State Savings Customer Service.

TrundleAlong said:
"are you ringing up to have a rant or do you want me to help you".
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This is the level of service that I get when I ring them over the years.

So many times I have rung them and I get "just about to do that now" or "they have been very busy, it will be on the way shortly" type of answer.....everything takes at least two weeks.

Also, I receive letters that have been dated a week earlier suggesting that items sit in "out baskets" or the post room for days.
 
Further to my opening post of the 6th November I can report that the customer service is actually getting worse in the State Savings department.

I have another Savings Certificate account maturing this April.

I received the notification of maturity on the 18th March by post, despite their letter being dated the 4th March. I have no idea where this letter was sitting for two weeks.

I completed their form and sent it in along with the Certificate on the 18th March, the day I received it.

On the 29th March, I received a letter dated the 22nd March to state that they could not make the payment to my bank account as I had not sent in a copy of my bank statement along with IBAN details. I have no idea why their letter took 7 days to get to me.

I do not know why my completed form sent on the 18th March was not dealt with until the 28th March either.

The thing is, they already have my bank account details on file, together with proof of this from last November when my previous Certificate was being encashed.

To make matters worse, when I tried to phone them today they are closed for Easter.

Are they deliberately delaying payment? Are the individuals that work there incompetent? Why is their daily post not being posted on a daily basis but lying around somewhere until someone else does the job for them?
 
I’ve had several issue with them. To me the Savings Bonds’ department seems to be worse to deal with than the Prize Bond department. They are far too slow to deal with. I would love to know what the average duration is for withdrawls. To me at least it has never been 7 days.
 
Again, I don't understand why are people not doing State Savings transfers/withdrawals online. You get the money next business day and none of this hassle.
 
Lightning said:
Again, I don't understand why are people not doing State Savings transfers/withdrawals online. You get the money next business day and none of this hassle.
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I initiated a State Savings withdrawal online. Nothing happened for about a week. Then they called my telephone and said they wanted to ask security questions. I told them that it is poor security practice to answer security questions when someone calls you, and that I would call back using the number of the State Savings website. They told me that I couldn't do that, and it was confirmed when I did call back that you cannot be transferred to the security question people when you call - they can only call you. They said just look at the caller ID to verify it is them calling (while making audible sighs and using a tone that suggested I was wasting their time). It was useless trying to tell them about caller ID spoofing, so I had to accept that it was the only way. It took about three weeks for the money to finally arrive. I will not be putting any more money in.
 
WaterWater said:
I have no idea why their letter took 7 days to get to me.
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It seems as if the computer prints a letter on day one, then it is passed to someone else to put it in an envelope on day two, then it is put in the outgoing mail box where it might sit for a few days. Then someone eventually takes the accumulated sack of mail to the post office. (but not before it is full).
 
WaterWater said:
I received the notification of maturity on the 18th March by post, despite their letter being dated the 4th March. I have no idea where this letter was sitting for two weeks.
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Update to my post #22 above.

Is there no end to this?

Received a cold call today from their verification department to confirm if it was me that sent in the request to encash my Certificates.

This has been going on since March the 4th and I still have not received my payment due April 1st.

Before they would speak to me they wanted me to ask me my security questions. Something that we are told never to disclose on a cold call. I said that I was not happy to do that and I was then told that it could be done..... another way. I had to ring a number back....not the usual State Savings number but another number. Could you make this up?

I have completed the form. I have sent in the head of my bank statement showing all my personal details, dated etc. My phone number he phoned was the phone number that is on record with them.

Why is this ongoing since March 4th?
 
Crikey. Have to start the process of cashing in my (joint) matured bonds tomorrow. Not looking forward to it.
 
State Savings customer service was good a few years ago. From the sounds of it I'm glad I have no dealings with them. Are they still based in the GPO.
 
I have 2 jointly held certs maturing on Friday. I posted everything in a few weeks ago to reinvest one and cash in the other. I have been notified that the reinvest cert is processing, and have got a repayment advice for the other, no problems at all, so far, Friday will tell.
 
Pmc365 said:
Are they still based in the GPO.
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Difficult to tell. A Post had a plan to vacate the GPO and move all departments/all staff, apart from the post office counter and the museum, to the EXO building. State Savings were to be included in the plan. The most recent reports are that the plan (though delayed by Covid) is substantially complete. The mail address hasn't changed, but in any event mail is definitely being delivered.

Apart from that, a lot of the Prize Bond administration is handled by Fexco in Killorglin.
 
Seems online encashment for Prize Bonds is far superior. I requested it one day last week and it was transferred to my bank account the very next day so kudos to them! My 10 year State Savings bonds don't mature for another 6 years. Let's hope that department has improved by then!
 
RiskAverseGuy said:
Seems online encashment for Prize Bonds is far superior. I requested it one day last week and it was transferred to my bank account the very next day so kudos to
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WaterWater said:
Now the 9th April and still nothing in my account. Due the 1st April.
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It gets better.

I sent in my bank statement letterhead again on the 29th March, showing my IBAN. Previous one sent in last October for a different maturing certificate.

Today the 11th April, I received a letter dated the 4th April saying that they could not make the repayment to my account because they have not received my bank statement letterhead. I wonder why it took 7 days for this letter dated 4th April to arrive at my home on the 11th April.

I wonder where my letter to them with bank statement letterhead of the 29th March was sitting also.

Anyhow, today I also received a second letter from them. Also dated the 4th April, saying that the maturing payment is due to be paid. Note "due" to be paid. They say that this could take 5 days.

So two letters today. One saying that it cannot be paid and the second saying that it is due to be paid. Both from the same department.

Over €60k of my money due 1st April.
 
The cash arrived in our bank account today Saturday, 1 day after the maturity date.

I can see on my online State Savings account that we now have a new cert for the one we asked to reinvest.

Bit of a pain having to fill out forms and freepost them in, other than that, I have no complaints.

I accept not everyone has had the same experience, maybe I was just lucky this time.
 
Agree with Despondant above. Got reminder 2 weeks ahead of maturity of 10 year Bond, sent bank header to confirm new IBAN (UB gone!), and requested encashment. A week later got letter confirming all well and stating payment within 5 working days. Also got notification on app confirming same. 2 weeks later, money in bank and children very happy with their share. (5 working days was a little underestimated but no big deal). Service might be a little slow but the system works well for me.
 
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