RBS and NatWest customers go into meltdown over mobile app failure

NatWest and RBS customers have fired off a volley of complaints following a two-day breakdown in service from the bank's mobile apps.

The outage follows a routine upgrade to the banks' online services over the weekend.

We're sorry if you're having trouble getting into Mobile Banking, we're working hard to resolve the issue. Thank you for your patience
— NatWest Help (@NatWest_Help) April 20, 2015

The Twitter service team @natwest_help have been busy apologising to customers who have used the micro-blogging service to express their frustration with the ongoing problems.

@NatWest_Help this is ridiculous the app not working again!!!
— Lucy Clarke (@juicylucy582) April 20, 2015

Yet again the mobile banking app isn't working again! @NatWest_Help it's not on! It seems to be every other week.
— Arron Laws (@arronlaws) April 20, 2015

Helpful banking? More like unhelpful banking. Mobile app not working, again! @NatWest_Help pic.twitter.com/sYO4XdQLVI
— Liam Martin (@liam_martin) April 19, 2015

Im leaving @NatWest_Help and joining a new bank! Constantly a problem or technical issue! Its terrible.
— Aaron Jordan (@AaronJOfficial) April 20, 2015

The degree of anger expressed by customers over the glitch demonstrates the booming popularity of mobile devices for accessing banking services. According to the British Bankers’ Association, the number of mobile banking transactions has soared over the past year, with smartphones and tablets used for 18.6 million transactions a week.

In a statement e-mailed to Finextra, NatWest says: “We are aware that some customers are experiencing difficulty accessing our mobile banking. We’re investigating this and we are working to get it resolved as quickly as possible. In the meantime our customers can visit one of our branches, use online banking or call us via telephone banking as normal. We apologise to customers for the inconvenience."

Related Companies

NatWest Royal Bank of Scotland

Channels

Retail banking

Keywords

Mobile & online banking

Comments: (2)

A Finextra member 20 April, 2015, 12:01

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"The degree of anger expressed by customers over the glitch demonstrates the booming popularity of mobile devices for accessing banking services."

Might be more to do with the even more painful process of doing internet banking! I bank with First Direct and their 'two-factor' authentication with a number generated from my phone which then needs to be entered on-line puts me right off using anything other than my phone!

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A Finextra member 22 April, 2015, 10:22

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The alternative to the phone is another authentication device for most OLB (including First Direct), so I think I will put up with using my phone (which i always have with me) on those rare occasions I want to use a bigger screen to do my banking. Speaking personally First Direct's most recent app gets me checking balances, playing on-line and moving money between accounts far more regularly than on-line banking (or indeed branch banking!) ever did. I expect the differences between the form factors will evaporate eventually however.