepalm*. The Cumberland have announced that they will essentially pay salaries, pensions etc until this is sorted (fair play to them), as they have NO IDEA WHATSOEVER WHEN RBS WILL SORT THIS (as told to me in person by a senior CBS exec), but where is this in RBS' list of priorities and who do I (as a non-RBS customer) complain to?
0 Replies » Reply
Where have the workers come from to allow 'doubling' of the call centre staff? How much experience do these additional staff have? What are their normal roles?
0 Replies » Reply
This is not just about some poor Indian that deleted a file. This is about outsourcing strategy and off shoring in particular. It is based on a very flaky and old theory - who led RBS to do that? the big 4 - Deloitte, PWC, KPMG and Ernst and Young - they were all at it - offshore and save on non core business/back off systems! Now we find it is rather core.
Time RBS reviewed outsourcing and started to consider the real cost of outsourcing business critical systems to the other side of the world. Its not quite as attractive as the big 4 boys made out - the problem is they fleeced you for it, and continue to do so on the gravy train
Time RBS reviewed outsourcing and started to consider the real cost of outsourcing business critical systems to the other side of the world. Its not quite as attractive as the big 4 boys made out - the problem is they fleeced you for it, and continue to do so on the gravy train
my son who has asbergers whom relies on his benefits was offered a measely 50 pounds when i said to the manager of the carrickfergus branch thats all he could do i said this is not my sons fault he replied its not the banks problem nor fault i think that this is a disgrace and will be looking to change my son from this bank and the manager from the carrickfergus area should be givin a course in public manners
0 Replies » Reply
we are a chinese company. one of our uk importing company said rbs can't do payment transfer now. we are feeling urgent. please kindly confirm this and when you can work again.
we are waiting for your reply urgently.
we are waiting for your reply urgently.
I have been a customer of Ulster Bank for 41 years-in fact I worked there for 32 of those years and was involved in one way or another in software upgrades and systems testing for approximately 10 years. I have to say, Ulster Bank never had any problems like this because it was a great bank and it made sure it tested new processes in as much as it could and was prepared for anything going wrong. Problems occurring after software upgrades were very few and far between and were promptly fixed, normally within 24 hours at the most. Ulster Bank was a quality bank as was Nat West with whom Ulster Bank was affiliated with prior to RBS take-over. I have to agree with comments previously made by Ulster Bank customers on this website with regard to your making sure that RBS and NatWest customers' account were updated days before Ulster Bank customers were.The entire RBS system fault should have been corrected, systematically yes, but not with such a long gap in between.It really looks bad from an Ulster Bank customer point of view and I think from comments made to me that and comments posted on this website that quite a few Ulster Bank customers will be thinking long and hard about remaining with a bank they no longer have any faith in. And that's a real shame!
0 Replies » Reply
i have anaccount with rbs! today i was supposed to get paid money into my account from my work william hill as its pay day. but that hasnt happened im a bit annoyed as all my other work colleagues have been given theres. i went into the bank today and they said if it doesnt go in today it should be tomorrow. can you confirm that will be fine as i go abroad next week and need to pay off bills and stuff for holiday soon as.
0 Replies » Reply
My partner has yet to receive wages from last Thursday he is due to be paid again tomorrow will he receive any of his hard earned cash? If not it would be great if RBS had the decency to let us know what day it will arrive so we can make arrangements we have been told "tomorrow" 4 days in a row then suddenly the story changes to "unsure" this is a complete shambles.
0 Replies » Reply
Still Waiting for a cheque to even show on my account that I paid in on Saturday. It hasn't been processed let alone cleared. Told it might tomorrow. I need to have confidence in my bank, these problems and the general untidiness and delays in service at your Wood Green Branch are shameful.
0 Replies » Reply
Been a customer for years. Have to say I feel I have been robbed! No access to my wages (paid on 26th June) If I was short in account/overdrawn or late in paying you I would be charged! Where is MY compensation! Have to say I will be moving banks in future...once I get my money for the work I get paid for!
Ulsterbank customer (disgruntled)
Ulsterbank customer (disgruntled)
0 Replies » Reply
I banked a cheque on Thursday 21st - it's still not appearing in the account? Can you guarantee it will be there tomorrow?
0 Replies » Reply
You should be ashamed. You fixed rbs and natwest before even considering ulster bank customers. I shall be removing all of my accounts when you people decide to give me my own money back. Gangsters in suits!!
