PowerSwitch

Seems some banks are broken, again:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-19846157

Lloyds Banking Group and Co-op hit by 'system error'
Lloyds TSB cash point Friday is the busiest day of the week for cash machine withdrawals Two major banking groups are suffering from system errors which are causing problems for customers.

Yes, before I saw this I had just rang to get a balance on my account and was told that Co-op are experiencing technical difficulties with electronic, phone, online, point of sale transactions and ATMs

I suspect cock up and downsizing/rightsizing/offshoring/outsourcing/blue sky thinking/and the like.

Still worrying though, just in case it is actually lack of money, not very likely at present IMHO but even the faintest suspicion that they might not have the money is worrying.

The Co-Op, at least, can claim the huge surge in punter numbers as an excuse. For a while after the big "Move your money" push, their phonelines were chocka.

The Co-op are supposed to be using Lloyds' systems when they take over some of their branches. I wonder if their problem is due to this already happening.

In the end I got money out fine, absolutely no problems at all, so it's not all accounts.

Just tried to overload the Co-op's system by checking my account, that worked, and got this message:

"Important information regarding internet banking

We can confirm that our systems are now fully operational and customers should now be able to use their accounts as normal.

We would like to apologise for the inconvenience caused by this temporary issue."

I did stuff on my Smile account today with no problems.

Lloyds TSB Internet Banking was giving problems this afternoon.

JohnB wrote:The Co-op are supposed to be using Lloyds' systems when they take over some of their branches. I wonder if their problem is due to this already happening.

That had crossed my mind too...

Strange I had a problem getting money out of a Barclays ATM the week before. I almost panicked thinking something was wrong with my TSB account, until I checked it online later that night. Did think some banks might be trying to restrict cash access, but maybe it was just a system error.
I do wonder ho they intend to split TSB and Lloyds systems as I thought they had been merged. TSB were writing a new system at the time of the merger. Interestingly the software house involved, was running the COOP systems, so maybe that is how they will merge TSB and the COOP bank systems. The COOP and I think TSM were primary movers in setting up the free to use ATM network(LINK?) and Barclays grudgingy agreed to join in( something else that crossed my mind when Barclays ATM did not link to TSB system properly)

I'm sticking with my previous observation that perhaps banks are busy testing their systems in case of an emergency call from the B of E / bank runs etc.