Locked out: Sky broadband outage hits online banking apps
A string of online banking apps, including HSBC and Santander, all experienced malfunctions this morning, which was down to a Sky broadband issue.
Hundreds of customers had reportedly been locked out of HSBC, Santander, NatWest, Halifax and TSB apps and online banking websites.
The banking app for TSB was also thought to be experiencing an outage, but a spokesperson told City PM that the issue is with the internet service provider used by customers.
HSBC also said it thought the malfunctions had stemmed from a third party issue – while Sky has admitted that its customers had been experiencing issues with website connection.
However, Sky has confirmed to City PM that the issue has since been fixed and that “customers should be able to access websites and apps as normal.”
A spokesperson for HSBC said: “A third party issue is impacting some customers’ ability to access the HSBC UK mobile app. The app itself is working as it should.
“We advise customers to access online banking via desktop, which is not impacted, until the issue is resolved. Customers may also wish to try use their banking app using mobile data to connect, bearing in mind their mobile data allowances and usage.”
Sky broadband has confirmed the issues earlier this morning, which has led to a number of customer complaints, with a spokesperson saying: “Sky Broadband customers may be experiencing issues when trying to access some websites this morning.
“We’re investigating this as a priority and we’re sorry for any inconvenience.”
By 9am this morning, Sky had received 1,344 complaints from customers across the UK, according to complaints counter DownDetecter.
A spokesperson for Santander said it was aware of the issue and is working to resolve it “as quickly as possible”.
“We’re aware that a number of internet providers are experiencing issues this morning, meaning some customers are unable to access our online and mobile banking services.
“Debit cards, credit cards, ATMs, telephone and branch banking services are not affected, and customers can continue to use these services as normal.”
DownDetecter also found that Santander had received 925 complaints by 7:30am this morning, while HSBC saw 415 by 7:50 am, while TSB customers sent in 460 complaints by 7:40am.
Many customers took to Twitter to detail their woes, tagging their respective banks for some assistance.
The Santander’s customer help account also advised one Twitter user: “We have had some customers report issues with logging on. Please switch from Wi-Fi to mobile data or vice versa, if this doesn’t work please try uninstalling and reinstalling the app.”
DownDetecter has recorded a sharp spikes in complaints aimed at HSBC, Santander and TSB in the UK.
City PM has contacted Halifax and NatWest for comment.