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Westpac failure leaves customers stranded

Westpac is allowing investors to withdraw from a $500 million share purchase plan.

Westpac is allowing investors to withdraw from a $500 million share purchase plan.

Thousands of Westpac customers have been locked out of online and mobile banking services for more than 24 hours, with many unable to go to a branch due to public holiday closures.

Customers couldn’t go into a Westpac branch to do their banking because the service outage fell on a public holiday in much of the country.

Westpac apologised over Facebook for the outage, which fell on a public holiday in much of the country, and said it had been working through the night to restore full service.

Dozens of customers vented their fury in the comment section when they were still unable to make transfers or check their account online.

“I want access to MY money! Has been like this since Sunday morning – more than 24 hours now,” one customer wrote on Facebook.

“Couldn’t even buy a coffee on my way to work on a cold Monday morning Westpac because I don’t know if I have any money in my cards and can’t transfer into them because I can’t get into my mobile banking,” another said.

Westpac error alert while online and mobile banking went down. Photo: Twitter

“No phone or internet banking. Means nothing to you but to me it means no taxi to get to work, no lunch, no access to MY money. Lost wages, embarrassment of having to borrow money, dishonour fee,” one customer said.

Others complained they could not reach the help number provided by Westpac because it was a public holiday. Customers in Queensland and Western Australia also reported being affected, even though it was not a public holiday in those states.

Some customers said they had been unaffected.

Westpac updated the service announcement shortly before 6pm on Monday.

“We are aware there is still a limited number of people experiencing issues with our Mobile and Online Banking,” the Facebook post said.

“We’re continuing to work on access for those customers not yet able to log in.”

“Our sincere apologies to those still affected, and to those inconvenienced over the weekend.”

It was the second time in a month Westpac customers had been locked out of their online and mobile banking.

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