"Everything should be working again now though"
They dont KNOW its working?
Barclays computers suffer Monday morning meltdown
Barclays online banking suffered intermittent service for about an hour this morning. The issue also hit some other systems at the bank. We received several emails from readers unable to log in to their accounts and one unable to make a purchase using their Barclays business debit card. The business banking contact number was …
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Monday 26th October 2009 13:16 GMT The Impostor
And some ATMs?
Once I finally got through to Barclays on the phone I was told they had been having issues for about an hour and a half and that some ATMs were affected as well. I'm wondering if it affected merchant services in shops at all?
Do other banks have these kinds of problems so regularly?
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Monday 26th October 2009 13:43 GMT Ihre Papiere Bitte!!
@ The Imposter
"Do other banks have these kinds of problems so regularly?"
I use NatWest, and, to be fair, I have never encountered their online banking or phone support service to be down, nor have I ever had a problem with their debit / credit card services, either by ATM or card payments. And every person I've spoken to on the phone or in branch speaks English to a level at least sufficient for the purpose (even if it isn't their native tongue). Not bad for about 8 years with them, if they could just sort out the staffing levels in branch at lunchtime (all their staff seem to disappear on lunch at 12.02 as the queue exponentially increases) then I would be a happy bunny. Apart from their crap products, but show me a bank with consistently good ones?
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Monday 26th October 2009 14:22 GMT Anonymous Coward
Ha
It's time for the "I told you so" dance. I've a couple of friends at Barclays - they complained loudly that IT was "barely coping" before the cuts. Afterwards, they were running a book on how long before something went BANG in public. Just had an email from one of them saying they're all quite suprised no-one had collected until today.
(Happy, because I'm owed a beer, and now he's won, I might get it...)
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Monday 26th October 2009 15:36 GMT amanfromMars 1
Rule Numero Uno
"Which came first? The......laying off of IT staff or the failing of IT systems? Would love to know." ...
By Anonymous Coward Posted Monday 26th October 2009 14:04 GMT.
Crikey, AC, every man and his dog should surely know not to tangle with the BOFH and PFY..... for nothing but pain and disaster follow.
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Monday 26th October 2009 15:36 GMT Anonymous Coward
@The Impostor .. Try Abbey the *ankers *ank
Do other banks have these kinds of problems so regularly?..
its a miracle if Abbey / Santander works with no problems for a week
when they "upgraded" their Business Site/accounts they simply merged many private and Business Accounts - if you had a Business and Private accnt with same username they suddenly "Linked" the accounts - one username and password gave access to both - thats what happened to me!
nothing like doing a "join" on your sql when your'e too f*****n stoopid to understand the result!
.. they apply their "internal" transactions late on Saturday afternoon but don't credit yours till Monday Night... but "it's not intentional"
Time for a Santander - the new name for a *ankers *ank
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Monday 26th October 2009 17:02 GMT RTNavy
Two Sides
Of course management will blame it on improper IT workers, and the workers will blame it on improper management.
Guess what, the only thing that is "correct" is the IT part.
Both sides are most likely exaggerating their claims,
It is likely there are some outright lies on one or both sides.
Outcome, it will cost the customers more time and money.
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Monday 26th October 2009 23:58 GMT Anonymous Coward
@John70
Don't need no timebomb.
What most of the public don't realise is that most systems running in the UK are held together by the good will and hardwork of dedicated IT staff working under very tough conditions.
While the beancounters are happy brag to the stockmarket how much money their "new high tech online system thingy" produces, they seldom remember this when the hardworking SOB who maintains the system tells them that they need £20,000 for a couple of new servers to keep it running.
So why the surprise that things stop working when they tell the IT staff, 'thanks for all the hard work, but we can save a couple of thousand pounds if we outsource your jobs to the lowest bidder'
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Tuesday 27th October 2009 03:20 GMT I ain't Spartacus
Wasn't working at 4:30
Our company account was still inaccessible at 4:30pm, as I was planning to pay the VAT today.
To the question about do other banks suffer this, I've never had an IT problem with NatWest in years (other than their website used to be awful) and HSBC site was down once in the 5 years the company banked with them.
Joined Barclays this year, and have had good customer service, but the IT is a huge mess, and the card payment network is as flakey as the website.
Oh and finally: Their website can't display the current day's transactions. How crap is that? Surely they must know today's status of our account? If we had to juggle cashflow it would be a total disaster! They can't give current balance, but call it a current account... Huh?
Paris because she's got a better grasp of technology.
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Tuesday 27th October 2009 10:52 GMT Vitani
Wasn't just online
As seen as I couldn't get onto on-line banking I went into my local branch at lunch time, as there was a massive queue inside I tried to get a balance from their ATM, and neither of my accounts worked. I braved going inside only to be told their computer systems weren't working!
Sounds like a bigger issue than just on-line banking.
This topic is closed for new posts.
Biting the hand that feeds IT
