Bank of Ireland - Awful customer service!

Tiga · 25-06-2022 5:48pm #1

I have an ongoing problem with my BOI Debit card transactions. This started in November 2021 and is still going on. When I try to pay, a message pops up as "Something not quite right" and that's it. I cannot proceed with payments.

I have been using their online help service but to no avail. In fact, I go around in circles talking to people who do not seem to understand the problem. After checking, they say they can't find any problem. They then refer the issue to technical services.

They say they will refer the matter to technical services and that they will contact me however I do not hear from them until I ring them again!

After a week, they say that the issue has been sorted out and my card works for some time. Then again, the same issue happens.

The problem is some of the transactions are very important and time-sensitive, such as buying an airline ticket and paying subscriptions to the medical council. There are serious implications if you do not comply with these deadlines. Yesterday, I wanted to buy an air ticket as my brother passed away and I could not attend his funeral. This is all thanks to lousy service from BOI!

It is apparent that they do not have any consideration for the plight of their customers. Earlier, you could go to the bank and sort out these issues in person. Now, you are discouraged from doing so and they definitely save money from having less staff in the bank. What I don't understand is that this problem recurs, and I have to go back around in circles every time. I have to start from scratch as they do not know what is happening. We pay a monthly fee to maintain our accounts and their service is only from Monday-Friday 9 to 5. God help us if something happens over the weekend or after 5 pm!!

I would like to know the experience of other customers as for me this is very unacceptable in this day and age because most of the transactions happen online. I have complained to the bank through email numerous times and I have received neither an acknowledgement nor a reply.

Any comment on other Irish banks as I am considering leaving after being a BOI customer for over 30 years.

Tow · 26-06-2022 7:57pm

You need to complain property using the term Formal Complaint in your correspondence. This caused your issue to be properly recorded, otherwise you have just have a technical support issue. Always take notes of staff names and work up the chain of command. In that way when the problem reoccurs you can contact correct person.

Bank of Ireland Reps · 29-06-2022 10:40am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058251750/bank-of-ireland-awful-customer-service

Hi there,

Thanks for getting in touch with us. Sorry to see this has been your experience. If you would like to private message your full name, contact number and Branch your account is with, we can certainly arrange for a colleague from our SCA Team to call and assist you further.

Hope to hear from you soon.

Many thanks

Alison

fifilawe · 29-06-2022 4:19pm

I have had all my online transactions in the past month denied/refused/payment failed using the PSK (Micky Mouse, Random Number Generator.I have been to the bank branch in Tuam and the lady there was very unhelpful ,dismissive and was of no help.I have direct debits , etc all working ok but the online banking is a joke,Session Time OUT messaging , not giving enough time to do transactions online.THE GRaphic USER interface is very poor and done on the cheap like all ese in IRish banks.

To complete a transaction online using online banking requires 3 gadgets to be up and running simultaneously and online simultaneously while only having one pair of eyes and one pair of hands.Not humanly possible.

A laptop logged into bankingonline365, a PSK (Micky Mouse , random number generator) and a smartphone also logged online.

Today is the last straw and I had an interview in AIB next Wed morn 11:15 where I am moving lock ,stock and barrel.

There is none of this SCA,PSK Krap with them , the lady tells me and just a card reading device for transactions of over €1,000 to worry about.I shall be moving as not one single person whether on 0818 365 365 or in the TUAM branch explained or showed me how to combine the debit card,PSK and mobile app in order to carry out a transaction online.MY 10 attempts to buy a CD FROM AMAZON with 10 Payment failed broke my patience.I have had it and by next week , the 40+ years custom I AM giving to AIB from next week on.

fifilawe · 29-06-2022 4:39pm

JUST OVER an hour ago i rang 0818 200 362 and asked for more help.The assistant there told me there was nothing technically , security wise wrong with my account.I tried to find out why all my transactions were being failed.I asked to delete the smartphone ,tablet , I connected to the online banking and just use the PSK as the primary(and only Device).

Guess what ,I tried to do an online purchase from Amazon and the transaction failed again.

I am definitely finished with this Micky Mouse Awful Krap Service and the PSK is already a Museum piece as far as I am concerned.All this random number generating should be already built-in into the software employed by the bank.It only takes about 5 lines of code within a function in a computer program to generate random numbers.I know that modern computer languages have a RANDOMIZE function built into the language so all it takes is a few lines of code and separate calls to the same function over and over to generate a random number of random numbers whether 6digit or 8 digits.

Bank of Ireland: Aisling · 30-06-2022 10:37am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119267753#Comment_119267753

Hi There,

Thanks for getting in touch with us here on Boards.ie.

We're sorry to hear you are experiencing difficulties making online transactions. In order to complete an online purchase, it would be necessary to approve the transaction on either your PSK or via the Mobile App. It is not necessary to have both.

It would be necessary to use your Primary Device to approve the online transaction. If you are registered for 365 online, you can check you are using your primary device by selecting the 'profile' icon in the top right hand corner.

Thanks, Aisling

fifilawe · 30-06-2022 12:38pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119270498#Comment_119270498

thanks Aisling but no thanks.I have been in touch with again this morning with 0818 200 362 and I have my transactions blocked since June 4th.Some geezer gave me all the spiel of the bank trying to get in touch with me with phone calls (never got a single call) email ( probably put into spam by my filter on Gmail) , and text messages(also gone into spam/blocked number if I I don't recognise the number). He was rabbitting on giving all the SCA /SEcurity palaver .But I just reminded him that some patients buy necessary medication from Spain,Portugal etc online at a fraction of Irish Prices and Bank of Ireland were WRONG in blocking online transactions just because someone does some transaction that "causes BOI concern".

At least they should get in touch with the person's local branch or try harder to reach them with all the high tech available today.I let him talk away ,he was just reading out the prepared script and I went down stairs to make myself a cup of tea and shouted back after 3 mins "thanks,Bye" and hung up.It is the only was to deal with these Muppets .

jjnaas · 30-06-2022 1:33pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119271053#Comment_119271053

Do bear in mind that AIB are also inclined to block suspicious (according to their algorithm) transactions and the customer service agents on the phone can't do anything about it there either. I saw you are moving over to them but as someone who has had a few transactions blocked and some frustration with their app I would strongly advise that you keep the app and your phone updated and that you set up a filter on your email so that emails from the bank go there and not into spam.

bureau2009 · 30-06-2022 1:43pm

Many people, mainly somewhat older people, have limited digital skills.

Some only use smartphones in a very limited way, do not do on-line banking etc.

Bank of Ireland have completely failed to make provision for this - significant - group of people.

SCA has added another layer of difficulty for people.

Over to Bank of Ireland.............

markjbloggs · 30-06-2022 2:14pm

All of a sudden this morning, my mobile 365 app will not accept my login numbers. Went to local bank branch, was referred to a phone to reset my PIN. did not work. Customer service shrugged her shoulders and said try again later.

Did that, no good. three hours later, still not able to login.

Total lack of competent customer service and a phone reset service that can only be described as infantile.

Is anyone able to answer me - how can I get this resolved???

Bank of Ireland: Aisling · 30-06-2022 2:32pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119271053#Comment_119271053

Thanks for getting back to us here.

You can certainly log a formal complaint if you wish. We have attached a link here to our Complaints and Feedback Process.

Thanks, Aisling

Bank of Ireland: Aisling · 30-06-2022 2:34pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119271578#Comment_119271578

Hi There,

Thanks for reaching out to us on Boards.ie.

Can we ask if you reset your PIN using the automated service? Or were you speaking directly with an advisor?

Thanks, Aisling

markjbloggs · 30-06-2022 3:02pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119271709#Comment_119271709

Pin reset using the automated service.

fifilawe · 30-06-2022 3:41pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119271700#Comment_119271700

Last night I filled in the Complaint Form online outlining the problems I had doing online PSK transactions being all refused/declined.This morning I rang the very slow ,poor service 0818 200 362 helpline and I found out by the agent on the line that my online transaction have been blocked since June 4th almost a month ago.The agent informed that BOI have sent numerous ,emails,txts and even phone calls to contact me about why I did not send an approval for the online transactions.I had not downloaded the BOI Mobile banking app until last week ,so that puts that get in touch lie by the agent to bed.Txt messages and emails may indeed may indeed been sent but probably ended up in the Spam Filter on Gmail and Blocked Number on my smartphone..Either way I did not know my debit card and PSK were blocked until today june 30th.

I don't wish to use the Mobile BOI App because it is Krap , and Sessions Out too early for me.I am not agile on the phone but I only wish to do my transactions via my Laptop and PSK only.Safer, quicker and less of a security risk than a phone by far.

fifilawe · 30-06-2022 8:29pm

just rang the 1800 help line for Rep of Ireland and asked them to block my smartphone number for all communications.I only want to use my laptop and the PSK(MIcky Mouse Random Number Generating device) to do online transactions.The call centre operator told me that i must use the smartphone for approval of all transactions I do online.It completely destroys the purpose of the PSK (Micky Mouse) device that the bank sent out to all its customers who wish to do trading online.On the Youtube promotional video posted by BOI it specifically states that one can do business online(Buying stuff) on a laptop and PSK OR with a smartphone.All the people I have spoken to for the past week have given me "conflicting advice ".

So it is true what I posted earlier , one has to use 3 devices to do a transaction online; a laptop to visit the website I wish to browse and buy stuff off, a PSK (Micky Mouse Random Number Generator device" to prevent fraud ALLEGEDLY ",. then answer an "Approve or Disapproval Message sent to my smartphone".This even for me, a B.SC graduate in Computing with the Open University is too much hassle and too time consuming.It is a total shambles due to lack of investment in a proper secure application programs system which requires first class designers, software engineers, application programmers , Graphical User Interface designers and programmers who know what they are doing.A system that seems to be written in an old language pre -world wide web and clunky and aged and not User Friendly at all .It is so "Bank Controlled Design and User Interface as to be bloody User UnFriendly and useless.

Jim2007 · 30-06-2022 9:15pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119273248#Comment_119273248

Obviously online banking is not for you and your move to AIB will confirm it. People all over the country successfully use online banking everyday, but they follow the process, keep their equipment up to date and don’t filter out the vital messages that are needed to enable the system to work and so on. Good luck with your move, but without a paradigm shift in your approach I don’t you’ll fair much better.

Bank of Ireland: Tara · 01-07-2022 9:54am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119271902#Comment_119271902

Thanks for getting back to us. We would advise calling 1800946156 from your registered mobile to go through the PIN reset. It's likely that your device has been blocked and if this is the case, when you reset the PIN you will be then transferred to speak with a adviser who will unblock your device.

Thanks

Tara

markjbloggs · 01-07-2022 10:22am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119274835#Comment_119274835

did that, device had not been blocked.

Problem was the App itself - I deleted and reinstalled. Then (4 hours later) it worked !!

365online software is not very good, is it?

fifilawe · 01-07-2022 5:13pm

I solved the BOI Mobile app problem and the PSK problem this morning by purchasing a Mastercard Swirl Prepaid Debit Card from my local Maxol petrol station for €6 and transferring €100 from my bank of Ireland Visa Debit card to the Swirl card for 99c.I have done a transaction with amazon.de and it went through on the swirl in a minute and no mobile app approval messages to worry about. From here on in I will not use the BOI Mobile app because it is too slow, too much app steps to buy a blasted CD FROM AMAZON.DE/.fR/.nL.i HAVE NOT used amazon.co.uk since BREXIT , I have had no problems getting books and Cds/DVDs from france.holland or Ger.

I am quite happy to pay a little extra on Swirl Prepaid debit card because it avoids the Bank hassle and security krap for fraud prevention allegedly.It also avoids being blocked for apparent "the whims of some snooty Bankster" who "raises a flag on a transaction". If only I did this years ago! but it is still not too late for peace of mind.

Bank of Ireland - Awful customer service!

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