Website temporarily unavailable?

[casey]

I don't know if it's me being paranoid but is anyone else finding that when they really need to transfer a payment, check a payment etc. I get the message that the service is temporarily unavailable.

It really does seem that whenever a payment is due from my account and I try to check that a payment paid in has actually been credited I am unable to access my account - getting the message - this service is temporarily unavailable. When I do manage to get in to check, my payment has been delayed and I have incurred bank charges - usually for the mortgage payment which is payable to RBOS itself and they end up not payment themselves the mortgage but taking out overdraft charges for themselves.

I recently made a transfer on the 14th from my TSB account on a fast payment for mortgage that was due on 19th. It had not reached there on the 19th but on the 20th when I was able to check it had refused the payment and charged £38 fees. The transfer was shown on the 20th although it left my TSB account on the 18th.

3 or 4 years ago the bank made an error on an international transfer - they typed in the wrong number - eventually they admitted their error. This caused enormous problems as payments on our foreign account were not made and we incurred fees and legal proceedings were started against us (They're quick off the mark these Americans). It caused us a considerable amount of time and expenses sorting it out. The manager of the branch RBOS kept ringing constantly to ask whether we were managing to sort things out, causing us additional time lost. At th eend of the day, although the manager had promised we would get some compensation, we received nothing and when we asked were told that the manager was no longer working for them.

Every time we bring up the matter we are told that "we thought the matter had been sorted out".

This episode cost us an considerable amount of time and expenses and we have recived not a penny in compensation as they promised.

Because of personal circumstances at the time we have not had the time to pursue matters but now feel that we are ready to do so.

Does anyone know if there is a time limit in taking matters to the Ombudsman?

[yourbank]

Have you spoken to the online helpdesk?

 

The lloydsTSB thingy was not a faster payment because it left on the 18th and arrived on the 20th which would match the timescale for a BACS not FPS payment.

The international payment issue, would be impossible to sort 4 years down the line.

Have never found link for Ombudsman timescale btw.

Edited August 23, 2008 by yourbank

[casey]

Maybe Lloyds TSB are at fault then as it seemed to state that all payments would be sent using the faster payments. Another payment which I sent at the same time reached its destination on the 18th yet it did not reach RBS until the 20th. When I managed to check on the 20th it showed that the payment had reached its destination, that the mortgage payment had been sent and we had been charged £38. However, I received a letter today saying that the mortgage had not been paid. Indeed when I checked there was no sign of the mortgage payment due on the 19th and had shown on the online statement on the 20th as having been paid.

[yourbank]

Was it sent directly to the mortgage account or to the account where the mortgage was to be paid? Was it a Standing Order(which may not be covered by FPS)? Or was it a one off telephone or internet payment?

[casey]

It was sent to the account from where the mortgage was to be paid. It was a one off payment over the internet.

[yourbank]

That is very odd, because both LloydsTSB and NatWest are subscribers to the FPS and therefore it should have gone between banks within 2 hours. Worth asking LloydsTSB what the delay was. To me, it seems to have been sent via BACS and not via FPS(Faster Payments Service).

[casey]

I had another go transferring a nominal amount on Thursday and this is showing in my RBS account but dated the 26th August.

[yourbank]

That is a BACS payment and not Faster payments. The timescale is 3 working days. mmmmm, something is odd here, give me two secs and I will get you a link.

[yourbank]

APACS - Faster Payments Sort Code Checker

Faster Payments checker for the receiving sort code.

 

here is LloydsTSB FPS FAQ's

Lloyds TSB - Faster payments FAQ

[casey]

Just red through this and it says that Lloyds TSB Credit Cards cannot accept Fast Payments. Well the other payment I made on the same day that was credited on the 18th was a Lloyds TSB credit card. The RBS one then took another two days.

[casey]

Have checked the sort code and it confirms that it accepts Faster Payments.

[yourbank]

Query it with LloydsTSB and explain the circumstances and that both accounts should be able to send and receive faster payments. It is very strange that it is being send BACs rather than FPS

[casey]

Will do that and will let you know what happens.

Thanks for your help.

[casey]

I contacted Lloyds and was told that Faster Payments cannot be guaranteed - sometimes they work and sometimes they don't.