27/06/2012

Ulster Bank Problems Drag On

Banking chaos caused by a technical failure is set to run on and on.

A software update went wrong at RBS early last week, affecting 100,000 Ulster Bank customers.

Now a Belfast newspaper has learned things may not be back to normal even by this Friday.

Stephen Cruise, Ulster Bank's managing director of retail banking in Northern Ireland, told the Belfast Telegraph that staff are having to fix the problems by hand.

He said: "It was an RBS Group problem and we have all been working round the clock since last Wednesday to meet the specific needs of the customers affected by it. Ulster Bank has encountered a significant number of minor issues which require manual intervention, which is why we have taken longer to get fixed. We cannot guarantee that we will have customers' balances back to where they should be given the unprecedented nature of what happened, but we are working night and day to try and get us to as good a position as we can on Friday."

As the end of the month draws nearer, customers will be anxious to have their bank accounts working again in time for payday.

But Mr Cruies asked people to use their credit cards – on which interest and fees would be waived for 30 days – until the issues were sorted out.

He said: "There are 135,000 Ulster Bank credit cards in Northern Ireland. That's another avenue for the public to get through these days until we get things fixed."

(NE)

Related Northern Ireland News Stories
Click here for the latest headlines.

14 May 2010
Marathon To Run On Bank Holiday
In spite of pressure from various sides, the 2011 Belfast City Marathon will not be held on a Sunday. It was agreed at a City Council meeting this week that it would continue on May Day, after over plans to move the race from its traditional May Day Bank Holiday to the prior Sunday were opposed.
31 August 2012
Ulster Bank Announce Compensation Details
Ulster Bank have announced details of the compensation it will pay to customers who were affected by the recent computer glitch. The bank said customers who ere left out-of-pocket will be reimbursed, as well as an additional 20% on top of theses up to a maximum of £100, to Personal and SME customers.
15 November 2017
Ulster Bank To Close 11 NI Branches
Ulster Bank has confirmed it plans to close 11 branches next year in Northern Ireland. The bank confirmed it will be seeking 40 voluntary redundancies as a result of the closures. The branches to close are: Ballyclare, Dromore, Moira, Draperstown, Dungiven, Portrush, Killyleagh, Rathfriland, Castlederg, Irvinestown and Stewartstown.
25 June 2013
New NI Bank Notes In Circulation
New bank notes have been released into circulation in Northern Ireland. The £10 and £20 notes are being issued from Danske Bank and will gradually replace the existing Northern Bank notes. The design of the notes remains the same, the only difference is the Danske Bank logo has replaced the Northern Bank logo.
15 November 2012
Northern Bank Becomes Danske
Today the Northern Bank officially becomes Danske Bank. The new name comes from the bank’s Danish parent and will see branches across Ireland, Norway, Finland, Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania adopt the new title.