Latest update December 4th, 2024 2:40 AM
Republic Bank working to correct online transactions – official
Republic Bank Limited (RBL), one of the more popular commercial banks in Guyana and the Caribbean region, has revealed that it is currently working to correct restrictions on online VISA transactions.
These admissions surfaces after a customer wrote via a letter to Kaieteur News on October 2, that he/she was dissatisfied with services offered at RBL, in the aforementioned regard.
In the letter titled, “Can someone look into this unfair and frustrating issue,” the writer stated that in May of this year, following a “compromised” system at RBL, restrictions were implemented on online VISA transactions.
Even though some five months have gone by, the customer emphatically revealed that those restrictions have not yet been removed.
In an attempt to rectify the issue, the customer explained that the only condition which card holders now had to proceed with was to make contact with a Trinidad and Tobago number that was provided.
The disgruntled writer said, “I would like to state emphatically, that this telephone number does not work and the RBL is entirely aware of it.”
He/she further goes on to say that calls to the telephone number were rerouted to answering machines and placed on what was described as an “indefinite hold”. While advertisements were being played continuously, the customer claims that no one answers, regardless of how long one waits or the time number is called.
This predicament now unfortunately paves the way for customers to bare an extra cost, since there is no toll free number for the service.
Having encountered the “frustrating scenario”, the customer recounts that he made telephone contact with the RBL Water Street branch, but was told by a customer representative that the lengthy and costly phone calls were the bank’s policy and there was nothing that they could have done about it.
Manager of Marketing and Communications of Republic Bank, Ms. Michelle Johnson, explained to this publication that the restrictions were imposed to minimise recurrence of fraudulent activity when customers used the Republic Visa OneCard.
“These measures resulted in some legitimate online transactions being blocked,” Johnson said.
The Manager at the time was unable to reveal how many of those legitimate transactions impacted, as she adds that it is only established when customers contact the bank, and not all persons do complete that task.
With regards to the seemingly useless and alternative number that was provided, Johnson stated that earlier in this week, Republic Bank successfully concluded a testing for a toll free number (+592-227-4725), but it would only apply locally.
The bank continues to work towards a permanent solution with the relevant bodies to have the imposed restrictions removed, Johnson admitted– keeping in mind, the safety and security of their valued customers.
However, she failed to specify when that would be completed.
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