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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To be so bloody angry this can happen in this day and age

113 replies

workiskillingme · 15/09/2022 13:35

My bank has been down all night and all morning until now. Cannot access the app and they aren't able to credit any payments . Cards aren't working either. I literally have no money to buy a darn thing and need bread and baby milk etc
It's 2022 ffs!

OP posts:
LMCOA · 15/09/2022 13:36

This is terrible.

Are you able to visit a branch?

Grumpybutfunny · 15/09/2022 13:38

If it Halifax then my debit card is working fine but app is down and can't use credit cards.

FlissyPaps · 15/09/2022 13:39

When you say cards aren’t working do you mean they won’t connect to contactless/chip and pin machine? Or an ATM to draw cash out?

If so, that’s bad. Are you able to lend milk/cash from a neighbour/friend/family until it’s sorted?

BlancmanegeBunny · 15/09/2022 13:39

Unfortunately, this is far more likely to happen "in this day and age" because we are so reliant on computer systems.
30 years ago people used cards far less and carried cash.

I have more than one bank account but also carry some cash (I'm old).

ApolloandDaphne · 15/09/2022 13:39

Nothing is infallible. Tech can be hit by a number of issues and I imagine they have had people working on this to try and fix it. It sucks but 2022 or not things still sometimes have issues which need to time to rectify. My DH is CTO for a large finance company. I know the internal stress when things like this happen and the urgent drive to get it sorted quickly for the clients.

rainbowunicorn · 15/09/2022 13:40

Well of course it can happen, all it takes is a system failure which unfortunately can't be predicted
That is why it is sensible not to rely on once source. I always have £10 in cash just in case.

Lincslady53 · 15/09/2022 13:40

When you are angry that this can happen in this day and age, it is a this day and age problem. In the old days, you wouldn't have been able to contact the bank until 9.30 when they opened, closing again at 3.00pm. If you had no cash, you could have paid by cheque, if the shop accepted cheques, and then only up to your card limit. So this is progess I guess.

Andromachehadabadday · 15/09/2022 13:43

Virgin money goes down around the end of the month nearly every other month.

Always last working day of the month. It happens very often in this day and age.

Original poster
workiskillingme · 15/09/2022 13:44

No local branch
I get the emergency ten pounds but even that wouldn't help with things like kids school dinners as it's cashless
There's nobody I really know to borrow money from round here I don't have family local

OP posts:
LuckyLil · 15/09/2022 13:45

My Halifax credit card shows no credit but I still used it to buy something today.

TarasHarp55 · 15/09/2022 13:47

Absolutely terrible. Unfortunately this is our future. Why people think a cashless society would ever be a good thing should take note.

Coastalcreeksider · 15/09/2022 13:48

I always carry or have at home a little bit of cash around. Usually £20 or so just in case something goes wrong and I can't use my cards.

I know lots of people never carry cash but I have to have a little on me. Most of my friends are the same, I think it's our age.

LakieLady · 15/09/2022 13:49

I have 2 bank accounts, with different banks, but always have some cash in my purse, just in case of situations like this.

FlissyPaps · 15/09/2022 13:49

Can you withdraw from your local post office?

Topseyt123 · 15/09/2022 13:52

This why I have decided that it is better to have a credit card with a different bank just in case. So that I don't have all eggs in one basket.

My debit cards are with Nationwide, but I also have a credit card with Sainsbury's which only gets occasional use. I also try and remember to have maybe £20 in cash.

This kind of thing does happen a fair bit "in this day and age" because everything is computerised now and all computers have glitches.

Lockheart · 15/09/2022 13:52

This day and age is the only day and age it could happen. It's not like they had apps in the 1950s or 1800s. We've never relied so much on apps and cards.

Try logging in via the website, or try calling the telephone banking line.

Do you have a chequebook or could you visit a post office?

Cash doesn't stop working when the system goes down. Always keep a little bit in the house for future emergencies. I know it doesn't help now, but it's a good tip for later.

Rapidtango · 15/09/2022 13:53

This is why the push towards a cashless society is dangerous.

WagathaChristieMystery · 15/09/2022 13:57

So sorry OP. Have you got any other cards with other banks/providers that you can use?

GreenManalishi · 15/09/2022 13:58

This can only happen in this day and age. Keep some cash in the house for emergencies. No technology is infalliable and will always fail at some point.

butterfliedtwo · 15/09/2022 13:59

It's because it's likely to happen that I don't understand the people who never carry cash.

Pixiedust1234 · 15/09/2022 14:02

I agree with you which is why I always have spare cash for emergencies.

Rant away, many think its ridiculous.

itispersonal · 15/09/2022 14:03

This does happen regularly, a big one I remember was when rbs and NatWest systems went down for days! I was working in the offices for the bank. Fortunately we had more branches then and the bank were giving Customers cash. Though many asked/ took out more than they actually had in their account.

As other pp have said it's worth having an extra account / credit card with a separate banking establishment for when this happens

RB68 · 15/09/2022 14:04

I am a great advocate of the emergency 5 er (although these days it needs to be 20 to be fair). Not much help right now but I would def try neighbours. I actually went to the gym recently and in the bar area after (Hotel) ordered a diet coke, cash in hand and she says - oh we don't take cash!! She just said pay next time you are in but I thought I have my phone lets see what I can so and eventually found 15 quid on revolut and sorted out putting it onto google pay in the end. I did wonder about refusing legal tender tho. Might also be a plan to have something like that for future so not always reliant on same banks etc.

Work in DC industry and alot of banks rely heavily on old systems and out of date data centres. They are so risk averse I am amazed they don't have more back up plans and are happy not to update due to risk of going down but accept unplanned outages like this.

OnTheBrinkOfChange · 15/09/2022 14:05

Which bank is it?

CaptainCorellisBagpipes · 15/09/2022 14:06

It's what they call "paperless progress", I'm afraid 😬