A MAJOR banking outage left thousands of customers unable to access their accounts earlier today.
TSB customers reported difficulties logging into their mobile banking app and Internet banking services.
Those needing to pay their bills or check that their salary had been paid into their bank account were unable to do so between 7am and 3pm.
According to DownDetector reports, over 2,035 users encountered issues with the bank's online services, preventing them from accessing their accounts or sending payments.
More than 60% of the reported problems related to difficulties with mobile banking, while 29% of users experienced trouble accessing Internet banking.
Frustrated TSB customers took to social media to express their concerns.
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One person posted on X (formerly Twitter): "The mobile banking app is down again.
"I cannot get access to my accounts, and now it's telling me I have no accounts with you."
Another customer who couldn't login to his mobile app said: "Not the ideal time for it to go down as I need to transfer money over ASAP to make a payment."
Others complained that they could not check to see if their salary had dropped into their account.
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"Well done, TSB. On my payday of all days when I need to pay all my bills, I can't," said one customer.
Another frustrated customer said: "Why is the app not showing any accounts? And the website not loading?"
Responding to customer complaints at the time, a TSB customer service operator said: "Hi. We're aware some customers are experiencing issues with our online services.
"We're sorry for the inconvenience, and we're working to resolve this as soon as possible."
A TSB spokesperson told The Sun on Thursday morning: "We're sorry that some of our customers are having issues accessing our services this morning.
"Our teams are working to fix this as quickly as possible."
The bank confirmed that the issue was resolved by 3pm.
How can I check if my bank is down?
THERE are a few different ways to find out if your bank is experiencing an outage.
Senior consumer reporter Olivia Marshall explains how you can check.
If you're trying to send money to someone, or you just want to check if you have enough cash for a coffee, finding your online banking is down can be a real pain.
Most banks have a dedicated news page on their website to show service problems, including internet banking, mobile apps, ATMs, debit cards and credit cards.
You can also check on any future work they have planned and what it might mean for you.
Plus, you can check websites such as Down Detector, which will tell you whether other people are experiencing problems with a particular company online.
Can I claim compensation for the outage?
Banks don't have to pay out compensation to customers if there has been a drop in service, unlike how telecoms companies have to.
But if you have incurred costs as a result of service issues, it's likely you could get your money back.
For example, if a bill payment didn't go through as a result of an outage and you’ve been charged a fee for missing it, you should be able to claim that money back.
If your credit rating has been affected by a service outage, because you got a late payment fee after being unable to make a transaction, for example, you should also keep a record of this.
If you spoke to anyone to try and resolve the problem, make a note of their name and when you spoke to them, as well as roughly what you discussed and what they advised you to do.
You can find out more details about how to complain on the bank's website.
It is worth gathering evidence of your problems so you can make a formal complaint to the bank directly.
What happens if my bank refuses to compensate me?
If you're unhappy with how the bank dealt with your problem, you can contact the free Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS).
It is an independent body that will consider the evidence you present and make a fair decision about the action a bank should take.
The FOS can usually get involved 15 days after you've raised concerns with the bank.
In the case of an IT system outage at a bank, the FOS says any compensation depends on your circumstances and whether you lost out as a result.
If it thinks you did, it has the power to tell the bank to reimburse any fees, charges, or fines you were hit with, for example, if you were unable to make a payment on a credit card bill or to your mortgage provider.
It could also tell a bank to pay you for any money you didn't receive, such as interest, if you weren't able to pay money in.
If your credit score was affected, it may tell the bank to correct your credit file.
The FOS might also tell the bank to reimburse you for any extra costs you had to make, such as phone calls or trips to your local branch, as well as a payment for any inconvenience it caused.
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