Too many flip-flops at Bank of Ireland

This week’s Mediahuis Irish regional newspapers’ column

Michael Commane

On Tuesday, August 27 I received an email purporting to be from Bank of Ireland, offering a luxury getaway for two to Powerscourt Estate. It had the correct BoI logo. It asked for my card number. 

And just at that moment I thought it might be a scam. I closed the email. The following day I called the bank to ask was it a scam. Before the agent could answer that question he asked me for some personal details. 

Why should I have to give any details about myself in order learn if this email was genuine? When I explained I considered such information was irrelevant he eventually agreed and was happy if I gave him my phone number. He told me he did not know and suggested I take a screenshot of the email and forward it to the bank with a covering note. 

The agent with whom I spoke was friendly and did all he could to help. I emailed the screen shot with a covering note. 

Within minutes I received a standard automated verbose reply, not answering my question. I immediately phoned the bank, went through all the usual rigmarole before I got speaking to a real time human voice. 

The agent at first told me she did not know whether or not it was a scam but would check and call me back. Some minutes later the agent called to tell me it was phishing, in other words a scam. 

Between the two phone calls I spent 30 minutes looking for a yes or no to a very simple question. 

Later that day I received an email from the bank: ‘Hi Michael, thanks for checking with us. You’re right to be careful but that is a genuine email.'  Just a first name, no surname. Not a word of apology. Within a five-hour period Bank of Ireland told me: one, they did not know; two, it was a scam and three, it was not a scam. 

Was this latest email a scam? 

On Thursday I called again for clarification. The agent was not pleased with my attitude and terminated the call.

On Friday I received conflicting answers to my question. Eventually I was told the advert was a genuine Bank of Ireland promotion.

So much for telling us the Bank will never ask for card numbers. The agent with whom I spoke on Friday was perplexed by it all and apologised. 

Fortunately for me, they had a recording of my calls and I was informed that it was incorrect of Thursday’s agent to terminate the call.

Customers are being treated like slaves. We have to give our life-story before we can say a word to these banks and companies. Is this what technology does? 

What happens when AI arrives? It took three days to discover the advert was genuine. And all of it is Bank of Ireland’s fault.

I’d like to be known by the name my mother and father gave me rather than a 16 digit number.

Paula Poundstone’s comment that she doesn’t have a bank account because she doesn’t know her mother’s maiden name is apposite. She’s an American comedian, author and commentator.