I have been having a problem with my bank for a while now.
I won't mention the name, so I don't get into trouble, but the issue I am pretty certain is generic (if not in detail, certainly their approach and attitude) - which is why I simply can't see a point in changing banks.
Like many organisations, for the last few years they have been trying to push everyone to go digital. There are a few reasons why I have resisted this, firstly, that I am used to doing things the way I am used to, and really can't see the advantage of change for change's sake. A second is that my digital capability has been pretty limited here, and very unreliable. While still limited, it has become a bit more reliable, but we still don't have useful mobile coverage in the house, or over most of the property. And what there is, is painfully slow and unreliable. Partly as a result, although I have had a mobile phone for nearly thirty years, it really only gets used away from here, and I did not get an up to date smartphone until they threatened the end of 3G. As a result I find doing anything except the simplest on the phone unfamiliar, and my old, clumsy and shaky hands are no good for anything complicated or needing accuracy on the mobile.
I started using credit cards a long time ago, and got sort of used to card banking over perhaps the last ten years. And I started to increasingly use telephone banking when I moved here. But in recent years it has got harder as they get increasingly difficult telephone menus and longer wait times on phone calls - and it became almost impossible to talk to anyone real. So with my internet somewhat more stable, I started using internet banking. With no mobile phone, and a phone that could not use the bank's app, the bank supplied me with a dongle for ID. And I started to use the bank's internet banking from home or on a laptop maybe four years ago.
Having had to get a new phone with the end of 3G, I installed their app. I found it difficult to use, but nevertheless found it useful for a few purposes, especially considering the undesirability of using public wifi for anything confidential such as banking, when away from home.
I was reasonably happy with this setup until a couple of months ago when I got an email that in future I would have to use the mobile app to verify ID for both the app and for internet banking. I phoned them for clarification, and was told I could use either use the dongle or the app, but if I used the dongle I could not have the app on my phone. Since I use the internet banking far more, and told them so, they deleted the app from my phone while I was on the call. I visited my local branch and queried this. The branch manager was disbelieving that they would do something like this, but a quick test showed, yes, they have actually done this, and a phone call to HQ confirmed it is bank policy. So I went home and lodged a complaint with the bank. (Had to do it by phone - you can't do it on line unless you have the app!)
With no response from them, I phoned the bank last Friday, having found you have to give them 30 days to respond before going to the AFCA. When I eventually got a person to talk to, I found that they had closed the complaint three weeks earlier. And sent me a copy of the email. When I did not get this, they sent a second copy, which I did receive after I had finished the call.
So the complaint went to the AFCA on Monday (by phone - you can't use their online portal either without a mobile phone!) with a follow up email.
I got the response from them today, including the bank's response to them.
In summary, the bank has done nothing that is outside their terms and conditions, (which they can change to whatever they like any time) and if they adhere to their terms and conditions and these are publicly available, AFCA can do nothing.
Any suggestions where I can go from here? (One suggestion already made is that I can use my phone over wifi with my satellite connection, but my grandchildren have already tried that without my knowledge - the phone decided to do a major update, and used most of my monthly data allowance in one day. )
John
JDNSW
1986 110 County 3.9 diesel
1970 2a 109 2.25 petrol
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