Unable to withdraw funds from at call bank account

True but had they given you two bank cheques, you just doubled your money, no questions asked. :rofl: No matter what happens to the cheques, as they list you as the payee, the situation is relatively safe.

Tedious indeed.

Possibly the significant amount and all the recent data breaches are making them extra cautious.

There are default limits on EFT. Those limits exist for your protection. You won’t be able to transfer more than a certain amount via EFT unless you pre-authorise the destination account, as a one-off hassle. Different banks have different procedures for establishing that authorisation.

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Allow me to clarify. I was told by one branch mgr that in order to have hassle free online transfers I must pre-authorise and that is done via a specific form that must be handed to staff and not emailed.
I completed the form and handed it in person on Tue. It was to take 2-3 days to organise by the back office. It was organised but I still can’t access the funds as the relevant app is needed over and above the signed pre-authorisation form and lo and behold: the app is not compatible with all androids.

I don’t buy the bank is “extra cautious”. I think their protocols are poor. I was looking into the matter today and saw this bank blocked a customer’s debit card when he was overseas. He told them ahead of time of his travels, but they still blocked him citing “security” reasons that were not revealed to him
Apparently banks can turn cards on and off like taps if they choose, so long as it’s mentioned in the Terms and Conditions.
Doesn’t smell right to me.

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I forgot to mention, without the app it seems that I cannot transfer a penny to an a/c outside this bank.

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If you have access to your account online through a web browser, you should be able easily transfer it that way.

You might need to increase the maximum transfer limit and notify the bank of the transfer as it might be flagged for review by the bank’s anti-fraud team… meaning it might be held up until such time the transaction is verified by you.

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Online there is a limit to the quantum of a transfer.
After looking into it I was told to fill in a form and hand it to a staff in a branch. That form lifts the limit to a predesignated payee. I listed the limit I want (which was under the bank’s maximum) and listed the name of the payee.
2 days later the new limit and payee name were on my online profile BUT even online via a browser in order to make a transfer the bank requires the app be used by a customer in order to send security codes to be used in the online banking process to effect the transaction.
In short, without a working app, I can’t transfer a dime.

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I once had a similar problem where a Westpac bank cheque misprinted. The branch gave me a new form to sign and the old form duly marked as cancelled. Your bank should have done likewise.

A number of banks are doing that with their ‘authenticator’ as part of 2FA, some still soldier on with SMS codes, and those that will send a code by email seem to be rarer by the week if there are any remaining. I discovered ringing in will not get by that code in every financial institution - in some an agent can provide ‘the’ code to a customer and in others the agents are on disparate systems to assure zero chance of internal fraudulent behaviour.

Many consumers do not realise the dependence of banking apps on their phones (age, operating system, manufacturer, patch levels) and have similar problems to your own.

Although not explicitly helpful to your dilemma you may remember my reply to you in another topic.

It appears you have a choice of following the branch requirements to sign off on a replacement bank cheque, buy/borrow a compliant phone, or continue to be ‘trapped’ in your current situation. I presume the branch still has your faulty cheque and signed form as well as your money so I struggle to understand your angst about signing another as well as the branch’s apparent disinclination (refusal) to so annotate a replacement form/cheque accordingly.

As with apps and web sites at some point one needs to trust something. But since you seem disinclined to do so have you engaged the bank’s complaints (not customer service) line (by phone not form) to see if there is a way to work through it that fits in your comfort zone?

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I fully agree. They declined to give this to me.
Do they really think customers have nothing better to do than assume the bank is honest whe it denies such paperwork to the customer or even a photocopy of it?
I expect they will change their tune when they have to answer to AFCA.

Now AFCA will want to know how you have tried to resolve your issue with the bank, and if you have suffered any financial loss.

Seems you have not suffered any financial loss, and you cannot get your funds transfered because you just won’t follow a process to protect both your money and the bank’s money.

OK, the teller at the branch mucked up the printing of a bank cheque, and it needed to be redone. So get it redone. The only thing stopping you withdrawing money from your account is you not working with the banking system as it exits.

A process that requires me to visit a branch three times to get hold of my funds is obscene.
A process where at the time I wanted to transfer my funds, I am told that they are in a term deposit. A TD I did not arrange. It is now a week since I asked the bank: who arranged the TD, for what term and at what interest rate?
I have received no answers.

I have indeed suffered loss:
I am earning NO interest and could earn 4%
I do not have the time to go 3x to a branch in a week. I have other commitments.
In fact I went to a branch twice as instructed and still the bank can’t get it’s act together.
I followed the bank’s instruction to download the app to my phone in order to be able to tfr funds. But it does not download. The branch mgr agreed that there was some app problem.
So did I suffer loss? Yes. Interest, inconvenience, multiple hassles and abuse by a manager.

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So, no amount of complaining on this site is going to resolve the issue for you @Jon01.

If you cannot due to security requirements get or transfer your money due to technical online limitations, then a branch visit is needed.

Perhaps a different branch of the bank?

Maybe I should repeat an earlier point I made: I bought a mobile a few months ago. A smart phone I was told to get. I was not told to buy a particular make or model.
After AFCA agrees to order interest to be paid to me and for the bank to EFT the funds on my behalf as well as the modest claim for compensation, I will withdraw most of my funds, but leave a few dollars in the transaction a/c. I have no stamina or interest to re-visit a branch to sign off an a/c closure.
As to a different branch, I thought the same and did visit a different branch, twice in the past week. Different from my usual branch.
I did find it odd that I was not only asked to show my bank card when speaking to staff, at the second branch, something I understand, but I was also asked for my driver’s licence which they studied and proceeded to photocopy. “Why” was never explained beyond “security reasons”. Is this common amongst banks?

Not having ability to download a bank’s 2FA app because one’s phone isn’t supported isn’t the bank’s fault. If one wishes to have the convenience of online banking to do transfers, then maybe one should consider upgrading the phone to one that is supported. It isn’t the bank’s fault that a phone was purchased that didn’t support the 2FA app. Most banks provide information on phone operating systems their 2FA work on.

Does your Nokia phone have KaiOS as its operating system rather than Android? KaiOS is known to be widely unsupported by many app developers and won’t run Android apps (even though visually Android and KaiOS look similar).

Most banks provide options when one does not have the ability to use a 2FA app, such as doing banking in person in branches, receiving 2FA by text message or by phone banking with additional security measures adopted (such as a pin or special code). If the bank didn’t provide alternatives to those customers who can’t use their 2FA app, then there would be reason to complain. Because other options aren’t as convenient isn’t a reasonable grounds to complain…as it could be argued it is the customer’s choice not to have facilities to use their more convenient 2FA app system.

In relation to the term deposit, generally a clear instruction not to roll over into a term deposit needs to be given to the bank. It shouldn’t be assumed that since it automatically rolled over it was the bank’s fault. Some banks automatically rollover within a period after a term deposit reaches maturity if no instruction is received. Information about rollovers are usually presented in the PDS or T&Cs associated with the term deposit. Term deposits can usually be broken, but with penalty such as forfeiting some or all of the interest.

Banking in person, especially if not your usual branch where they may know you, additional ID may be required to verify who you are. Especially if the amount being withdrawn or transferred are significant or potentially unusual. I have had to do this for my own bank from time to time, so such a request isn’t unusual. They will take records/copies as evidence of the verification process. I would rather additional verification in such cases rather than allowing a transaction to anyone who has my cards.

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Banks and other organizations have been heavily fined in recent years over breaches in Austrac reporting. Anything over $10k as a transaction has to be reported. No ifs, no buts.

A bank will certainly want evidence that someone having a banking card (no photo, just a signatature), is backed up with a photo card with signature like a drivers licence.

Before a large transfer of money takes place. Or a purchase of a bank cheque.

As for 2FA, it sounds like the bank jon01 uses has a smart phone version of rolling code pins, like the good old RSA tokens. I would be astounded if that bank didn’t have an option to use a pin delivered by SMS that required no app.

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@Jon01 has not named the bank. He should. It would be helpful.

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You wrote

Hold your horses.

  1. Isn’t the ability to download an app independent of whether it works on my phone?
    I have not gone down the 2FA road yet as I can’t even load the app.
  2. The Nokia uses Android Go
  3. As to instructions on the TD, I found the following amongst my paperwork: when opened I was not asked what to do with it on maturity. I was told, verbally I would be contacted before maturity with interest rates to roll over etc. On 04JAN23 the person who opened the a/c was not in the branch when I visited and so I spoke to another person who said he would contact me a few days before maturity. I asked him to put this in writing as I was in a rush and did not have pen and paper with me. The same day 04JAN23 he emailed me that he shall contact me a few days before maturity. He and nobody else from the bank contacted me.
  4. I haer you about breaking TDs. My point is that days after maturity I was offered to break it and be pensalised because the bank was sure it was rolled over. I deny it was rolled over and to date the bank cannot prove who rolled it over, at what rate and for what term. Odd? Surely.
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At this time I don’t want to reveal the name, but I will share whatever AFCA decided with this forum. Unless I am prohibited in some way.

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Apologies, above you suggested that:

Separately I could not download their app, which I was told to do to “be able to transfer to another bank”. It seems the app is not compatible with NOKIA.

which seems to indicate that you have tried to download the app (entertained the use of your banks 2FA) but were unable to as the app isn’t supported on your Nokia phone operating system. It isn’t the bank’s fault your Nokia has an unsupported operating system.

There is usually an automated email advising that the term deposit is about to mature. Have you checked your junk/spam email as it is possible it is there (if it hasn’t been deleted since it was about 3 weeks ago maturity occurred) advising what to do on maturity?

Every bank we deal with (three) has the same email notification process.

Also check the email address you attached to the term deposit account is correct. If it isn’t, you won’t have received the email.

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There was no email. In fact online in my profile I found the paperwork arranged by the bank clerk showing the term and interest rate and the section on what to do on maturity was blank. There were several options for the staff member to choose from and he chose none and did not ask me, on the day the TD was organised what I want done on maturity.
As statd earlier, it was I who on o4JAN23 visited a branch and asked to be advised of roll over rates before maturity, granted they would be indicative only rates.
The bank does not dispute any of my claims.

@phb As to my phone’s inability to download the app, which you write is no doubt part of 2FA, I found the following crucial information:

  1. The bank’s website mentions the app works with Android 7 and later
  2. My phone’s key attribute other than its price is that it is mobile app compatible. It runs the Android-go equivalent of Android 11. It is a slimmed down version of Android 11 inasmuch as it can host fewer apps.

So prima facie - at least to me - it seems this app has more bugs in it than a proverbial swarm

Android Go isn’t Android 7 or later.

Android Go is a ‘lite’ version of Android and many apps aren’t supported on Android Go, whilst are supported on full Android versions.

Is is worth reading this website about Android Go…

Android Go is installed on cheap phones (usually the very basic entry level phones) to give some of the functionalities of more expensive phones loaded with the full version.

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