CUSTOMERS of the state-owned bank NS&I have furiously reported being locked out of their accounts for several weeks.
The introduction of a new two-factor security system for logins sparked outrage among customers, with reports of customers being blocked from accessing their savings persisting for around five weeks.
Clients of the bank have taken to flooding customer review website Trustpilot with hundreds of comments to voice their rage.
One review from August 9 titled “heads must roll at NS&I” said: “Their online system worked perfectly until they introduced two-factor identification. It simply doesn’t work, as all the other reviews testify …
“Absolutely infuriating, an utter embarrassment and an outstanding example of the mediocrity into which this organisation and our country has descended.”
A more recent review from September 9 said: “Customers can’t access THEIR money. Please no more excuses or lies just sort this mess out. It is up to NS&I and NOT your customers to sort this. It is YOUR fault so just sort it. Period of national mourning or not just get a grip. It is also clear that by not responding to these reviews you hold your customers in utter contempt. Start showing some respect.”
Trustpilot has become a focal point of customer rage with 87% of NS&I’s 2028 reviews having the lowest rating possible.
Over the last several weeks, fresh reviews of customers unable to access their savings have been an almost daily occurrence.
One of the most commonly reported issues is customers being told that they have maxed out their “trusted device limit”, which means that the number of devices they can use to access their account has been reached.
But several users have said that this message has appeared regardless of whether they are using a device that they have always used to get into their NS&I profile.
And before the trusted device issue was reported, news of problems with a newly implemented two-factor login system emerged in August – with customer service agents telling clients at the time that the situation would be resolved.
However, issues with the system were still being reported weeks later.
The company has advised customers to make sure they are not browsing privately or in “incognito mode” as this could be the source of the problem for some.
They have also encouraged affected customers to consult their FAQ page or use the web chat tool on their website to get advice from their team.
Despite this, several customers have voiced their intention to ditch the firm.
An NS&I spokesperson said: “Customer security is extremely important to us, which is why we have added an additional layer of authentication to our security process, which will keep our customers' accounts even safer.
"The vast majority of people have been able to complete the process successfully. For anyone who requires additional support, our customer team is available on 08085 007 007 from 7.00am to 10.00pm each day.”
