GOING DOWN
Tesco online banking app and website went down leaving customers locked out of accounts
We've explained your rights to compensation
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TESCO's online banking app and website went down this morning.
The outage left hundreds of customers locked out of their bank accounts.
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According to the complaints tracking website DownDetector, over 606 people reported issues accessing their cash at 7:12am this morning.
According to the site, 53% had issues with their mobile banking, and 30% with the online banking service.
Angry customers took to social media complaining of the crash.
One customer posted on X (formerly Twitter) and said: "The Tesco bank app is not working… I cannot login."
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Another said: "Tesco, what's happened to your banking app?
"Can't log in, hangs and fails, uninstalling/reinstalling gives constant 'sorry something went wrong messages'.
"Utterly useless. One star rating from multiple customers and you don't acknowledge or seem to have any plans to fix it."
A Tesco Bank spokesperson said: "For a period this morning customers were unable to access mobile and online banking.
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"This is now fixed and we apologise to our customers for any inconvenience caused."
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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.
CHECK IF YOUR BANK IS DOWN
THERE are a few different ways to find out if your bank is experiencing an outage.
If you're trying to send money to someone or you 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 report service problems, including those related to 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.
You can also check websites such as DownDetector, which will tell you whether others are experiencing problems with a particular company online.
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 can ask the bank to reimburse any fees, charges, or fines you were hit with, such as if you could not 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 couldn't pay money in.
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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, and a payment for any inconvenience it caused.