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Millions of RBS and Natwest customers locked out of their accounts after mobile phone banking app fails in another embarrassing meltdown


Mobile and tablet apps used by two million people failed today

Unhappy customers took to social media to complain about the banks

RBS offered apologies and updates on its official Facebook page

It took more than an hour longer to reinstate the service to customers who log in through Apple's iPhone and iPad.

By SEAN POULTER FOR THE DAILY MAIL

Published: 20:02 GMT, 28 March 2013 | Updated: 21:45 GMT, 28 March 2013









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Millions were shut out of their bank accounts today after another meltdown in the computer system at the NatWest and Royal Bank of Scotland.

The mobile Apps used by two million customers to access their accounts from iPhones, Android smartphones and tablets failed in the early morning.

People who were waking up and checking transactions and balances, or trying to make payments, were locked out of their accounts for several hours.



Royal bank of Scotland and Natwest had issues with their smartphone and tablet apps affecting millions of people

The troubled bank, which is 82per cent owned by taxpayers, has suffered a series of technical failures that have left customers frustrated and angry.

The bank offered apologies and updates on its official Facebook page in an unsuccessful attempt to quell complaints and prevent people switching away.



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One angry customer wrote: ‘I've moved to Barclays after 10 years of nothing but hassle from NatWest ...... Little Britain must of got the phrase ‘computer says no' from NatWest'.


Business and personal mobile banking customers for Natwest, RBS, and Ulster Bank are today experiencing problems


A second said: ‘So pleased I opened a new account with someone else on Tuesday. Natwest are useless.' 

A third spoke for many, stating: ‘Hey Natwest, instead of giving your useless bosses at the top of Natwest tower massive bonuses, try employing IT people who actually know what they are doing.' 

The RBS-Natwest group paid bonuses totalling £607 million for 2012 despite amassing losses of some £5.2billion.

The mobile banking App which operates on the Android software system used by Samsung and others was restored around lunchtime yesterday. 

However, it took more than an hour longer to reinstate the service to customers who log in through Apple's iPhone and iPad.

Last summer, a major computer system failure that locked millions out of current accounts cost the bank some £175 million in compensation.

In October, NatWest had to suspend a mobile phone banking App feature called GetCash, after the service was subject to a spate of ‘phishing' attacks by fraudsters.

The GetCash service, which allows customers to withdraw cash without using a debit card, was later re-instated after security was beefed up.

Just three weeks ago a hardware fault prevented customers from using cash machines and also affected online and telephone banking services.

The bank has been heavily promoting the benefits of its mobile phone banking App. It recently unveiled a feature called Pay Your Contacts, which allows customers to send payments of up to £100 to anyone with a Visa card, by entering their mobile number.



Mobile banking users took to Twitter to ask what was happening


A spokeswoman for consumer group Which? said the problems will raise wider questions about ‘how robust and up to date banks' IT systems are'.

She said: ‘Consumers and businesses alike rely on mobile banking services to access their accounts and consumers will rightly want to be assured that their money is accessible and safe at all times.' 

Laura Willoughby, of the Move your Money campaign group, said: ‘Coming just weeks after the last IT failure, this really is the last straw for customers fed up with such unhelpful banking. RBS is not only too big to fail, but too big to provide proper customer service as well.' 

RBS blamed a technical problem that was restricted to the mobile Apps and apologised to customers for the inconvenience.

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