back to article Outage outrage: TSB app offers users a TITSUP* encore

A UK bank's website and mobile app have flatlined this morning – and there are no prizes for guessing which embattled financial firm is struggling. That's right, TSB is once again in the firing line as users took to social media to complain that they couldn't access their accounts via the mobile app or the website. The bank …

  1. BoldMan

    Why is anyone still banking with these jokers? Surely after the last debacle people would have learned a lesson!

    1. HmmmYes

      Nope.

      Why do TSB (and their Sabadel parent) still have a UK banking license.

      Should have been withdrawn ~2 months after the problem started.

      Whatever transition performed from Lloyds -> TSB, it does seem to have been irreversible.

      Oh deat.

    2. Captain Scarlet Silver badge

      People like to to yell my life is ruined on Social Media.

      1. onceuponatime

        MY LIFE IS RUINED!!!!!!!!!

        And it's all TSB's fault!!!!!!!!!!!

        There ya go, I don't even bank with them since I don't live in Ol' Blighty but still my life is ruined. :P

  2. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Never mind that,

    What's with all the banks that were around in the 80's then died off and are now being "reborn". TSB, Williams and Glynns (which has died a death before even getting going) and I'm sure there will be others.

    Banks are a con and are not their to "look after" your money, rather exploit it for their own means.

    WHY can I not be paid in cash by my employer?

    WHY does a utility company have to apply for a court order to reclaim any missed payments but a bank can simply take that money, EVEN if its not there THEN slap a charge on me for "going overdrawn".

    I would dearly love to see an end to banks.

    1. Martin Summers Silver badge

      Re: Never mind that,

      I'd like to see you try and get a mortgage on the cave you're presumably interested in buying. ;-)

    2. anothercynic Silver badge

      Re: Never mind that,

      They didn't 'die off'. Lloyds Bank was known as LloydsTSB for nearly 2 decades after they merged with TSB in '95 until they spun TSB off as per EU request after the last financial crunch. "The Savings Bank" (TSB) was always still around. Williams & Glyn on the other hand lived for 15 years in the 70s-80s until RBS rolled it into its main brand and then resurrected it for the same reason Lloyds restored TSB to independence.

      1. Ken Moorhouse Silver badge

        Re: The Savings Bank

        *Trustee Savings Bank

        * Not to be confused with Trusteer, though both feature in phrases that contain the words "barge pole".

    3. Pascal Monett Silver badge
      Thumb Down

      Re: Never mind that,

      Yes, let's torch all the banks and use Bitcoins instead.

      Or let's not. I like being able to eat every day, and not need to wait for some Exchange run by incompetent criminals to decide to implement a transfer at outrageous rates.

  3. Aristotles slow and dimwitted horse

    Surprised they have any customers left...

    I'm surprised they have any customers left. I guess it's just down to laziness that people put up with this crap. How on earth would you trust them with anything after this ongoing shambles...

    1. AJ MacLeod

      Re: Surprised they have any customers left...

      The problem is that in many places there isn't a better option to choose. My nearest town has two banks remaining, one of which is the TSB and the other Bank of Scotland.

      The banks which have closed were the Clydesdale (criminally incompetent for years and "lost" my account) and RBS (branch staff were extremely good, pity the rest of the bank was... well, just criminal.)

      The staff in the Bank of Scotland these days are ignorant, beyond unhelpful and patronising too for good measure... that leaves just the TSB as the only bank left to choose from.

      Online banking is great, when it works - but especially for business banking you really need a branch within reasonable distance and for many of us there just isn't a good option available :(

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: My nearest town has two banks remaining

        And ?

        In the 21st century, there should be no reason to need a physical branch near you, surely ?

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: My nearest town has two banks remaining

          "In the 21st century, there should be no reason to need a physical branch near you, surely ?"

          Start with the ~15% of the population who don't have internet access, add in the (typically older) people who don't have a smart phone or PC, and those who need to make physical deposits (e.g. business customers depositing their cash takings) ...

        2. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: My nearest town has two banks remaining

          "In the 21st century, there should be no reason to need a physical branch near you, surely ?"

          Apparently you didn't RTFA. I can't think of a better reason to have physical branches than during these sorts of cockups. And as others have mentioned, not everyone is 25 , lives in an urban area with banks a short bus ride away and has internet access. Perhaps you might try giving a shit about the older generation and those living in the countryside occasionally.

          1. Pascal Monett Silver badge
            Trollface

            @ boltar

            Yeah, but this is the Internet.

            We'll give a shit about other people's experiences when we've come out of our mother's basement and had some ourselves.

      2. Mystic Megabyte

        Re: Surprised they have any customers left...

        @AJ MacLeod

        You can pay cheques into most banks at the Post Office. They will take longer to clear, if there is a Bank holiday in the middle it could take 10 days but usually about five days. I live on a remote island so the post has to go firstly by ferry and then by aeroplane.

        1. Dave Harvey

          Re: Surprised they have any customers left...

          Why not just post cheques to your bank? Why involve a 3rd party such as the PO counter?

          I've only had a single batch of cheques get "lost" in the last 20 years (during which I've never paid a cheque into a branch) and that was when I DID make the mistake of using the PO counter service.

        2. AJ MacLeod

          @Mystic Megabyte

          Yes, I've had to do that for the first time this month as the RBS closed and left me little other option. As you say though it takes a good bit longer for the money to reach my account, I have to prepare cash pay-ins separately and I lose the helpful double-checking by the bank staff...

    2. wolfetone Silver badge

      Re: Surprised they have any customers left...

      I'm staying for the 5% interest. Show me another bank that offers that on balances up to £1,500, and I'll move.

      1. The Original Steve

        Re: Surprised they have any customers left...

        Move your energy supplier to OVO.

        5% interest on all credit up to £1500. Can withdraw it online and takes about 3 - 5 days.

        Can then move banks to whoever you want.

        1. Killing Time

          Re: Surprised they have any customers left...

          'Move your energy supplier to OVO'

          Not really comparable though is it? Do they support direct debits and all the transaction flexability expected of a current account? My money says not...

          It's just a glorified savings account without,as far as I can make out,the FCA guarantee's.

        2. MrFacePalm

          Re: Surprised they have any customers left...

          You only get 5% if you've been with them more than 3 years or more.

          Newbie start on 3%.

          1. Killing Time

            Re: Surprised they have any customers left...

            'You only get 5% if you've been with them more than 3 years or more.'

            That is not the case, moved current account about nine months ago specifically for the 5% deal and since the upgrade issues I have received written confirmation reiterating that 5% interest is still the interest rate.

            Your assertion is mistaken.

      2. S4qFBxkFFg

        Re: Surprised they have any customers left...

        Nationwide, up to £2500, for 1 year (then change back).

    3. Killing Time

      Re: Surprised they have any customers left...

      'I guess it's just down to laziness that people put up with this crap.'

      Can't speak for anyone else but in my case it's an extended 5 percent interest period, a written undertaking that I will receive no charges as a result of these issues and zero impact to my banking since it started.

      These are the my reasons for putting up with this crap.

    4. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Surprised they have any customers left...

      TSB are great as a secondary account: thanks to their last scheduled unscheduled maintenance, I’m now getting 5% interest on my savings, just by shuttling £500 back and forth by standing order every month.

      Obviously, I wouldn’t trust them as my main current account just now until after quite some time that it becomes demonstrably certain that they have sorted out this mess. It’s all rather sad: back in the 80s, the original TSB seemed rather more IT literate than many banks.

  4. Mephistro
    Facepalm

    Today I learned that...

    ... downdetector is not GDPR compliant!

  5. NotTrue

    TSB is actually a good bank, I was with them for over 12 years but changed for other reason prior to their split from Lloyds, a bit of planning gone wrong but I wouldn't make a huge fuss about it, how many great plans in IT go sour. It just happened to be very public for them.. how unfortunate.

  6. JimmyPage Silver badge
    WTF?

    Does it really take 3 months to change banks ?

    Because I can't think of any reason why after April someone wouldn't.

    If I ran a shitty business, I'd be curious to see who out of my customers is also a TSB customer. Because I know it would take an atomic bomb for them to switch.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Does it really take 3 months to change banks ?

      If I ran a shitty business, I'd be curious to see who out of my customers is also a TSB customer. Because I know it would take an atomic bomb for them to switch.

      And if you think like I do, the register "banks with TSB=1" would be an indicator to charge them more and ignore their complaints.

      Interestingly this isn't too far off how many large companies selectively offer discounts on (say) broadband or insurance renewals. The huge trove of customer data that companies scoop up unbeknown to most people is full of proxy indicators for likelihood to switch. And if you're not likely to switch, they see no need to offer the same incentives as those available to customers seen as less loyal. So if you've not changed energy supplier, or sought quotes for ANYTHING on price comparison websites, then you might find that your broadband supplier won't offer you a discount (or a decent one) at the end of your initial contract, your home insurance renewal will be more expensive than otherwise, and so forth. It also affects the marketing targeted at you - if you're not seen as a "switcher", you're going to be a harder, longer sell which will put off many companies - but on the other hand if you can be "converted" you will be a profitable and sticky customer.

  7. Duffaboy
    FAIL

    Why

    Would you even think that it was a good idea to run another update on your systems considering the previous problems switching apps/platforms caused

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Why

      > Would you even think that it was a good idea to run another update on your systems considering the previous problems switching apps/platforms caused

      Because, presumably, the previous fix was a bodge and needed to be replaced with something more permanent. A bit like using a skinny following a puncture - you still have to get it fixed properly at some point.

      1. Duffaboy

        Re: Why

        Well indeed but however you would let the heat die down first, they have failed again with what little confidence as a customer you had left

  8. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Not just the website...

    ... visited the bank today - all the shutters down, no one visible - wandered around until I saw a couple of people lurking in back - they then told me their entire system was down and they couldn't process any transactions either. I suggested that some sort of notice might be appropriate, thanked them for the suggestion that I come back later in the day or tomorrow (just as I was about to dig out my camping stove), and then left.

    //Thanks Lloyds for dumping me on them

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Not just the website...

      Yep, it's the continuing of the Post-COBOL Apocalypse!!!

      (Posting as AC because COBOL has a bad reputation in the non-financial world.)

    2. shedied

      Re: Not just the website...

      I recall that dystopian scene from Children of Men but not when you stopped by your bank. I've got this visual of the branch staff huddled around a fire,having a smoke or some coffee

  9. David Lawton

    What is amusing is before the LloydsTSB merger when TSB was its own bank, their IT systems were well ahead of others like Natwest, My online banking would update instantly where as my mate with Natwest would take a few days to update. How things have changed.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      You had online banking before 1995?

      1. AJ MacLeod

        Bank of Scotland offered "online banking" a decade before that... back when they were actually something like a decent bank, with knowledgeable and helpful staff.

        Their web-based banking was also very good until the various mergers ruined most of what had been good...

  10. MrFacePalm
    Flame

    There that fixed it...

    s/rep sent us a statement:/droid copied and pasted a statement to us:/

    They've been copying and pasting that state^H^H^H^H^H lie into Twitter all day.

    Still no online banking at this time...

  11. Tom Chiverton 1

    Well, I'm ready to go cashless. Anyone else? No? Really...

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