News -Lloyds Bank apologises for card payment delays Comments

News - Bank apologises for card payment delays

(it's about the standard of banking here in Dubai, but still we desis are so obsessed by it's glitter, rather it's just g-litter under the surface)

Read the comments -

1. RBS too....

Posted by Stephen at 20:15 UAE time

You are not alone...

The Customer Service Manager will tell you in his/her broken English that the system is undergoing "Updation", i don't know what that word means...or where it comes from.... but hey...whose complaining!

2.Banking in UAE

Posted by Punky Brewster at 09:09 UAE time

banks get away with MURDER in these parts of the world. There's actually no recourse for the customer to complain to anyone. Change the bank, go to someone who gives you good service (a rarity in DXB), and make sure the BANK is safe too, considering the current Financial crisis!! I have YET to come by a BANK which offers EXCELLENT Cust Srvc. I have my fingers crossed though....

3.Customer Service....Lloyds dont know the meaning of it....

Posted by observer at 11:29 UAE time

This is a truely dreadful bank to deal (perhaps Citibank are on Par with them). Customer service is non-existent....just a series of call centre voices who cant/wont connect you to anybody of authority to get things sorted out.
Recently having asked for a replacement card to be issued urgently as I was travelling within 5 days, they failed to deliver. When I returned over 2 weeks later I still had no card so when I complained they eventually admitted that the card had not even been ordered in the first place!
Is this Civil Service mentality setting in as they are now partially owned by the UK Government?

4.lloyds TSB

Posted by SA at 14:08 UAE time

I haven't seen such a pathetic banking system anywhere else in the world. Lloyds are still living 20 years back and even then some of the third world countries have better banking systems than what they have now here in Dubai.

Problem is even if you leave Lloyds the others are not that good either.

5.Why deal with these banks then?

Posted by MM at 01:36 UAE time

I fail to understand why people love using these foreign banks such as Llyods, HSBC etc when you have experienced and have heard enough bad about them.

I had bad times as well and I took all my money and went to ADCB, a local bank. Since then I am in peace so far. RAK Bank is amazing as well. Emirates NBD new branch at Dubai Mall is exciting as well, they have a new culture in place which is under going model testing.

Now if you are going to feel little cheap to bank with local banks, then go ahead and enjoy your pride of using the crap foreign banks from UK llyods or monkeys whatever they are called.

6.bank service

Posted by Luis Sisamon at 09:05 UAE time

true most banks here are horrible. I had plenty of annoyances with HSBC (both as a premiere individual account and now my company one).
Best service I have got so far is with Emirates Bank, not perfect but when I compare, quite good, specially their internet banking.
I think the foreign banks here give worst service, or maybe that people expect european levels of customer service and therefore we complain more... hard to know.

7.Dire.............

Posted by PP at 09:03 UAE time

I have been a Lloyds customer for 35 years and recently decided enough was enough and moved all my interests to HSBC.

It is not as if I haven't politely tried to tell the staff in Lloyds about the issues that we, their customers, face on a regular basis.

Whether it is rogue interest charges or late credit card purchases or bank cards taking months to sort, deliver and fix........... they haven't listened to their customers needs.

It is sad to see such poor levels of service and yet, with a bit of proactive management, these simple issues are completely solveable.

8.HSBC

Posted by paul at 10:13 UAE time

To PP, i have my company accounts at HSBC and things are no better. I got a corporate credit card and it took them a year to successfully set up a monthly payment of the balance from my current account. During that time my card 'topped out' twice, meaning payments failed, my internet was cut off and so on.

Another problem with foreign banks is that they are only allowed 3 full branches. This makes it highly inconvenient as for most tasks other than basic services you can do on the internet, the require you come to the branch.

My personal banking is with ADCB and so far I've had a better experience with them. Not sure I'd want my savings in a local bank though...

9.RE: Why Deal with these bank then?
Posted by GR, Dubai, UAE on Sunday 10 May 2009 at 14:07 UAE time


MM - just wait, give them time and I am sure your experience of ADCB will be the same as at these "c*** foreign banks". I (and many others I know) left ADCB after 4 years of the worst and rudest customer service I have ever experienced from any bank.

Lloyds here are absolutley dire.. but then so are most of the other banks whether foreign or local, in fact poor customer service is the benchmark of banks here it seems.

10.Don't confuse Lloyds TSB Bank plc (UK) with Lloyds TSB Middle East
Posted by Toby, Dubai, United Arab Emirates on Sunday 10 May 2009 at 14:09 UAE time


When I wanted to escalate a very very serious matter to the UK head office, I was told by the senior manager at Lloyds TSB Middle East that I couldn't because it was a different entity from the UK bank.

11.Summary of what they say and what it does really mean..between the lines..
Posted by Kaptain, Abu Dhabi, UAE on Sunday 10 May 2009 at 14:30 UAE time


"caused by a small technical problem"
Yeah small techie problem, a nut and a bolt went missing..no frets..oil leaks but engine won't seize..that is what the boss said

"Middle East staff are working hard to resolve this issue"
Yeah really hard, they have brought the running machines at the offices and they are running and jogging and sweating..

"the attitude with this has been ‘just deal with it,"
I bet, the expertise in all the Middle East banks is the same..the expertise that is employed don't even have a single idea what banking actually is..

"week-long time lag"
That's it..?? That's not delay.. You want to know what delay is..?? The mili-second delay in fuel pumping in the NASA rocket is delay which could cost the whole nation billions..on the other hand your account is just $2800 ONLY..

"If we’d been on holiday, my bank account could have been emptied without my realising"
Yeah they would have sent over group of mice as well over to your house too to get the cheese..
so no holidays..get back to work..!!