Banks’ internet misery goes on

LLOYDS Banking Group has admitted it does not know when it will be able to resolve a glitch which has left millions of its customers without internet banking for three days.

The news has provoked anger from small business owners who say they are unable to make crucial payments and keep track of their customers’ payments.

The error, which has left Bank of Scotland and Halifax customers unable to access the transaction list on their internet banking service, came as a result of the two banks’s systems being merged on to the Lloyds internet banking platform.

“Obviously when margins are so tight and cash flow is such an issue at the moment, little details like ‘have I been paid’ become important,” said Colin Borland, head of external affairs at the Federation of Small Businesses Scotland.

“That could be life and death for some small firms.”

He added: “A lot of our people are working very long hours and and do not finish up till 11 or 12 at night which is when they check their finances – they cannot go to their local branch then.

“We have been told for some time now that internet banking is the way forward, but this kind of issue leaves people with quite a problem.”

Customers found themselves unable to use their accounts from Monday morning after a shutdown over the weekend to migrate the systems.

A spokeswoman for the bank said it was unclear when the service would be up and running.

“We are dealing with it as a top priority,” she said. “Most of the functionality is there, but customers are still having problems with some aspects of the service.

“If anyone needs anything done urgently, they can call into their local branch or use our telephone banking service,” she added.