Customers of Bank of Ireland encountered a unique opportunity on Tuesday and early Wednesday when a technical glitch affected the bank’s systems. During the outage, some customers were able to withdraw money exceeding their normal limits. The bank confirmed that customers could withdraw up to €500 ($546) using their Bank of Ireland card and transfer funds to other accounts with a withdrawal limit of €1,000 ($1,091).
News of the glitch quickly spread on social media, prompting people to line up at ATMs, hoping to take advantage of the “free money.” As the numbers grew, images of police guarding the ATMs began circulating online. The national police of Ireland, An Garda Síochána, acknowledged the increased activity at ATMs and stated that decisions were made on a case-by-case basis to ensure public safety and order.
While customers enjoyed the unexpected windfall, the Bank of Ireland reminds them that these withdrawals will still be reflected as debits in their accounts. The bank released a statement urging any customer who may face financial difficulty due to overdrawing on their account to get in touch.
In addition to impacting withdrawals, the technical issue also affected various online and mobile app services provided by the bank.
Bank of Ireland Online Services Restored Following Technical Issue
Several frustrated customers took to social media to express their disappointment with the Bank of Ireland after experiencing difficulties accessing their accounts and viewing payments. Many emphasized the challenges they faced in purchasing essential items without being able to check their account balances. Furthermore, this was not the first time that a technical glitch at the bank had affected their ability to utilize online services, with a similar incident occurring in June.
Fortunately, the Bank of Ireland announced on Wednesday that its online services were once again operational. However, customers were advised that the bank’s app may experience some delays as it catches up on processing payments. Overnight payments were assured to appear throughout the day.
Recognizing the inconvenience caused, the bank issued a sincere apology, acknowledging that they had failed to meet the expectations of their customers. They assured their clients that measures would be taken to prevent future occurrences of such technical issues.
In response to the incident, Minister for Finance Michael McGrath called upon the Central Bank of Ireland, which oversees the Bank of Ireland, to thoroughly investigate the outage and propose preventive measures for the future. McGrath stressed the need for financial service providers to maintain uninterrupted services for their customers. The disruption caused by banking service issues can have significant consequences for individuals and businesses alike. Customers rightly expect a high standard of service and continuous access to essential services.
The Central Bank confirmed its involvement in monitoring the situation and promptly initiated an investigation into the incident with the Bank of Ireland. The regulator emphasized its expectation that banks rectify any issues impacting customers without delay. They hold banks accountable for correcting any mistakes or harm caused to customers.