International Customers

LMCJS

Recently I have been left disappointed with Bank of Ireland's service for its international customers.

New banking laws from the EU require multi-step verification. I am unable to receive a text message from their service as I live abroad, and I also do not have an international calling plan. Buying international calling cards gets expensive quickly when you are on hold.

But I did end up paying for one, and after being hung up on once, and having another call disconnected, I was finally able to order my device so that way I could still access my funds. That was back in April. There is no sign of my device. But when it does arrive I'll have to call Bank of Ireland again, wait on hold, and hope I don't get disconnected.

Bank of Ireland has no meaningful way to enable their international customers to seek resolutions to their issues. There is no email follow up. There is no online chat feature (despite being advertised on your website). Somehow in the wake of a global pandemic Bank of Ireland is the one of the only organizations unable to use some sort of video call software to serve its customers.

When does Bank of Ireland intend to meet its obligations to their international customers, and to allow them to access their funds when they see fit, and not risk charges or penalties because Bank of Ireland is restricting access and giving us no meaningful way to seek redress?

Acknowledging that someone is unable to call internationally, then telling them to call anyway is just insulting.

Bank of Ireland: Richard F

Hi LMCJS,
 
Thanks for getting in touch and we’re sorry to hear that this has been your experience with online banking. Generally the PSK would only take 5-7 working days to arrive. As this time has passed, can we ask you to send us a PM with your full name, account holding branch and mobile number please? We can certainly link in with our colleagues to check this further for you.
 
We really appreciate you sharing your feedback on this and we’ll certainly share this with the relevant team.
 
Thanks,
Richard

LMCJS

Thank you Richard F., I have just send a message as requested.

0lddog

@Richard, since you mention the PSK and this thread relates to international customers...

In what countries will the PSK work ?

Bank of Ireland: Megan

0lddog wrote: »

@Richard, since you mention the PSK and this thread relates to international customers...

In what countries will the PSK work ?

Good morning Olddog,

Thanks for getting in touch with us here on Boards.ie.

Our Physical Security Keys can be used internationally in all countries. For more information regarding the PSK, please see the below link.

Many thanks,
Megan

https://www.bankofireland.com/physical-security-key/

LMCJS

I have been working with Bank of Ireland for two months to regain access to my account. During that time multiple phone calls have been terminated. Messages have not been followed up on. I was not able to post to here for weeks, and now the most recent message from Bank of Ireland: Niamh has disappeared.

When should I expect an update on my physical security key? When will Bank of Ireland allow me to access my finances again?

Bank of Ireland: Tara

Hi LMCJS,

We're sorry to hear of the difficulty experienced. Our colleagues tried calling you several times on the phone number you provided but were unable to get through. We would advise calling +35312500362 and an adviser will look into why you haven't received a PSK yet.

Thanks

Tara

jahalpin

Is Bank of Ireland actually allowed to service customers that are resident outside of the EU/UK with their Irish banking licence?

Bank of Ireland: Megan

https://boards.ie/discussion/comment/117635630#Comment_117635630

Good morning jahalpin,

Thank you for getting in touch with us here on Boards.ie.

To be eligible for a non resident account, you will need to have a financial tie to the Republic of Ireland. For example: wages, property, inheritance etc. If there is no financial tie, we would be unable to process a non resident application.

I hope this clarifies.

Thanks, Megan

LMCJS

https://boards.ie/discussion/comment/117631463#Comment_117631463

Hi Tara, as previously stated I do not have an international calling plan, so I cannot take international calls. I have made that fact known at every step of this process - in emails, in this thread, and in messages through this site. I apologize if that has somehow been unclear.

An update may be provided in either this thread, or as a direct message to me through this site, so that I may regain access to my account.

LMCJS

https://boards.ie/discussion/comment/117635630#Comment_117635630

I would sincerely hope so, because the staff in the branch I was physically in had no issue with that.

Bank of Ireland: Aisling

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117654247#Comment_117654247

Thanks for getting back to us here.

Due to the nature of the request, it would be necessary to speak with an agent directly. You can certainly link in with our Customer Service Team via live chat on our website. They will be able to help as best they can with this. They are available Monday to Friday 9am-4:45pm.

Thanks, Aisling

LMCJS

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117663734#Comment_117663734

Is that the webchat service which is only available to customers in the Republic of Ireland (where I do not live), or through 365 (which I cannot access until you send me the psk that I ordered weeks ago)?

Bank of Ireland: Eve

Hi there, thanks for coming back to us here.

Please be assured that you should certainly be able to Live Chat with our Customer Service Desk via the Bank of Ireland website.

One of my colleagues would be more than happy to assist you as best as they can.

I hope this helps.

Thanks, Eve

LMCJS

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117681518#Comment_117681518

Good morning. I have attempted to use the chat feature through your website as suggested, however, as I am not in the Republic of Ireland I have no way to launch the chat.

I expect an update on when my physical security key will arrive, so that I can once again have access to my bank account. This update may be provided at my email address (which you have on file).

LMCJS

So, it's been a week. When should I expect my physical security device?

Bank of Ireland: Aisling

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117727621#Comment_117727621

Thanks for getting back in touch with us here on Boards.ie.

It would generally take 5-7 working days for a PSK to be received at the postal address we hold on file for you.

Thanks, Aisling

LMCJS

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117731870#Comment_117731870

I requested the PSK in June. I believe that was more than 5-7 working days ago.

Please confirm the date when the device was sent to me, and provide me with all shipping and tracking details.

LMCJS

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117734095#Comment_117734095

My apologies, I mis-spoke. I ordered the device in APRIL, which is clearly more than 5-7 working days ago.

As before: please confirm the date when the device was sent to me, and provide me with all shipping and tracking details. This account has transactions being made from it, and while Bank of Ireland refuses to allow me access to my own bank account, to manage my own financial affairs, I am being put at increasing risk of financial harm.

Bank of Ireland: Megan

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117734113#Comment_117734113

Thanks for getting back to us here.

I am very sorry that you have not received your PSK. For the best help with your query, please contact our customer service team on 0818365365 or 0035314044000(from abroad). One of my colleagues will be happy to help. They are available from 9am-5pm Monday-Friday.

Thanks, Megan

LMCJS

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117736346#Comment_117736346

I know it gets difficult to follow when you have multiple BoI representatives responding, but reading prior posts might be useful in understanding a customer's issue. One of the central tenants of customer service is not having the customer keep explain the problem, as it escalates their frustrations.

I do not have an international calling plan. So, either respond in this thread, send me a message on this site, or email me confirming when my PSK will arrive.

Bank of Ireland: Aisling

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117740421#Comment_117740421

Thanks for getting back to us here.

Can we ask if you can receive International calls?

Thanks, Aisling

LMCJS

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117741838#Comment_117741838

Without an international calling plan I am unable to receive international calls. I believe your colleagues attempted to phone me in July, to no avail.

Bank of Ireland: Eve

Hi there, thanks for coming back to us here.

Would it be possible for you to borrow a close friend or family members phone to make this call.

One of my colleagues should certainly be able to look into this for you further.

Thanks, Eve

LMCJS

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117746347#Comment_117746347

That seems like a logistical and potentially legal nightmare.

You want me to share my financial information, circumstances and details with a friend or family member? Are you assuming that this person, or persons, who are not listed as authorized individuals on my account are speaking on my behalf and with my authority? How are you going to prevent fraud if anyone can call up claiming to be speaking on my behalf? If you ask them questions and they don't know the answer then what, are they supposed to hang up, ask me (hopefully) your question verbatim, call you back and hope to get put through to the right person?

You want me to not only jump through hoops to regain access to my account, but you want me to now ask someone else who is not listed on my account to jump through these hoops too? This is the most Kafkaesque process I have ever witnessed in order to regain access to my account.

You won't email me the details. You won't video chat with me. You don't give me updates in this thread. You refuse to message me updates through this site. You chat feature doesn't work. You won't send me the psk I ordered four months ago. But you think I'm going to involve other people in fixing your mess?

Your bank's conduct is wholly unreasonable. Give me access to my account again. Please.

Bank of Ireland: Aisling

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117749683#Comment_117749683

Thanks for getting back to us here.

Please be assured we are not asking you to share any of your online or account information with a third party. You should never share this information. My colleague suggested if you could borrow a phone so you can make a call to our support team to be verified over the phone.

The only way to send you a PSK if after the verification process has been completed. This will need to be carried out with a member of our Customer Service Team who has account access. As you cannot receive international calls, we are unable to arrange for a call to be made to you.

Our Live Chat function is available to customers from outside of Ireland so this should be available to you also.

Thanks, Aisling

TirnanOg15

In following this conversation, I am also wondering if you could link to the online chat feature? On bankofireland.com I can't see any chat mentioned under the "Contact Us" heading other than the boards.ie forum chat here and "@talktoBOI Talk to us on Twitter."

Bank of Ireland Reps

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118391996#Comment_118391996

Hi TirnanOg15,

Thanks for getting in touch with us here today. If you contact the team at boi.com/chat between the hours of 10am to 4pm our colleagues here will be happy to help as best they can.

We hope this helps.

Thanks Jen

HazeDoll

About seven years ago I tried for weeks to carry out a very simple task with BOI, having been a customer for over 20 years. I gave up and switched to AIB and every difficulty I had ever had resolved itself.

Changing address with BOI was a massive job, involving driving to Galway (where I had lived as a student) and requiring multiple followups as loan documents continued to be sent to the old address. Changing address with AIB was a phone call and some minor paperwork.

Paying off a loan early with BOI was a nightmare. After I had paid it off DDs kept coming out of my account for months. I then spent months chasing the refunds. Every interaction meant a long wait on the phone with the likelihood that the call would be dropped before I got to talk to anybody.

At one point with BOI I needed a temporary overdraft of a thousand euros as I was buying a car and I was waiting for the insurance payout on the old car. I was working, I had 8k in savings and over 25k in a savings account with 30 day access, I had no other debt. Nope. They wanted me to go to Galway again, over 2 hrs away and then wait two weeks. All with no car! I'm able to do all these things on the AIB app, which works. The BOI app never once worked for me.

Maybe BOI have got their act together in the last few years but if I were you OP I wouldn't wait around to find out. Try AIB. You can keep BOI on the hook but you should definitely start the ball rolling with AIB.

TirnanOg15

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118415297#Comment_118415297

I'm seeing what you mean. Never in my international banking in 3 different countries (Canada, USA, Ireland) have we experienced 1/10th the problems in accomplishing simple tasks as we have using Bank of Ireland. It is really puzzling with the prowess of Irish computer techs around the world. Must definitely NOT be back office giving advice on this...suits getting involved and complicating things or something. Thanks for the recommendation. We definitely are looking into options.