RBS customers unable to check accounts online with mobile app in bank's latest IT embarrassment

PUBLISHED: 05:35 EST, 24 May 2013 | UPDATED: 06:51 EST, 24 May 2013

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The IT crowd: Natwest customers were also affected, while some also appeared to be experience problems with the Ulster Bank app

Another embarrassing IT crash saw RBS and Natwest customers unable to access their accounts through the banks' mobile app this morning.

Around 2million people have the app on smartphones and tablet computers, and many took to Twitter to express frustration after they were unable to use it to check their balances and statements.

Frustrated customers this morning described how there was no internet connection - although other apps were working.

'"This app requires an internet connection" - I have one, appears you don't at your end. #RBS' wrote one.

Another said he had been logged out in the middle of a transaction. He received a response from RBS apologising and telling him to 'try again later'.

Another Twitter user wrote: 'RBS app decides to play up on the 1 day of the month I need to know whether it's payday or not.'

A further tweet said: 'Pointless having the #rbs app on my phone because it hardly ever works.'

A spokesperson told This is Money at 10.45am: 'It's been back up and running for around 50 minutes.

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'We have around 2million users on the app [across RBS and Natwest], though we're not sure whether they were all affected. The last time it went down, in March, it was because too many customers were trying to use it at the same time.

'We're not sure if that's what happened this time, our team is still looking into it.'

The RBS and Natwest Help feeds both later had messages reading: 'Sorry if you had trouble getting into Mobile Banking, our service is returning to normal. Please let us know if you have any further issues.'

It all follows an IT fiasco last summer that saw payments go awry, wages appear to go missing and home purchases and holidays interrupted, which has already cost the bank £175million in costs and compensation.

Today's setback is the latest bump in the road for RBS, which is 81 per cent publicly owned, as hopes rise that it can soon be returned to the private sector after being rescued at the height of the financial crisis.

Its latest annual results saw it record losses of £5.2billion, driven by a £390million settlement for rate-fixing, £1.1billion provision for mis-selling, and the IT problems of June and July 2012.

Today's setback is particularly embarrassing as it is looking to shift its focus towards online customers.

Last week it announced that it was cutting 1,400 jobs in its retail arm as it moved investment into 'things that matter most to customers' including mobile and online services.

It has been encouraging customers to use the technology, sending out tweets such as one two days ago which read: 'Is it easy to pay someone with your bank's mobile app? It's simple with RBS.'

Responding to the RBS problems, a Which? spokesperson said: 'Consumers increasingly use mobile banking services to access their accounts and will want to be assured that their money is accessible and safe at all times.

'These frequent glitches continue to raise questions about how robust and reliable banks’ IT systems are.'

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Comments (10)

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When will these banking pillocks learn. Outsourcing is a quick cheap option, but in the long term they will lose your customers for good. Buy, support and use British resources.

- Razorwire , North of Watford Gap, United Kingdom, 24/5/2013 19:14

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Why all the RBS NatWest bashing, DM? I couldn't get into my Nationwide account for at least a day a few weeks ago. You didn't even mention it. My Nat West account gives me less problems than any of my other accounts.

- JoeyR , Leeds W yorks, 24/5/2013 18:34

Click to rate Rating 12

How can you tell.........Bank Holiday Weekend!.....as usual

- Patrick , Belfast, 24/5/2013 16:22

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Awww diddums - just wait til you get home, or give them a call!

- Laura1 , Manchester, 24/5/2013 16:15

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Sadly banks, like a lot of other companies, are outsourcing their IT work, often overseas, and this does not allow for a fast resolution of problems.

- Rhegis , anytown, United Kingdom, 24/5/2013 16:11

Click to rate Rating 15

Would you really want to access your bank account from your mobile. With hackers finding ways of getting into peoples accounts, no thank you. Would prefer a much more secure way to access an account.

- Bugsy , Malaga, United Kingdom, 24/5/2013 14:55

Click to rate Rating 12

The incompetence continues!

- xeepo , South London, United Kingdom, 24/5/2013 14:47

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For the last few years some of the best brains in RBS have been faffing around trying to dispose of some 300+ branches at the say so of an unelected EU Competition Commissioner because the UK Govt. went to their aid. ALL the loans given by the BoE have been repaid and it will not be too long before the taxpayer shares will be sold at a profit. So why are these branch sales not dropped so that RBS can properly concentrate on other things. They have (I believe) spent well over £1bn on this with more to come. If the EU had not meddled last year RBS would be showing a good profit and the shares would be worth much more today. The EU attacks our banks at every opportuinity and it is time we told them to `butt out` and halted these nonsensical branch sales.

- Roy , Billericay, United Kingdom, 24/5/2013 13:16

Click to rate Rating 17

you've been mumbai'd!!

- philip100 , London, United Kingdom, 24/5/2013 12:57

Click to rate Rating 20

he he he gotta be off-shore nonsense...I am having a laugh right now with them...fixing code..re-explaining everything ...re- fixing - re explaining

- sarica , se, 24/5/2013 12:31

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