From Netbank to ING Direct Nightmare conversion.

Since 2000 I was an extremely pleased customer with Netbank service. Everytime I called their customer service I knew what to expect, friendly service and they got requests processed in a timely and accurate manner. I remember calling them for many reasons, from a debit card that I lost, and they courteosly fedex me a new one because I was offshore, to requesting transfers and lodging chargeback complaints to visa. Honestly I can't remember ever been discontent with their service.

28 September 2007. The banking world, as I know it, ended. OTS announced they closed Netbank. I had been daring this moment for quite a while, but I decided to stick with netbank to the end. I wouldn't jump off board, they've been too good to me. I still don't regret this stance.

What I regret is who took over. ING Direct. I had no previous conception of ING Direct, besides their quite colorful website. They sent us, Netbank customers, our first email on October 3rd 2007 informing us that banking will be the same for us for the next 60 days, and somewhat it was.

Changes started trickling in 2 days later despite the "no changes" they sent a notice saying "foreign wire transfers will no longer be processed". After that, 31st of October 2007 on the bottom of an email:

"Effective 11/23/2007 ("Effective Date") we will no longer process ATM transfers (including withdrawals) and point of sale transactions (including online and cash-back transactions) that you initiate using an ATM or debit card that accesses a NetBank Money Market, Net Value Interest Checking, or Super Value Interest Checking Account that was acquired by ING DIRECT on September 28, 2007. This means that on or after the Effective Date your NetBank ATM and/or NetBank VISA® Check card(s) won't work."

Although at this point I haven't received any notice of how or when I was going to be able to access my account again. Access to my money was cut from the root, I could not access my debit card anymore. Those inital transitional 60 days are counting down fast.

November 23rd 2007, First hint of doom arrives, access to my debit card is removed. I can't access my account to do day to day purchases any longer.

December 1st 2007, I receive an email from ING Direct requesting me to call them to provice more information about my account. Right away I call them and after 47 minutes on hold, listening to this horrible guy pitching sales for ING Direct. I was informed that they needed to verify my account information, which we do, they are pleased. Finally I have a chance to ask what is going on, when I am getting a new account. They inform me that within the next few days they will be sending a "welcome kit" on the mail and then I would be able to access my account. Days pass, no welcome kit, finally after on the 11th of December I receive the "welcome kit", letting me now that the Netbank website will go down on the 7th of December (really nice timing there) and any balance on my Netbank accounts will be converted to ING Direct. Also they inform me that I was going to need a PIN number that was sent on a different envelope to access my account. No signs of that pin number. I patiently wait for a few days. I haven't had access to my account since 23rd of November, cash is running thin, I need my money, but with ING Direct it is not going to be so easy.

14th of December, I call ING Direct. After another long hold. They assure me my PIN was sent, and I should get it on the mail any moment now.

17th of December, No pin. Another call. ING Direct customer service ask me to wait for a couple more days. Maybe it'll just arrive. I ask them if they can send a new pin by fedex, because I need access to my money, I OWE people. They say they can't. I have to wait MORE.

18th of December, it's been enough time now. I call ING Direct again. I ask them to send me a NEW pin, the first one never arrived, they ask me if I'm really sure because the previous PIN will be void if they send me a new one. What can I do, it has never arrived. Christmas day is nearing, I have NO MONEY and I OWE people money. I need that PIN. I request a new one. When I ask if there were other people in my same situation ING Direct Customer Representative tells me "I would be surprised [how many]"

22nd of December, finally I receive something, oh, it's a statement. I can see the money I have which I don't have access to. GREAT. Now they are teasing me. I am really upset.

I am very upset. It's beyond unacceptable how ING Direct has treated their new customers and the transition from Netbank, unthinkable how badly the whole process was envisioned and managed. I can't understand how it's been a month since I have had access to my account, with no money to buy food for xmas eve, I'm sure ING Bank employees will have christmas dinner with their friends and family, I will have to eat tuna from a can. Thanks to ING Direct.

Comment On This

You are not alone. My husband and I were loyal customers of Netbank since 1999 and were disappointed to learn of it's takeover. We had no prior experience with ING Direct, and like yourself, we decided to hang in there to see where it all went. Downhill!

Our money was held hostage because they cut off our Debit cards. We had no access to cash and their customer service representatives didn't understand why that would be a problem.

Errors in moving money to newly created bank accounts. At one point, $3,000 of the money in my account was moved to my husband's account - which at the time wasn't even linked due to the newness of our accounts. Imagine had we been going through a divorce! It took three ING customer service reps, and 3 hours for them to track down $3,000. Talk about not feeling confident in your bank! By the way, at no time did any of them apologize for the inconvenience that this was happening at Christmas time.

Their customer service is pitiful, the hold times are long and their response over email is scripted, long and full of financial jargon. Questions are never completely answered, and there is no safe way to communicate with them online about your account (you must send Customer Service an email with your account information, address, etc. through your email provider to a general email address).

We are looking for another internet bank but are exhausted over this last conversion. $200 in overdraft fees due to their mishandling of my money and I keep getting the run-around about trying to collect those fees from them as I was able to get one supervisor to admit fault.

Keep your money far, far away from ING Direct banking.