HBOS online banking-can't login ?

bobblebob

Server is too busy

Just getting that now

Who_me?_2

SilverScooby wrote: »

I now get the login screen but when I input username & password the blue progress bar goes about a third of the way across then stops.
Has anyone successfully logged in today?

I've logged in but when it takes me to the next page, this message appears:-

"Service Interruption

One or more of our systems are temporarily unavailable.

This means that you will not be able to proceed at this time.

We are aware of the problem, and hope to fix it soon, so please try again later. We apologise for any inconvenience."

I assume its overloaded??

*angelmum

opinions4u wrote: »

My guess:

1) For much of the day I would hazard a guess that branch staff had no real explanation about what was going on beyond "systems failure".

2) I doubt very much that the organisation has issued an instruction about refusing to refund bank charges as a result of the problem. Indeed, I would expect their existing policy to cover "Halifax error" and already allow a refund of charges in such circumstances.

As well as being a pain in the butt for customers I suspect it has been a hell of a tough day for Halifax/Bank of Scotland branch staff. I hope they get to relax in what's left of the weekend.

I suspect it's now overloaded. I can't get on!

Totally agree, as staff myself, we are told what message to give out and are often in the dark about things.

McKneff

I'm just getting 'Server is too busy'

becs

Anihilator wrote: »

You really dont understand a thing do you about IT etc

Secondly what are the call centre staff meant to say to irate customers demanding what can't possibly be delivered

Actually I know enough about IT and contigency plans to know that a back up would actually be a relatively simple thing in this day and age. Most major companies who value there IT set up actually pay to have a second mirror set up usually with outsourced IT companies that come into play usually within 1 hour of the first one failing. It just shows how important HBOS think it is for customers to have access to their OWN money! Also for something as critically important as this most companies with an ounce of common sense would split the set up between 2 different locations.
My argument with the call centre staff was his antagonistic attitude. He seemed to think it was completely unimportant that we have access to our money when we need it. I asked the question what if a pensioner had needed to use the card first thing this morning to pay for electricity on their payment cards? My need for cash may not have been essential but for others it will have been. Halifax's answer to the situation was that you could go into the branch and withdraw £50 cash if you had a card. Why could this not be implemented to cash machines? We have had an 18 mile round trip,traffic jams of Christmas shoppers and parking to pay for just to ensure we had some cash that we needed. Will we even be offered any kind of compensation to account for this or we I still be charged the £12.50 account fee for not having all the services promised to us not available when we need it.

drpellypo

Inactive wrote: »

A customer shouldn't need to know anything about the inner workings of any bank, the system should work .. end of.

What would happen if the power failed at a hospital? .. the back up generators would kick in immediately.

They don't always as it happens. When I worked for the NHS on several occasions people were running around with manual defrib equipment to keep people alive because there was zero power. It took us 8 hours to get the IT systems back online once because the UPS's (big batteries basically) connected to the computers also went flat. When you have a big power cut, and it lasts for more than about 20 minutes, short of having a lorry full of severs with giant batteries on board, it takes a long time to bring it all back up again, even with a proper backup in place.

Viper_7

gt94sss2 wrote: »

If it was a power cut that is causing today's problems - I agree with Becs..

HBOS would/should have had backup generators on standby at their data centre which should have kicked in immediately their systems automatically detected a power failure - as should all proper data centres - though sometimes you can have unexpected problems with these failing to work.

I am thus more suprised that it sounds as if HBoS does not have a 2nd data centre (at a different geographic location) as a fall over/backup to come into operation in case of any such issues or some sort of national disaster - which you would expect for something as system critical as this.

I know HSBC with whom I keep my main bank account have this sort of set-up..

Regards
Sunil

They do have all of that - it all failed!
UPS failed.
Generators failed

They also have a backup site, but by the time it would take to cut over to it, they decided to fix the generators first.
Then as the power was just pulled, they probably suffered disk failures/power supply failures as servers of this nature don't like having the power pulled, so it can take several hours to get everything back up again.
Not just the servers, all the comms equipment/the HSMs the firewalls the entire pigging lot.

If only you knew what was involved!

oliviasmummy

I understand what your saying becs and although it does sound like the person you spoke to may not have been very sympathetic to the situation but what answer did you want from them if the example you mention happened. Being able to get money in the branch would have been done through manual proceedures I assume (paper based then keyed later) so it isnt as easy to just let atm machines do that as I believe the money was given on a trust basis but if that took people over their limits charges would occur.

Viper_7

Anihilator wrote: »

From what I have been told previously the ATM and Link system in this country hasnt moved on IT wise in years.

What a load of rubbish!

lilacclaire

I just tried the atm to see if working yet and had my card whipped off me :mad: