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| Version 5 | Version 6 |
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| RBS says most bank accounts now updated | RBS says most bank accounts now updated |
| (40 minutes later) | |
| Banking group RBS has said that 99% of RBS and NatWest accounts have now been brought up to date. | Banking group RBS has said that 99% of RBS and NatWest accounts have now been brought up to date. |
| A computer software upgrade at RBS failed last week, disrupting many payments into and out of accounts. | A computer software upgrade at RBS failed last week, disrupting many payments into and out of accounts. |
| However, RBS added that its Ulster Bank customers continued to suffer "unacceptable delays". | However, RBS added that its Ulster Bank customers continued to suffer "unacceptable delays". |
| Bank of England Governor Sir Mervyn King has called for a detailed investigation into what went wrong and the time it took to recover. | |
| He added that the problems demonstrated the importance of management focusing on the service function of banking, which was very different from investment banking. | |
| The Financial Ombudsman Service has warned it could take several weeks for bank customers to have all the effects of the account problems sorted out. | The Financial Ombudsman Service has warned it could take several weeks for bank customers to have all the effects of the account problems sorted out. |
| Extra hours | Extra hours |
| Details about what went wrong within RBS' computer systems are scant. RBS boss Stephen Hester said it was down to the failure of a software upgrade that caused a backlog. | Details about what went wrong within RBS' computer systems are scant. RBS boss Stephen Hester said it was down to the failure of a software upgrade that caused a backlog. |
| Experts have speculated that the error arose in the banks "batch processing" systems. This software schedules all the jobs a bank does to update the accounts of its customers in its main databases. | Experts have speculated that the error arose in the banks "batch processing" systems. This software schedules all the jobs a bank does to update the accounts of its customers in its main databases. |
| Bryan Glick, editor of Computer Weekly, said batch processing was "heavy work" and was typically done overnight when the load on bank computers was lower. | Bryan Glick, editor of Computer Weekly, said batch processing was "heavy work" and was typically done overnight when the load on bank computers was lower. |
| What might have caught RBS out, he said was the sheer scale of its operation. | What might have caught RBS out, he said was the sheer scale of its operation. |
| "From what we hear, perhaps for as much as three nights in a row, none of those transactions were properly processed," he said. | "From what we hear, perhaps for as much as three nights in a row, none of those transactions were properly processed," he said. |
| This produced a huge backlog of day-to-day computer work that had to be done later than usual and led to payments being delayed. | This produced a huge backlog of day-to-day computer work that had to be done later than usual and led to payments being delayed. |
| The bank said most of the backlog of transactions had been cleared overnight leaving less than 1% unresolved. | |
| It said only "a few specific sets of transactions" were outstanding. | |
| "It is possible a small number of customers may experience delays as we return to a completely normal service," the bank said. | |
| "The full focus of our efforts will now be on delivering the same result for our Ulster Bank customers who continue to experience unacceptable delays to their accounts being updated." | |
| To cope with the extra workload, RBS is opening 1,200 of its main branches earlier than usual this week and shutting them later. | |
| Despite the progress of the bank in clearing the backlog, more bank customers have complained to the BBC about the disruption they have suffered. | Despite the progress of the bank in clearing the backlog, more bank customers have complained to the BBC about the disruption they have suffered. |
| Michele from Broadstairs, said: "I bank with Barclays but because my employers use RBS my invoice was not paid into my account on Friday." | Michele from Broadstairs, said: "I bank with Barclays but because my employers use RBS my invoice was not paid into my account on Friday." |
| "It is now Tuesday and I'm still waiting for my money to be transferred, my rent has not been paid and other bills. | "It is now Tuesday and I'm still waiting for my money to be transferred, my rent has not been paid and other bills. |
| "We went into Barclays to see if they could help us but they said as it was not their error they couldn't," she said. | "We went into Barclays to see if they could help us but they said as it was not their error they couldn't," she said. |
| Alan from Carlisle said: "I can't be the only pensioner whose weekly DSS BACS payment to a building society account has failed to arrive." | Alan from Carlisle said: "I can't be the only pensioner whose weekly DSS BACS payment to a building society account has failed to arrive." |
| Helen from Bedford said: "We were assured our payments would be done by Monday, then today (Tuesday) yet today I receive a text saying it won't be today but no further information on when it will be. | Helen from Bedford said: "We were assured our payments would be done by Monday, then today (Tuesday) yet today I receive a text saying it won't be today but no further information on when it will be. |
| "Plus a payment that should have gone in today hasn't appeared," she added. | "Plus a payment that should have gone in today hasn't appeared," she added. |
| Despite the problems, some readers have praised the help given by RBS and NatWest staff. | Despite the problems, some readers have praised the help given by RBS and NatWest staff. |
| Noel from Hungerford said: "I would like to send my appreciation of all those members of NatWest frontline staff who have been working long hours under pressure through no fault of their own - they deserve our thanks." | Noel from Hungerford said: "I would like to send my appreciation of all those members of NatWest frontline staff who have been working long hours under pressure through no fault of their own - they deserve our thanks." |
| Renu from Reading said: "Accounts are looking up to date. Staff have been excellent." | Renu from Reading said: "Accounts are looking up to date. Staff have been excellent." |
| Major challenge | Major challenge |
| Earlier, David Cresswell of the Financial Ombudsman Service said the knock-on effects would take longer to identify and rectify. | Earlier, David Cresswell of the Financial Ombudsman Service said the knock-on effects would take longer to identify and rectify. |
| "It is really important to start making a note of what is happening to you, of conversations you have with people, of difficulties you are facing, or knock-on effects, because this is a ripple effect from the original problems," he said. | "It is really important to start making a note of what is happening to you, of conversations you have with people, of difficulties you are facing, or knock-on effects, because this is a ripple effect from the original problems," he said. |
| "What you need to do is make a clear list of how you have been affected, so you can go back to your bank and say: 'This is the complete picture, how can you help?'" | "What you need to do is make a clear list of how you have been affected, so you can go back to your bank and say: 'This is the complete picture, how can you help?'" |
| The sort of problems RBS is expecting to deal with are extra charges for inadvertently going overdrawn or paying a credit card bill late, and making sure that a customer's credit rating is not damaged. | The sort of problems RBS is expecting to deal with are extra charges for inadvertently going overdrawn or paying a credit card bill late, and making sure that a customer's credit rating is not damaged. |
| James Jones of credit rating agency Experian said dealing with the problems, especially for customers of other banks, would be a challenge, as they would not be able to tell if a missed payment was due to RBS's computer problems. | James Jones of credit rating agency Experian said dealing with the problems, especially for customers of other banks, would be a challenge, as they would not be able to tell if a missed payment was due to RBS's computer problems. |
| "We get data in from so many organisations, every minute of every day, that we don't normally review the data," he said. | "We get data in from so many organisations, every minute of every day, that we don't normally review the data," he said. |
| Neil Munroe, executive director of the Equifax credit rating agency, said: "We are reliant very much on the data being supplied by the organisations themselves; maybe as a result of this exercise we will get a lot more disputes coming through about those missed payments." | Neil Munroe, executive director of the Equifax credit rating agency, said: "We are reliant very much on the data being supplied by the organisations themselves; maybe as a result of this exercise we will get a lot more disputes coming through about those missed payments." |
| Choice for customers | Choice for customers |
| RBS is planning to liaise with other banks so that their customers who were affected, for instance by not receiving a payment from a NatWest account, are also not left out of pocket. | RBS is planning to liaise with other banks so that their customers who were affected, for instance by not receiving a payment from a NatWest account, are also not left out of pocket. |
| The bank has declined so far to estimate how many customers have been affected, how many have complained, or how many have used its telephone helpline. | The bank has declined so far to estimate how many customers have been affected, how many have complained, or how many have used its telephone helpline. |
| But an RBS spokeswoman stressed that they wanted affected customers to come forward so problems could be resolved. | But an RBS spokeswoman stressed that they wanted affected customers to come forward so problems could be resolved. |
| "We are offering our customers a choice: face-to-face at any branch, over the phone or via postform on our website," she said. | "We are offering our customers a choice: face-to-face at any branch, over the phone or via postform on our website," she said. |
| The bank will reimburse customers for the cost of calling its 0845 helpline number. | The bank will reimburse customers for the cost of calling its 0845 helpline number. |