Abbey? Bunch of Spanish banditos.... (Abbey National)

Member Name: bobba

Product:	Abbey National
Date:	04/09/06 (1827 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: er.... they have an overdraft

Disadvantages: everything else

Abbey National? About as useful as a chocolate fireguard! The sitaution: I did some work for a German software vendor, and as such got some cash transferred. First transfer got through even though they made a cock up on the sort code (without my knowledge I'll have you know). Second transfer of over a grand and a half has just gone missing. I have phoned the Abbey previously to be informed (eventually) that a telegraphic transfer takes all of five days (weird that in as much as a CHAPS transfer takes 24 hours - but hey ho). Well today is day 5 and no money. Apart from the Abbey cocking up because the client did (which I can accept), what's the issue? Well, where to begin? I am currently on hold listening to the most asine music in the world, and have been now for 15 minutes on this section of a call. I've made over five other calls to the Abbey today as well, so I'm fast approaching two hours on hold.

Apart from listening to music that is so irritating it makes my teeth itch, I have spoken to a weird and wonderful collection of individuals, all of which have been surly, rude, and thoroughly commited to providing no assistance whatsoever.

To provide a brief outline:

Call one: on hold 12 minutes, eventually got through to a customer service numpty who basically said that a missing international transfer wasn't her problem. Fair enough - let's try again on the 'global banking' number

Call two: on hold 18 minutes, finally got through to an outsourced 'customer service' representative. Disected the accent enough to understand that the Abbey doesn't have a 'Missing Payments' option...

Call three: on hold 11 minutes, spole to a Veronica in 'customer services'. Was told she would investigate and let me know. waited two hours for a phone call that has yet to arrive. Feeling somewaht pensive about the fact that over a grand had vanished into the ether, decided it might be best to make another call to attempt to resolve things...

Call four: on hold 16 minutes, back to general customer service. Was told that indeed no customer accessible 'Missing Payments' line existed. Asked to speak to Manager 'Nick Orme' (after being on hold for another ten minutes). After much toing and froing, and Nick getting increasingly testy, was told I was finally being transferred to the internal missing payments department.

Call five: on hold 22 minutes, is this the missing payments department? Apparently not according to the heavily accented chap I spoke to. It was in fact global banking and there was nothing they could do to help...

Call six: on hold 18 minutes, finally got through to 'customer service' who eventually put me through to their 'Telegraphic Transfer' (which sounds positively Victorian and quaint). The 'customer service' rep I spoke to also sounded Victorian, and seemed to be baffled by the notion of instantaneous electronic transfers of funds. After much explaination, was finally told that there was nothing she could to to instigate a trace of payments made into an account (even after I had confirmed with the client's bank that said transfer had happened, and that they had not received notification back of anything amiss or had payment returned). She then hung up, as I was asking about the much fabled 'missing payments' department (which I suspect might be the Abbey equivalent of Eldorado...

Call seven: current hold time 55 minutes, ah the joys of Abbey's 'customer relations'. After initially holding for over 20 minutes got through to a very snotty individual in the complaints department. Was told that there was nothing she could do (apparemtly acknowledging and actioning complaints in a complaints department is not something they do!) Wasn't proffered even a token apology for the time and expense to sort this out (or attempt to). Asked to speak to line manager, and was quizzed as to why? Eventually, responded by telling the individual that I wished to tell her manager about the monumental lack of customer relations she had chosen to instigate. Finally (after a further ten minutes on hold) got through to 'Shah Mohammed'. Explained situation (basically read this post). Still no apology, and have been on hold (whilst he attempts to sort this out) for over 15 minutes...

The eventual resolution... give us a few more days (outside of te five working days quoted), and then we *may* launch an investigation... useless

Methinks other transfers might have to go to my NatWest account as they actually have customer service, and not just semi-literate, rude, aggresive, surly and idiotic staff that son't know their own processes or departments.

Based on my experience today - avoid the Abbey like a dose of the plague (dealing with them is about as much fun as itching at pistules after all...)

Summary: Abbey National - useless communications and crap service